Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-01-11
WORLDS FAIR FIRE.
Two Tramps Rovenge Thems alvos
for Being Kicked Out.
THEY FIRE THE CASINO BUILDING
The Flames spread In All Directions, Caus-
Ing Consideration and serious Loss
to Many Exhibits Ono Fire
man KILLED.

ioHpcu Cline luSt night a fusnlng
volcano Of flame, huge gothic urchi-
lecture tumbling into chaos, bewildcred
mobs OF peoplo-all were there under
great starry sky of Italian clcarness,
with Lake Michigan's broad expause
second Mediterranean
Probably no more magnificent, yet
terrifying spectacle has ever been wit
messed this side OF the Atlantic.
II was long after dark when belatcd
| people returning from work to their
homes in the southern subj RIBS along
the elevated road, familiar to hundreds
OF thousands OF worlds fair visitors,
noticed constantly enlarging column
OF fire ascending slSyward in the east
The worlds fair is on fire." was the
cry, and few indeed of the fascinated
watchers from the train window,
alighted until the famous terminal at
the exposition grounds was reached.
The fire had been burning less than
an hour whom thunderous crash OF
falling timber and tremendous shout
went up from the crowd announcing
the collapse of the peristyle. A mo-
ment later another terrific yell from
the crowd told that the liberal arts
building had caught fire, and that
the whole exposition was Threatened
A dramatic incident marked the
destruction OF the peristyle. One OF
the ladders bearing up a group of fire.
men fell with the columns and one of
the heroic fire fighters went down to
death, while number of others suf-
fcred injuries more or less severe. The
sky was hvid, brilliant at this time
with falling sparks, many Of which
fell away to the north, showering the
roofs of the art palace, women's build
ing and the various state structures
with fire.
Every train and street car added mo-
mentarily thousands to the throngs OF
people, and but for the terrifying
spectacle and the danger to life and
property It seemed as II the greatest
gala night of all the worlds fair was
on in all its glory. Directly past the
scene OF the frightful fire of the cold
storage warehouse, where scores of
| ircmen lost their lives, hundreds OF
spectators hurried from the trains into
tn, celebrated court of honor There
suddenly the con llagration came into
full view.
Whirlwinds of blazing embors were
being carried from the end of the court
of honor furthcst from the administra-
tion building high over the roof Of the
| liberal arts building, the largest
structure on earth The great golden
statue OF the republic could he seen
| lifting her cap defiantly almost through
the clouds of smoke and flame.
-. a..
east of the agricultural building and
south of the pcristyle. The casino
was quickly devoured and the flames
surged north on top of the peristyle
and dropping made n second line OF fire
along the bas of the columns. The
| flames then sprang through the music
hall, which corresponds at the north
end Of the peristyle to the casino at
the south.
While the fire was burning there
was one of the most singular and fasci-
mating sights Of the night. Along the
top OF the peristyle We're scores of
statues Th spec acle for those peo-
pie fortunate enough to be on the side
walk just east Of the peristyle was that
of succession of gigantic human be-
inrs plunging one after another head
long into the waters of the lake below.
The origin of the fire is said to be re-
venge on the part Of a couple of tramps.
The solitary guard in the music hall
says that just before the flames broke
out he kicked two vagabonds out of the
music hall and told them to find quar-
ters elsewhere. They left in the direc.
ton of the casino and soon after the
fire broke out, and soon everything on
the grounds was terror and confusion.
Fears Of looting added TO the horror
Of the scene. At about 10 o'clock with
possible loss of about $40, 900, 900 by fire
in the manufactures building alone,
the authorities began to realize that a
large element in the crowd was COM
posed of idlcrs, who, once started in
lawlessness, 1t would be hard to con-
troll Such preparations as could be
hurriedly made were set in motion to
remove goods and guard other build
ings, but all such efforts were the
mcrest child's play. The utter hope
lessness of such attempts on such short
notice were apparent at once. The
few officers on guard could hardly do
more than shut their eyes and grit
their teeth, hoping against hope that
the flames would speedily be stayed,
About lO;45 great iron arch gave
way directly above the French wares
and falling heavily, buried them be
, meath the burning pile, and they wer,
abandoned Back of the French wares
was the Japanese exhibit and about 4
clustered n crowd of scared and franti,
japanese This, like many exhibits
had not been released from bone
D and the goods could not b.
taken from the building, Under tn,
{ directions of some of the Japanese OF
G ficials the wares were carted to tn
c doors and there they stood guarded b,
d natives of the Flowery Kingdom VIII
n sorrowfully awaited the destruction
$ that seemed inevitable, The bulk o
American exhibits had long ago beel
removed, Tut tho formalities of tn
custom house had detained the good
I of the foreigners,
n shortly after II o'clock, four tiremel
were caught beneath crush of fallinl
tim bers just outside the manufactures
7" building Streams OF water were in
u stantly poured upou the mass and sool
/ the injured men were removed. Thei
names could not be asuertained by tn
4, chief but IL is said all OF the men wer
p. unconscious when rescued and that tw
: of them are fatally injured.
Mercy for Juvenile.
c JEFFERSON CITY, Mo, Jan. 0.-Gov
n Stone to-day granted pardon
% Thomas Green, who was convicted d