Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-09
HAVOC AT THE FAIR
Fire in the Chicago Exposition
Buildings.
HREE FIREMEN FATALLY INJURED
Two Tramps Blamed for the De-
struction.
THOUSANDS AT THE SCENE

| 1t was long after dark last night when
belated people returning from work to their
homes in the southern suburbs of Chicago
along the elevated road familiar 10 hun
dreds of thousands of worlds fair visitors
noticed a constantly charging column Of
fire and smoke ascending skyward in the
| east
| The worlds fair is on nrer' was the CIV,
and few indeed of the watchers from the
train windows alighted until the famous
terminal at the exposition grounds was
reached. The last half mile OF the journey
is directly east to the fair. so that all view
OF the blazing pleasure house of the world
was shut of for time completely.
/ Directly past the scene III the frsgEsfuI
fire Of the cold storage ware house. where
a score Of firemen lost their lives during
the fair, hundreds of spectators hurried
from the trains into the celebrated court Of
honor. S>aere, suddenly, the connagraIion
came into full view.
Whirlwinds of blazing embers Were being
carried from the end OF the court of homer
furthest from the administration building,
high over the mammoth roof of the liberal
arts building. the largest structure ON
EARTH The great golden statue OF the re-
public could be seen lifting her liberty cap
defiantly aloft through the clouds of smoke
and flame
The fire had been burning LEES than sn
hour, when thunderous crash OF falling
timber and a tremendous shout from tie
crowd announced the collapse Of the PER-
| style.
A moment later another terrific veil from
the crowd told that the liberal arts build
ing had caught fire, ana that The whole ex-
position was threa tened.
| A dramatic incident marked the destruc-
| ton OF the peristyle. One OF the ladders
upon which was group of hremen iel
with the columns, and one Of he heroic IRE
fighters went down to death, while 4 num-
Der of others suffered injuries more or less
severe.
The sky was lividly brilliant at this time
with falling sparks, many Of which tel
away to the north. sho ~ering the reefs OF
! the art palace. women's building and the
various state structures with FIRE Every
train and street car added momentarsly
thousands to the throngs of people. and but
for the terrifying spectacle AMI the danger
TO life and property IL seemed as X the
greatest gala night of all the worlds fair
was on in all its glory.
Origin Of the Fire.
The fire started in the casino, lust east
of the agricultural building and south Of
the peristyle The casino was quickly de-
| stroyed and the flames surged north on top
of the peristyle. and. dropping, made sec
ond line of fire along the base of the col
u.nns The flames then sprang through the
music hall. which corresponds AT the north
end of the peristyle to the casino at .he
south. While the fire was burning there
was one of the most singular and fascioat-
ing sights OF the night Along the top 81
the peristyle were scores OF statues TIE
spectacle for those people fortunate ePough
to be on the moving sid e~lik Just east OF
the peristyle was one of a succession or
gigantic human beings pluusing one arrer
another headlong into the waters OF ne
1 lake below. The origin ~ the fire Is saec
| TO be In revenge on the mart Of a couple of
tramps.
Tramps Kicked Out.
The solitary guard of the music hall says
that Just before the flames broke on. ne
kicked two vagabonds out Of the music
hall, and told them TO find quarters else
where. They left in the direction CT the
casino, and soon after the FIRE broke out,
and soon everything on the grounds was
terror and confusion. Fears OF loo<Ang
added to the horror OF the scene.
At about 10 O'Clock. with a possible loss
of about SloNo0Oo by fire in the manu-
features building alone, the authorizes
began to realize large element i'm the
crowd was composed of idlers. who. once
in lawlessness. it would be hard TO con-
troll Such preparations as could be hur-
riedly made were put in motion to re-
move goods and guard other bulldings'
| but all such efforts were mere childs play
The utter hopelessness OF such attempts
4 on short notice were made apparent at
once The few officers on guard could hard
IL do more than shut their eyes ana g1t
their teeth, nOplls dedlnSl nopc NiiaN e-~
flames would speedily be stayed
Flames Beyond Control.
The spectators at this tirne, partly -
4 guard their lives and TO prevent whole
sale robbery of the exhibits, had been large
IN driven by the police westward over the
bridges from the lake, and lined up in o
solid mass against the electricity building.
Here they could see the giant flames
throwing out giant handfuls OF roof, and
the exhibits below. Through the glass roof
and buildings could be seen the piers fall
ing like boulders in am avalanche crushing
and burning the exquisite French section
and threatening to destroy the Russian and
British sections. The fire boats and en-
gines on the lake had by this time sub
dGed the flames in the ashes OF the peril
STYLE and in the lower colonnade of the
southeast side of the liberal arts building,
and hopes were raised that the fire had
been subdued but shortly after n:lo pm.
the flames got beyond control away UP In
the top promenade OF the liberal arts build
ing ana the main aisle of the building was
a mass of flames, arising from the blazing
brands which came from above.
Remorsely the fire was hurting itself
through the interstices Of the big iron arch
es at the dizzy heights above. The flames
wound boa constructor fashion. in and
around the mammoth electric lights sus.
pended from the roof. Below these fearful
curls of iron. likely TO crop at any moment
no man dared to go. even the sturdiest
not venturing within a hundred feet FRAN
tic horses, with heavily loaded trucks. were
plung.ng through the aisles not incum-
bered with wreckage or drenched with the
falling catsracts of water. most OF when
fell far short of the topmost flames.
/ The clouds of smoke and vapor that every
moment or two shut out the view OF the
fire in the roof were colored in the most
fantastic fashion. running from green and
vivid to scarlet. Just what caused the ex-
| traordinary views none seemed to know.
Guesses we're that the dye stuffs and chem
icals in the exhibits drowned in water were
the origin. Opinions seemed to be general
that the loss by water would be even great
| er than that by fire.
| With changing gongs and TIE clatter OF
hoofs steamer after steamer ratified through
the smoke down the firelit aisles until the
center of the building was reached. They
were ranged about the burning heaps OF
merchandise and the last struggle of the
| firemcn was taken up. Streams of water
were hurled upon the blaze. but with little
effect From above fiery hail of OF embers
poured down upon the firemen, the heaps
Of blazing merchandise grew more and
more numerous. and foot by foot the en-
eines were forced back toward the
other end of the building. Now and then
a blaze would break forth in a new place.
but shouts arose telling Of a new stand OF