The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-10-04
Late News.
THE FIRE FIEND.
The Exposition Building at Pitts tsburg
Consumed.
The Loss Estimated at One Million of
Dollars.
The Soldiers Reunion at Keokuk, Iowa.

PTTTsBURG, Oct 4.-The magnificent
buildings of the Pittsburg exposition so.
ciety on the north bank of the Allegheny
river have been totally destroyed. The
immense structures with their almost
endless variety of exhibits, illustrative of
every branch of art. science and mechani-
cal skill, which were Tuesday visited by
thousands of people, and since the open
ing September 9th, by hundreds of thou
sands, are now a mass of splintered and
powdered embers and tangled iron. The
destruction is complete
The fire was first discovered at 2 o'clock
yesterday morning in the boiler room at
tached to the machinery hall at the south
end of the building, and before the
watchman could give the alarm, the flames
had spread to the floral hall, machinery
hall, ard to the main buildings, and less
than ten minutes the buildings were on
fire from end to end, and when the fire
department arrived on the ground, the
flames were beyond control Nothing was
saved, and the tiremGn turned their atten
ton to saving the adjacent property
Many residences on South avenue being
in flames, and by hard work. however,
they succeeded in saving all these with no
more damage done than the burning of
fences and COrnices.
Repeated alarms soon aroused almost
the entire population of the two cities,
and it is estimated that not less than 75,-
900 to 100000 people witnessed the con
tiagration. The reflection of the flames
Illuminated the country for miles around,
making possible the reading of the finest
newspaper print In one hour from the
discovery of the fire mere attenuated
skeleton of the once magnificent structure
was>all that there was left The origin
of the fire is uncertain 1t is known to
have started in the boiler house, aad may
have been caused from a spark under the
boiler, or the accidental ignition of some
contiguous substance from gas jet left
burning in the boiler house.
THE LOSSES.
The estimate of loss sent Wednesday
morning is greatly exaggerated. 1t will
probably reach $1,000,000 Secretary
Patterson places the value of the buildings
destroyed at $3.50, 900, the insurance being
$4,000 The exhibitors will sustain a
loss of about $4,000 Irrepairable loss,
however, Was occasioned by the destruc-
ton of the relic department. The cash
value of the articles contained therein
does not exceed $4,000, but many can
not be replaced. In the annex was the
Arabian" the first locomotive ever run
in the United States, which was also de-
stroyed. The Great Western Band loses
full set of splendid Instruments In
the safe was $4,000 in cash. the receipts
from Tuesdays admission, and the Levy
gold cOrnet. The safe has been taken
| from the ruins, but the contents have not
yet been examined.
The attendance at the exposition Tues
day was larger than on any previous day
in its history. The admissions, day and
evening, were 27000, and the crowd
Tuesday night was so great that the
building was packed to its utmost capac-
| ity Had the conflagration occurred
Tuesday night at 8 O'clock. considering the
rapidity with which the flames spread, tho
loss of life would have been appalling, as
| it would have been almost impossible for
even part of the crowd TO escape The
buildings destroyed were the main build
ings, 600 feet long and $50 feet wide
Machinery hall, 400 feet long and $50 feet
wide The other buildings were small.
| THE INSURANCE.
1t is impossible as yet to complete tn,
list of the various insurance companies
sustaining losses. Every company in thu
country is said to be represented, excep
the Teutonia Merchants & Manufacturer.
and the Pennsylvania companies.
The total insurance on the stock ant
building was S160,000. At a meeting las
evening the directors decided not to build
A strong feeling prevails among the bust
ness men, however, in favor of re building
with iron. Several have already offeret