The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-10-04
FURIOUS FLAMES.
piTTsDURGHs EXHIBITION BUILDING
DESTROYED BY FIRE.
One Million Dollars Worth OF Property
Burned In Twenty Minutes Irreparable
Less In the Destruction OF Relics
rHv ,.lerrath 70 the Dispatch.l


PITTSBURGH, Pa, October 3.-About .
O'Clock this morning the Exposition build.
ing caught fire, and in twenty minutes the
entire structure, with the Machinery and
! Floral halls, was In ashes. The fire was
| first discovered In the engine-room IN the
Machinery Department, and in order not
TO brighten the citizens /" still alarm
was sent in, and in this way the flames got
beyond control. so that before the Fire
Department reached the grounds the
buildings were almost burned down.
When IL became known that it was the
Exposition, although Ii was so late, i'm.
mense crowds We're on their way 10 the
scene Of the conflagration. The reflection
from the fire lighted up the country for
miles around. and in the iarthest end Of
the city paper could he read rs easily as
in the daylight. The exhibits consisted OF
all varieties OF our products and indus
tries, including many valuable relics,
among which was the " Arabian" the old
locomotive Of the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road, which was the frs, locomotive built
In this country.
1t is estimated that the total loss will
probably reach s1,OO0,0GO. Secretary Pat
terson places the value OF the buildings
DESTROYED at $4,000. The insurance be-
ing $4,000, exhibitors will sustain loss
OF about $780, 600. An iircparable loss,
! however. was Occasioned by the destruction
Of the Relic Department. The cash value OF
the articles contained therein did not ex-
coed 100000, but many cannot be replaced.
In the annex the Arabian. the first locomo-
tive ever run in the United States, was also
| DESTROYED. The Great Western Band lose
full set OF splendid instruments. In the
| safe were $4,000 in cash from yesterdays
admissions and Levy's gold cornet. The
safe has been taken from the ruins. but the
contents have not yet been examined.
The attendance at the Exposition ycster-
dav was the largest Of any Of the previous
DAYS in its history. The admissions in the
day and evening were 27.000 and the crowd
| last night was so great that the building
was packed to its utmost capacity. Had
the couflagration occurred last night at
O'Clock, considering the r9pidity with
which the flames spread, the loss OF life
would have been appalling. as il would bavc
been almost impossible for even part OF
the crowd to have escaped. The buildings
which were destroyed were erected in 1879
| The main building was six hundred feet
| long and one hundred and fifty wide. The
machinery hall was four hundred feet long
and one hundred and fifty feet wide. The
other buildings were small.
Ldter.-The safe has been taken from the
ruins and its contents found uniniured,
except that Leyy's gold cornet was little
furnished. 1t j. not thought TO be dam.
aged as a musical instrument. Among the
rumors current concerning the origin OF
the fire is one that it was caused by the eX'
plosion OF benzine in the boiler-room
The story is to the effect that Professor
Warner. the ballooni-t, and bis assistant,
Edward Williams, were Oiiing the balloon
in the boiler-roOm when an explosion oc'
CURED from the careless handling oil
benzine. which was being used a. q
dryer. The only evidence in support Of
| this theoryis the TACT that a druggist sold
Warner three gallons Of benzine. II thi.
should prove to be the true theory, it would
raise an interesting question on the pay
ment Of assurances. Another theory Is in
cendlarism. Considerable bad feeling has
been exhibited against the Exposition So
ciety by parties who lived in boat-hous'
located near the Exposition building
which the Society had removed, mucl
against the will OF the occupants.