The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-04
The Immense Buildings and Their Thou
sands of Exhibits of All Kinds Quick
ly Reduced to Ashes.
A Conflagratiou Witnessed by One
Hundred Thousand People.
The Loss Estimated at One Million Dollars
Theories AS To the Cause of the Fire
Tie Insurance Buildings.


the north bank of the Allegheny river, have
been totally destroyed. The immense struct-
ures, with their almost endless variety of
exhibits, illustrative of every branch of art
science and mercantile skill, which were yes
terday visited by thousands of people, and,
since the opening, on Sept. 6, by hundreds
of thousands, is now a mass of splintered
and powdered enbers and coiled and tangled
| iron. The destruction was complete,
and nothing but the site remains of
the home of specimens of brain and
Drawn, in which the Pittsburgers felt so
much pride. The fire was first discovered at
2 o'clock this morning in the boiler-room at
tached to machinery hall, at the south end
| of the building and before the watchman
could give an alarm the flames had spread to
| floral hall, machinery hall and the main
| buildings, and in less than ten minutes the
buildings were on fire from end to end, and
when the fire department arrived on the
grounds the flames were beyond control.
Nothing was saved, and the iremen turned
their attention to saving adjacent property,
many residences on South avenue being in
| flames. By hard work, however, they sue
ceeded in saving all these, with no more
damage done than burning fences and
cornices. The repeated alarms soon aroused
almost the entire population of the two cities
and 1t is estimated that not less than from
! $4,000 to 100000 people witnessed the con-
| fagration The reflection OF the flames il
Illuminated the country for miles around,
making possible the reading of the finest
| N inf In fro lie
covery of the fire mere attenuated skeleton
! of the once magnificent structure was all that
was left. The origin of the fire is still un-
certain. Numerous theories have been ad-
vanced, but so far most of them have fallen
to the ground. 1t is known TO have started
in the boiler-house, and may have been
caused from spark under the boiler or the
accidental ignition of some contiguous sub
stance from gas-j jet left burning in the boil
er-house. The loss will probably reach ST.
100000. Secretary Patterson places the value
of the buildings destroyed at $3.50 900, the in
surance being 100000, The exhibitors
will sustain loss of about
$500, COO An irreparable loss, however,
was occasioned by the destruction of the
relic department The cash value of the
articles contained therein did not exceed
$4,000, but many cannot be replaced In
the annex was the Arabian the first locomo-
tive ever run in the United States which
was also destroyed. The Great Western
band lose full set of splendid instruments.
In the safe was So 900 cash. the receipts from
yesterdays admissions, and Levy's gold cor
net The safe has been taken from the ruins
but the contents have not yet been ex-
amned.
The attendance at the Exposition yester-
day was the largest OF any previous day in
its history. The admissions, day and even
ing were 81 600, and the crowd last night
was so great that the building was packed to
its utmost capacity Had the contiagration
occurred last night at 8 o'clock, considering
the rapidity with which the flames
spread, the loss of life would have
| been appalling, as it would have
been almost impossible for the crowd
to escape. The buildings which were de-
stroyed were erected in 1875. The main
building was 600 feet long and $50 feet wide.
Machinery hall was 450 feet long and $50
feet wide. The other buildings were small
The safe has just been opened and the con-
tents, including $4,000 in cash and Levys
cornet, were found in good condition. The
cornet was somewhat discolored, but it is
not thought the tone has been injured. The
following is a list of insurance companies
and their losses as far as can be ascertained,
on the building: Niagara, of New York;
Lyon, of England; Phoenix, of England;
London and Provincial, London and Liver
| pool, IennSylVaDld, OF Inllauelpllla; eaCn
$1,000; Norwich Union, OF England; Water
town, of New York; Trans Atlantic, Queen
Delaware, Mutual, OF Kenton; Allie
gheny and Birmingham each $1,000; Farm
ers', of New York, and German American,
each, $3.50 Connecticut 5000; Ohio $2,000;
Orient 81, 500. On boilers, $4,000, as fol-
lows: Louisville Underwriters and Lanca-
shire each, $1,000 Mutual, 81, ,050 Guardian,
of England, 81, 300 Traders, of Chicago,
81, 200; Ktna and United Firemans, of Phila-
delphia, each, 81, 500 Lion, $780,
Among the rumors current concerning the
origin OF the fire is one that it was caused by
an explosion of benzine in the boler-room.
The story is to the effect that Prof Warner,
the balloonist, and his assistant, Edward
Williams, were oiling the balloon in the
boiler-room when an explosion occurred
from the careless handling of beDzine which
was being used as a dryer. The only evil
dence in support of this theory is the fact
that a druggist named Neiley sold Warner
three gallons of benzine. If this should
prove the true theory it would raise an inter
esting question on the payment of the in
surance. Another theory is ncendiarism.
Considerable bad feeling has existed against
the Exposition society by parties who had
lived in boat-house located near the Expo
siton building, which the society had re-
moved, much against the will of the occu-
pants
On exhibits it is impossible as yet to get a
complete list of com mpanies. Every insur-
ance company in the country had risks ex-
cept the Teutonia, Merchants and Manufac-
turerS and Pennsylvania. They were as fol-
lows: Phoenix, of Louisville, Underwriters
Citizens, of New York. and Shoe and Leath-
er 81, 500; HGtna and PttSburg $5 000 Boat
mems, of Pittsburg, $4, 700; Western, $4, 500;
Peoples and Artisans, $780, London As
surance, Northern and Humboldt, 50 900
each; London and Lancashire, United Fire