The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1894-01-11
IN SMOKING RUINS.
The Symmetry of the Marvelously
Beautiful Court of Honor
Gone Forever.
The Peristyle No More and Music
Hall and the Casino But
Heaps of Ashes.
What tho Fire Fiend Accomplished
at the Worlds Fair Grounds
in Few Hours. F.

CHICAGO, Jan 10.-The first and most
universal feeling regarding the worlds
fair fire is one of keen regret that the
symmetry of the marvellously beautiful
court of honor should be marred by the
red tongusd fiend, whose malice has
heretofore brought sorrow and suffering
to Chicago. Others took more philo-
sophical view of the situation, saying the
fire but anticipated the work which
time would have assuredly done. Still
others expressed the wish, barring the
feet that the exhibits had not all been
removed, that the flames had been given
their will without let or hindrence, and
that they ---iS.2.ss
q Might Have Swept the Grounds
from end to end, including the Midway,
leaving nothing behind them except
ashes and thaindestructible. portions of
the great exposition. So should it have
had fitting finale. Unexainpled in the
magic of Its rearing and unmatched in
its almost supernatural beauty its end
would have been actually unparalleled,
and its grandeur would have been
treasured in memory, unblemished by
the gnswing tooth of time, instead of
falling apart piece by piece and
Becoming Melancholy Reminders
of vanished loneliness. The scene at the
eastern end of the court of honor was
one of utter desolation and destruction,
where at sunset cleaned the white col
umns of the peristyle, fanked by the
Music hall and Casino, and capped and
ornamental by the imposing quadrigga
over the central arch and figures along
the cornice. The peristyle is no more,
and the Music hall and Casino are heaps
of ashes. Save for the great golden
statue of the Republic, standing in silent
majesty at the eastern end of the basin,
the view from the grand plaza in front
of the adj inistration building, between
the Agric ultural building on the on the
one side and the great Manufactures
hall ON the other, the view out over the
blue waters of Lake Michigan is unob-
structed, and what was a few hours
since a perfect architectural whole, is
now an 80.
UnsightIy and Sorrowful Aggregation
of unbalanced architecture. Thus does
one little change mar the symmetry of
an artistic whole: thus is shown with
what almost inspired knowledge of
artistic unity the builders of the worlds
fair work ed. The beauty Of the grand
court is completely taken away as an
artistic whole and the plans for its
preservation have been put completely
to rout unless it shall be determined to
rebuild the destroyed portions-a thing
not at all likely.
The flames produced greater changes
in the appearance of Chicago's
famous pleasure park than it was ex-
pected would be made by six months Of
building wrecking. To the gloomy
sight of ' acant buildings and almost de-
serted dri veways, since the gates were
closed, is now added the spectacle of
smoking and blackened heaps of debris.
The Casino, where thousands spent de-
Eghtful hours watching gay scenes upon
and about the grand basin, was wholly
destroyed. Of the peristyle, once illum-
mated with thousands of incandescent
lights and Greek fire, and furnishing
endless enjoyment, nothing remains.
Its arches were burned away, and its
stately columns, Il half burned and
charred, lie in confused masses upon
the brick promenade which surrounds it.
The colossal figures which surmounted it
toppled to the ground when their sup
port burned away, and are broken in
pieces. Columbus and his heralds, with
their wal; horses and chariots, are I'M
recognizable among the mass of ruins.
Music hall likewise is a al J.. .....--
Melancholy Heap of Ashes.
Save here and there where twisted
iron girder protrudes, not a portion of it
was saved from the flames. All about
the walks are strewn with debris,
charred brands which the wind blew
from the burning buildings, and little
piles Of white ashes where some of the
brands were consumed after falling. At
various hydrants, fire engines yet re-
main to throw heavy streams upon the
smoking ruins to prevent any possible
new outbreak of flames. Manufactures
building, both within and without, pre-
sents sight not desired either by artist
or exhibitor. The lattice work between
the top roof and the curved one cover
ing the central aisle on the east side,
was bur ned away from point above
the southern end of the United States
section, south to one above the Russian
section. On the west side the burned
portion of similar lattice work extends
over the British section to little beyond
the south extremity of the Ger
man pavilion. Upon the tin land glass
arched roof lie half burned boards,
which formed a part of the lattice, and
which when loosened by the fire, slid
downward.
Inside the Building
appearances are worse than upon the
roof. In the region burned over and for
some distance on either side the floor is
covered with water. Standing in the
water, which in many places is two
inches in depth, are innumerable boxes
containing precious wares, all baled and
bound tor reshipment as soon as they
could be released from bond. Upon
and about them lay the now destroyed
decorations of the pavilions. The
French, Belgium and English sections
suffered most ipd in. the sp ices occu-
pied by them ID to be seen the most dis
astrous results.
When the lattice work in the roof
began I'd burn and the embers were seen
to fall upon the light decorations be-
meath, lines of hose were conveyed into
the building and an attempt made to ex-
tinguish each before any fire began, In
spite Of all that could be done
The TriumpbaI Archway
before the French section caught fire,
and In an instant was ablaze through