Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-01-12

Chicago, jan. S.-Thc worlds fail
tompeii cam" tonight A rushing vol
cano Of flame, high gothic architect
ure tumbIins into chaos, bewildered
nobs of people. all We're there, under
great starry SKY Of Italian clearneS
with Lake MichiGan's broad eXpansc-
Il second Mediterranean.
Probably no more magnificent, vel
terrifying, Spectacle has ever been
witnessed this side of the Atlantic Ii
was long after dark tonight WhCn
PEOPLE returning To their homes in tho
suburbs along The elevated road, IA
mlliar ~ hundreds OF thousands ol
worlds fair visitors, noticed Il con
stantly cnjarging column Of fire AND
smoke ascending skyward i'll the east
The worlds fair is Oh fire. was thu
cry. and few indeed Of the fascinated
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 west Of the fair, SO that I'LL
for Il time completely.
Directly past the scene of the cold
storage warehouse, hundreds Of spec
tdtors hurried from the train into the
celebrated court Of honor. There sud
denly the confiagration came in full
view, while blazing brands We're be-
ing carried by the wind from the end
nf thf .nItrt honor biUh nynr hn
roof of the mammoth liberal arts build
ing, the largest structure on earth.
The great golden statue OF the re-
public could be seen lifting her liberty
cap detiantly aloft through the clouds
of smoke and flame.
The tire had been burning less than
an hour when thmdcrouS crash OF
falling timber and IL tremendous shout
from the crowd announced the collapse
Of the pcristylc. \ moment later ter
rifle yell from the crowd told that the
liberal arts building was on fire and
the whole exposition was threatened.
4 dramatic incident marked the de-
struction of the periSrylr. one Of the
ladders bearing up the group of fire
the heroic iirenen went down to death
whiln i number of others suffered il
juries more or less severe. The sky
was Hrid ut this time with falling
sparks. many Of which fell upon the
roofs of the art palace, women'S build
ing ana various state structures Every
train ar street car added momentlrily
thousands 10 the throngS and but for
the terrifying spectacle, it seemed rs
il the greatest gala might of the fair
WAS on i'll I'LL its glory.
The fire started in the casino, lust
east of the agricultural building and
south Of the peristyle. The casino was
quickly devOured and the flames surged
north on the top of the pcristyle and
dropping, made Il second line of fire
along the base of the columns
The flames then sprang through mu-
Sic hall, which corresponds at the
north end of the peryStile to the ca
eino at the south end. While the fire
was burning there one of the most
singular and fascinating sights of the
night was witnessed. Along the top
of the periStyle We're scores of heroic
statues. The spectacle for those peo-
pie on the moving sidewalk east IF the
peristylc WAS that of 4 succession OF
gigantic human beings plunging one
after another headlong into the waters
of the lake below.
The origin of the fire is said to have
been revenge on the part of couple
OF tramps. The solitary guard in ma
sic hall said that just before the flames
broke out he kicked two vagabonds
out of the building They left in the
direction of the casino and soon after
that the fire broke out and terror and
confusion enSued.
Fears Of footing added to the horror
of the scene. At IL o'clock with 4 pos
Sible loss of about S10.000.0o0 by tiri
i'll the manufacturers building alone
the authorities began u realize that :;
large element i'll the crowd was com
posed of oilers who once started IL
lawlessnesS. would he difficult to con
troll
Such preparations rs could he nur
riediy made We're set i'll motion IT, re
move the goods and guard the Other
buildings but all such efforts wer,
the merest ehild'S play
The pectatorS al this time. partly fol
safety and partly to prevent robber,
of the exhibits, were driven back h,
the police and lined up against tn,
electricity building. Here they coult
see great blazing fragments droppins
upon the exhibits below. crushing an(
burning the exquisite Preach section
and threatening to destroy the Rus
sian and British sections.
BY this time fireboatS and engine:
had succeeded IN subduins the fame:
in the ashes of the periStyle and OF
the lower side of the liberal arts build
ing, and the fire was Subdued. bu
shortly after IL O'Clock ii go
l beyond control upon the top Of tn.
promenade of liberal arts building ani
the main aisle OF the building became
q mass of flames
The fire hurled itself through tn,
interstices Of the big iron arches a
dizzy heights above. The fame
wound boaconstrictor-like in an,