Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-01-12
WORLDS FAIR BURNED.
TRAMPS FIRE THE BUILDINGS
FOR REVENGE.
The Casino, Peristyle, Music Hall and
Liberal Arts Building Burn.-Many
Exhibits Destroyed-Big Loss.

guard of the music hall in the
Worlds Fair grounds at Chicago kicked
two tramps from the building. They
growled and muttered vengeance and
started toward the Casino. Only few
minutes later fire was discovered in
the Casino and soon all was confusion
upon the almost deserted grounds AS
the flames mounted higher and higher
the cry 1.-The Worlds Fair is on fire.
was carried through the southern sub
urbs of Chicago in the vicinity of the
grounds. The people returning from
work turned TO gaze upon the spec
tacle andchundreds poured into the
grounds from all sides.
From the Casino the fire demon
caught the grand peristyle, and the
structure burned like finder. The fire.
men worked like madmen at every
available point, but their efforts were
vain. One ladder with several firemen
on it fell with a column of the peri
style, and VIM. Mackey, pipeman, was
SO seriously injured that he died soon
after. A strong wind carried huge
embers from the peristyle to the man
ufactures and liberal arts building, the
largest structure on earth. Here also
the flames spread with startling rapid
ity and .devoured the browning glory
of the great exposition. All of the
American exhibits had long ago been
removed, but the formalities of the
custom house had detained the goods
of the foreigners. There was the ex-
quisite French exhibit, the Russian,
British, Japanese and other sections
filled with the finest of choice exhibits
in the path of the demon which came
on so quickly that nothing could be
saved.
The fire boats and engines on the
lake side had subdued the flames in the
ashes of the peristyle and in the lower
colorado on the southeast side of the
liberal arts building, and hopes were
raised that the fire had been subdued,
but the flames got beyond control
away up on the top promenade of the
liberal arts building, and the main
aisle of the building was a mass Of
flames, arising from the blazing brands
which came from above. Remorse-
lessly the fire was hurting itself
through the interstices of the big iron
arches at the dizzy heights above. The
flames wound, boa constructor fashion,
in and around the mammoth electric
light coronas suspended from the roof.
Below these fearful circles of iron.
likely to drop at any moment, no man
dared to go, even the hardest not
venturing within hundred feet
Frantic horses, with heavily loaded
trucks, were plunging through the
aisles not encountered with wreclage
or drenched with the falling cataracts
of water, most of which fell far short
of the topmost flames
A great iron arch gave way directly
above the French wares, and falling
heavily buried them beneath the burn
ing pile and they were abandoned.
Back of the French was the japanese
exhibit. This, like many exhibits, had
not been released from bond and the
goods could not be taken from the
building. All through the great struct-
ure frantic exhibitors rushed seeking
the safety of their goods. Our hands
are tied" said one; I'VE cannot remove
our wares from the building. We
must stand idly by and see them burn.
We can do nothing"
With changing gongs and clatter of
hoofs, steamer after steamer ratified
through the smoke down the fire-lit
aisles until the center of the building
was reached. They were ranged about
the burning heaps of merchandise and
the last struggle of the fireman was
taken up. Streams of water were
hurled upon the blaze, but with little
effect. From above fiery hail of
embers poured down upon the firemen,
the heaps of blazing merchandise grew
more and more numerous, and foot by
foot the engines were forced back to-
/ a~Isa Of har Of hril
The fire department fought with
energy and skill, but the conditions
were all against success. A fierce
wind came over the lake, fllnging
fiery embers everywhere and tanning
the flames into fierce life. Huge bill
lows of flame rolled over the great
| glass roof, being manfully combatted
| by the men upon the roof, who were
handicapped, however, by the lack of
water. Shortly after IL o'clock four
| firemen were caught beneath a crush
of falling embers just outside the man
ufactures building. Streams of water
were instantly poured upon the mass,
and soon the injured men were removed.
Their names could not be ascertained
by the chief, but 1t was said that all
of the men were unconscious when
rescued, and that two of them were
fatally injured. AS he was being lifted
into patrol wagon one of the wounded
men revived and raising one burned
arm above his head while the other
hung helpless by his side, cried family:
Fight her, boys; fight her; we must
save it.
At midnight President Higinbotham
SAID he had been in the burning build
ing over two hours; that the roof had
burned and fallen, but that fortunately
few of the exhibits were in the range
of the falling embers. ~ should say, F"
said he. "that the loss by water would
be much greater than by fire. All
told the contents of the liberal arts
building at this time did not exceed a
million dollars in value. AS to the
casino, peristyle and music hall, there
is no loss. We should not regret their
burning, as it is the cheapest way to
remove them"
Various officials and others in posi-
| 4 l.. % h. to1 %