The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-01-24
THE WHITE CITY BURNED.
WORLDS FAIR STRUCTURES
DESTROYED BY FIRE.?

It Started in the Casino and Followed
the Peristyle to the Music Hall
From There 1t Leaped to the Lib
eral Arts and Manufactures Build
ings-Estimate of Losses.
Fire at the Worlds Fair grounds in CHI
cago, few nights ago, DESTROYED property
to the amount OF s1,5Oo,o0o and possibly
more. The proper estimate shard to make,
as the goods are all boxed up in the Manu-
factures Building, where the main losses oc-
Cured. The Music Hall, peristyle and
Casino were totally destroyed, causing a loss
of s3O0,000.
The damage to the Manufactures Building
itself Is put at $3.50, 900, but as the structure
is worthless comparatively the loss is not
felt. The losses in the main fall upon ex-
hibitors from Germany. japan, France, Eng
land, Belgium, Canada, Russia, SWItzer-
land Brazil, Denmark. Spain, Italy. the
Netherlands and Turkey. Tne losses d.
vided among the various countries we're as
follows: .,ooo nm
France, $50, 900 England. $50. 900 Belgium,
S25,000; Canada. SIC, 900 Eussia; o Slo;oUO
Switzerland. $4,000; Brazil, $1,000 Den
mar. $4,000: Spain, 1O.OOo; Italy. $4,000 ;
Netherlands $4,000 turkey. $4,000; Manu-
factures' Building. $3.50. 900; psristyle, Cs-
sino and Music Hall. $500, 900.
There were about twelve thousand cases
remaining in tho Manufactures Building,
and these were valued at $500 each, making
a total OF S3. 900, 900. The Japanese goods
in the structure were valued at S609, ,0oo.
those belonging to France 81, ,OOO.ooO, ana
those belonging to the German Empire ana
Bavaria $3.50. 900. Only estimates OF tne
good which were the propsrty OF other 1or-
eign Nations can be made. very 1eW Oh THO
foreign Governments escaped loss.
The fire. in the Manufactures Building
was burning fercsly in the galleries aboYe
the French and Belgian sections, Wane Two
thousand men were busily engaged In getIing
packing cases containing valuable exnlpNs
out Of the way.
One life was lost and two men were injured
during the fire.
Probably 40 morsmagnihcent yet terrlfy-
Ing spectacle than this fire has ever peen
witnessed this side Of the Atlantic. IL was
long after dark when belated people, return-
inc from work to their homes in the southern
suburbs along the elevated road familiar to
hundreds of thousands Of World Fair
visitors. noticed constantly enlarglng col,
nmns of fire and smoke ascending sKyWaro
in the east.
sThe Worlds Fair is on fire" was the cry.
The last half mile Of the journey is direct
Iv east TO the Fair 80 that all view OF tue
blazing pleasure house of the world was shut
,ff for time completely ..-I..,,
Directly past the scene OF the friSntlui
Are of the cold storage warehouse, wnere
nores OF firsmen lost their lives during the
Fair hundreds OF spectators hurried from
.he trains into the celebrated Court OF
Honor. There suddenly the conhagration
.ame iato full view.
Whirlwinds o blazing embers wers being
carried fromts end OF the Court OF Honor
"a, fhest from the Administration Buiiding,
hiph over the mammoth roof OF the Liberal
Arts Building, the largest structure oa earta.
The great golden statue OF the kepuonc
could be seen lifting her liberty cap detantly
aloft through the clouds OF SMOKE anu
flame.
The fire had been burning less than an
hour when O thunderous crash OF 1aillns
tinher and n tremendous shout from the
crowd announced the collapse OF the peri,
sivle. A moment later another terrlnc yen
from the crowd told that the Lloeral Arts
building had caught fire and that the wnoie
Exposition was threatened.
One of the ladders upon which was a
,rouu of flremen fell with the columns, ano
one OF the hero:c fire. fighters went down 70
death. while number o. others sunereo n-
juries more or less severe: ~ IT,,
The sky was livid brilliant ut TINS ume
with falling sparks. many OF whlcn Iei, away
to the north, showerins the roofs OF tne Ar'
Palace. Women's Building and the various
State structures with fire. The trains and
street cars added momentarily thousands to
the tbronps OF people, and but for the terrl-
fvinp spectacle and the danger to ltfe ana
nronerty it seemed as II the greatest gaia
night of all at the Worlds Fair was on IN al
The fire started in the Casino, Just east OF
the Agricultural Building and south OF tne
peristyle. The Casino was quickly DESTROYED
aud the flames sIrGed north on top OF tne
peristyle and, dropping. made secono iino
OF fire along the base OF the columns.
The flames then sprang throug the MUSIC
Hall. While the fire was burning there was one
of the most singular and fascinating sights
of the night. Along the top OF tho perlstyle
were scores of statues. The spectacle for
those people fortunate enough to be. on tue
moving sidewalk, Just east OF the perlsryie,
was more OF succession OF gigantic human
beings plunging one after another. mead
long into the waters OF the lake below. Ihe
origin OF the fire is said TO be revenge on the
part of couple oftramps.
The solitary guard in the Music Hall says
that lust before the uameS Droke Out no
kicked two vaSabonds out or the Music Hali
and told them to find quarters elsewhere.
They left in the direction OF the Casino
and soon after the fire broke out, and soon
everything on the grounds was in terror and
confusion.
Fred S. James, Chairman Of the Insurance
Committee Of the Worlds Fair, who was
spectator, says OF the goods in the Manufac-
lures and Liberal Arts Buildings, that there
is little or no insurance on them, rs the COM
panies all cancelled their policies at the close
OF the Exposition. A week bstore there were
over 1900 cases OF goods still on the
grounds and the bulk Of these were In the
Liberal Arts Building. 1t is said that almost
the entire German exhibit Is In the Liberia!
Arts Building. because of the inability OF
the commissioners to secure steamship
capacity.
At o'clock, just after President Higin..
botham arrived on the grounds, the roof OF
the Manufactures Building fell in. Mr.
Hisinbotham, when he saw this, said that
the loss, even il the fire went no further,
could not be less than $40, ,000, 900, as not only
the Liberal Arts Building was burning. but
the Casino and narstyle were gone an 1 the