The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-01-10
WORLDS FAIR FIRE.
The Damage Very Much Less
Than First Estimated.
FRENCH EXHIBIT LOSES sac. 600.
The Flames Made . Big Hole In the
white City aad Changed rts
whole Appearance

whole Appearance
CHICAGO. Jan. a--The scene af the ezst-
ern end of the Court of Honor Of the
Worlds fair this morning was one OF utter
desolation and destruction. where 81 sun
Set last night cleaned the white columns
ci the peristyle. dankei BY Music hail and
the Casino, and capped and ornamented
by the imposing auadrigz over the central
arch and rows Of figures along its cornice.
The eristyEe Is no more. and Music hall
and the Casino are heaps OF ashes. Save
Tor the great golden statue of the republic,
standing in unmoved majesty at the east
ern end of the basin, from the grand plaza
In front Of the Administration building.
between the Agricultural building on one
side and the great Manufactures hall on
the other. the view out over the blue va
tiers Of Lake Michigan is unoosiructed,
and what was yesterday q perfect srchi-
tectural whole is now an unsight!y and
sorrowful aggregation OF unbalanced
architecture. Thus does one little change
mar the symmetry Of the artistic whole.
and thus is shown with what inspired
knowledge of artistic unity the builder OF
the Worlds fair worked. The beauty Of
the grand court IL completely taken away
as an artistic whole, and the plans for its
preservation are put completely 20 rout.
unless il shall be determined to rebuild
the destroyed portion, thing not at all
likely.
But the flames did not stop at the peri
style. Music hall and Casino. They ieaped
TO the Worlds fair giant, the great arched
hall Of Manufactures and Liberal Arts. and
before the most strenuous efforts OF the fire
department could cneck them in eating
away the lofty roof = vast hole was
made therein and firebrands from above
falling upon the boxed and Grated goods
below, together with the thousands of tons
of water. did a vast amount of damage.
One of the great arched girders, forming
the largest span OF any building in the
world, was unbuckled overhead by the
tapping tongues of flames and fell to the
hoor below. crushing the beautiful French
pavilion in which was housed what re-
NAMED OF the valuable exhibit. The
damage TO the Manufactures building is
mostly confined to the south half of the
roof and TO the exhibits yet unremoved
beneath that portion. Over space of 500
feet on the east side and $50 feet on the
Beneath this portion were the French,
Belgian and Russian exhibits and they
suffered most.
IL is impossible as yet to estimate the loss
on exhibits, as they were all boxed and
will have to be unpacked before il can be
known what damage was done by water TO
textiles and by breakage to ceramics and
other fragile exhibits in the work of hasty
-
in the French section. whose exhibits were
originally worth sl,5oo.0o0 Among the
losses in that section are the bronze statue
of War. the Sevres china exhibits. the
Gobelin tapestry exhibit. the mosaic and
iniaid furniture exhibit. the Dore bronze
vase, the costume exhibit and the French
publishers exhibit. Tho loss on the
burned buildings is total. IS the insurance
had expired The Manufactures build
ing cost 81 100 600, Music hall 500 000, the
Casino $20o,Q00. the peristyle $3.50. 600
These figures, however, cannot be taken in
estimating the value of the destroyed
buildings. Is they were practically worth,
less. the cost of demolition and removing
| in the case Of all except the Manufacture.
building being equal 10. If not greater, than
| the salable value. and the value of tho
| Manufactures building being chiefly con
| fined to the great steel arches, which were
ruined with the exception of the one men
| toned, as still intact.
| IL was about 3 O'Clock this morning be
! fore the fire was thoroughly under control
and the firemen continued 10 do duty
| many hours longer. turning streams upor
| smoking or glowing timbers here and
there to guard against the possibility o
renewed outbreak.
| The French commissioners and special
| agents appraise the total loss in their sec
ton by last nights ire TO be sac, 900
| SAN Francisco, Jan. Authorization
| from Chicago regarding the great fire in
/ the exposition grounds has been received
| hero By the executive committee OF tn,
! Midwinter fair TO the effect that no good,
| intended for the fair were injured by th.
fire, aud that very few were even damaged
| by water. The Russian exhibits, concern
/ ing which there was some an xiety, es
| capped untouched, and none of tie damp
| ness incurred will interfere with tn,
| speedy shipment Of exhibits which hav,
/ not yet started. The date for the openln.
| Of the Northern California citrus fair il
| January Il, and that of Southern Cali
fornia opens February n
LoSpoS, Jan. s.-The Ddiig Ne,cs. com
menting on the ire at the Worlds fai
/ grounds, Chicago. says. with reference 4
| Hirginhoihams remark that the fir.
| was the cheapest say in which the Casino
| peristyle and Music hall could be got rio
| of: Fire was the cheapest way OF remov
| ing the fair buildings: out this does no
| apply TO destruction of the liberal art,
| building, In which vas stored larg,
| portion of the foreign goods exhibited a
/ the fair. The loss OF the goods will caus,
serious uneasiness in many parts Of tn,
| world, and is q great misfortune for sew
/ sral reasons. The chief duty Of the mon
ster exhibition IS not 10 get It's fair burned
| Ii owes 50 much 20 the generous sacrifc,
/ of those who contributed TO il that il /.
under peculiar obligation TO take care O
! their goods. They spend money freely te
/ bear the cost and risks Of transit, aud they
I ought 10 be able to teel that ali uncer
| talnties end there"
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