Evening journal., 1894-01-09
THE PERIsTyLF.

The spectacle for those people fortunate
enough to be on the moving sidewalk Just
east of the peristyle was more Of success
sion of gigantic human beings plunging
one after another headlong into the waters
Of the lake below.
The origin OF the fire Is said to be revenge
on the part Of 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 quarters elsewhere. They
left in the direction Of the Casino, and soon
after the fire broke out, and everything on
the grounds was in terror and confusion
The Fall Of the Perlstyle.
Whirlwinds OF blazing embers were be-
ing carried from the end OF the Court Of
Honor farthest from the Administration
building and high over the mammoth roof
of the Liberal Arts building, the largest
structure on earth. The great golden stat
ne Of the republic could De seen lifting
her liberty cap dehantly aloft through the
clouds Of smoke and flame.
The fire had been burning less than an
hour when a thunderous crash of falling
timber and tremendous shout from the
crowd announced the collapse OF the peril
style. A moment later another terrific
yell from the crowd told that the Liberal
Arts building had caught fire and that tho
whole exposition was threatened.
A dramatic coincident marked the de-
struction of the peristyle. One of the lad
ders upon which was a group of flremeu
fell with the columns and one of the heroic
fire fighters went down to death, while
number Of others suffered injuries more or
less severe.
The sky was livid and brilliant at this
time with falling sparks, many OF which
fell away to the north, showering the roofs
Of the Art palace, Women's building and
the various state structures with fire Ev-
cry train and street car momentarily added
thousands TO the throngs Of people, and
but for the terrifying spectacle and the
danger to life and property it seemed as il
the greatest gala night OF all at the Worlds
fair was on in all its glory.
The spectators at this time, partly TO
guard their lives and prevent wholesale
robbery of the exhibits, had been largely
driven back by the police over the bridges
from the lake and lined up in a solid mass
against the Electricity building.
Here they could see believing out giant
handfuls of the roof and great blazing frag-
ments dropping down upon the exhibits
below. Through the glass roof and build
| ings could be seen the piers falling like
powders in an avalanche, crushing and
burning the exquisite French section and
threatening to destroy the Russian and
British sections
The freboats and engines on the lake
had by this time subdued the flames in the
ashes of the peristyle and In the lower col
onnade of the southeast side Of the Liberal
Art building, and hopes were raised that
the fire had been subdued, but shortly after
ll:l5 p. m. the flames got beyond control
away up in the top promenade Of the Lib
eral Arts building, and the main aisle Of
the building was mass Of flames arising
| from the blazing brands which came from
above.
Scarlet Colored Flames.
Remorselessly the fire was hurling itself
through the interstices of the big iron
arches at the dizzy heights above. The
flames wound boa constructor fashion In
and around the mammoth electric lights
suspended from the roof Below these
fearful curls Of iron, likely to drop at any
moment, no man dared to 20, even the
hardest not venturing within 100 feet.
Frantic horses with heavily loaded trucks
were plunging through the aisles not in
numbered with wreckage or drenched with
Il
which 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
violet to vivid scarlet Just what caused
the extraordinary coloring none seemed to
know. Guesses were that the dyestuffs
and chemicals in the exhibits drowned in
| water were the origin
The federal officials put the maximum
loss in the Liberal Arts building at $1,000.
COO On the other hand the estimates
made by the people connected with the
local directory made the highest figures
only S5OO,OOO in the Liberal Arts building.
About i0:45 a great iron arch gave way
directly above the French wares, and fall.
ing heavily buried them beneath the burn
ing pile, and they were abandoned Back
OF the French was the Japanese exhibit,
and about it clustered a crowd Of scared
aud frantic japanese. This, like many ex-
hibits. has not been released from bond,
and the goods could not be taken from the