The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-01-10
RUINED PALACES.
the Great Fire on the.
Wor1d's Fair Grounds.

Ra the Great Fire on the
Wor1d's FAIRGROUNDS.
HJAB Exhibits DESTROYED
IN manufacturers and Liberal
piiding-The French Section
IAeEedsthe Most-A Vast Amount
ooperty Awaiting Shipment to
the GAgners-A Gloomy Sight Pre-
,lted Where the Beautiful PERKS
food.
McAao. Jan. 9.-Last nights fire in
or1d's Fair grounds produced
Changes in the appearance OF
ghcaggsfamous pleasure park than it
e2pected would be made by six
mpnsha Of building wrecking. To the
gIeomy sight of vacant buildings and
almost deserted driveways since the
gse5were closed was added the specta-
clsef smoking and ~blackened heaps OF
debriaSSIhe casino, where the thou
ssadaspent delightful hours watching
aysacenes upon and about the grand
bin was wholly destroyed. OF the
yle, once illumined with thou
sandasof incandescent lights and Greek
frs9and furnishing endless enjoyment,
nothing remains. Its arches were
burned away, andJits stately columns
Shalfkburned and charred lie i'll confused
mAsses upon the brick promenade
hichgsurrounded it. Music Hall, like
lis a melancholy heap of ashes. All
the walks are strewn wide cast
eharTed brands which the wind blew
f6mthe burning buildings and little
bif6of&white ashes whore some OF the
bdands were consumed after falling
manufacturers building both
&%gffhin and without presents q sight not
deaired either by exhibitors. The lat
tiee work between the top roof and the
carRed one covering the central aisle
6n Tie east side was burned away from
point above the southern end of the
United States section, south to the one
ab0ye the Russian section. On the
#est side the burned portion OF similar
lattice work extends over the British
Heetion to a little beyond the south ex-
kfemitv of the German, pavilion. In
idefhe building appearances are worse
Htt4dl4upOu tlJo IOOl- h1LI11 tllc .IcgloIl
bnrned over and for some distance on
either side the floor is covered with
Water. Standing in the water, which at
somesplaces is two inches in depth, are
5nnnmerable boxes containing precious
pWares, all baled and bound for reship-
mgntya as soon as they could be released
rofnsbond. The seem inside the great
building to-day was of absorbing inter-
8esta Here and there were seen boxes
ep74-E H.. 80 a, tolf -, !, ,,
bnttheir contents safe, except for water
atIeaked into them.
Pplicemen guarded the doors and
would allow ingress to none except ex-
hJbitors, or those who had work to do
ISeNbuilding. But although the Gu
rosls crowd was barred out the main
Heorsalmost swarmed with people.
Enstoms officials were busy looking
hitter the interests of the department.
andsexerting themselves to satisfy the
dgsires of exhibitors SO far as possible.
ssIsha work OF a.certaining as far as pos
siblezthe extent OF damage done to eX-
sEhtbits began at once. Many boxes will
hare to be opened and their contents
Tepacked. -.
was 2:29 o'clock this morning
Yhen the fire, though still unextin-
sguiahed from layman's point OF view
#wasformally "struck out" according to
Mesdepartment usage. The alarm
IromSthe manufacturers building was
Hentgin at 1926 o'clock the preceding
making the record of the fire
fsurIninutes moro than six hours after
fha final signal was sent out. Until
daylight a squad of iremen and guards
patEoIled the building without doing
muGhein the way of clearing away the
wreek, a survey to-day inside the
building showed that the greatest dam
age had been done east and west of the
%centteS aisle and towards the southern
endkofst the building. Under the south
~&saattcorner in which the blaze burned
most seriously the American musical
eection was located. Many of the goods
on exhibition had been removed and
tlieaesremaining were stored in heavy
spacSage case. h section was COM
p1eteay deluged and the boxes are
aoaked and covered with ice.
None OF the buildings that were de-
#atfoyed were insured. With the trans
ferHofg the property to the South Park
eommissioners the policies were allowed
toexpire. 1t was not deemed necessary
feearry them a%nylonger and hence last
niFhfs loss, so far ms the buildings are
concerned, is total, and falls directly
upensthe representatives of the city of
Chicago, the South Park commissioners.
The manufacturers building cost
originally $1,700,000; the music hail
$2eD.G00; the casino $780, 600. and the
5peristyle (approximate) 100000. Only
Attraction OF this could-have been real
izedkby a sale of the structures, the ex-
pense OF removal to purchasers, if pur-
elaaEers could be found, being so great
astosinvolve M almost total ~sirinkage
yalue. The French exhibit in the
d arts building,Swhich was the first
ITO anccumb to the flames and where the
&~dhatructlon was the worst, was origin
~ailyYalued complete at 81, SOC, 600.
Speculationras to the probable cause
of&she fire occupied considerable talk
osday, but the main theory advanced
wassthat tramps had started tho blaze.
guard" said the director of the
%prks, L. R. Graham. twas charged
Withsthe care Of the grounds last even