The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-01-09

Million Dollars Worth of Unshipped
Exhibits-A Fireman Loses His Life
and Several Are Injured = The
Flames Spread Rapidly and Lick.
Up the Splendid Edinces That Cost
Millions to Erect--A Magnificent
ocean or Flame.
CHrcAGc, Jan. S.-The Worlds Fair
Pompeii came tonight. A rushing vol
cano otflame, q huge gothic architecture
tum mbling into chaos, bewildered mobs
of people-all were there, under great
starry sky OF Italian c!earness, with
Lake Iichigan's broad expanso Sec
ond Mediterranean.
Probably no more magnificent vet
terrifying spectacle has ever been wit
messed this side of the Atlantic. It w;:s
! long after dark tonight when belated
people returning from work to their
homes in the southern suburbs along
& the elevated road, familiar to hundreds
Eof thousands OF Worlds Fair visitors,
$ noticed constantly enlarging column
of fire and smoke ascending skyward in
E the east.
"The Worlds Fair is on fire." was the
s8cry.
Directly past the scene of the fright
3fnl fire of the cold storage warehouse
hundreds of spectators hurried from
.Sthe trains into the celebrated court of
shonor. There,- Eudidgnly, the conflagra-
tion came into full view.
WhirlWinds OF blazing embers were
being carried from the end of the court
of honor fnrthest from the administra-
ton building high over the mammoth
roof of the liberal arts building, the
largest structure on earth. The great
( golden statue of the republic could be
{ seen lifting her liberty cap defiantly
nloft through the clouds OF smoke and
flame.
The fire had been burning less than
an hour when a thunderous crash OF
falling timber and a tremendous shout
from the crowd announced the collapse
of the Peristyle. a moment later an
other terrific yell from the crowd told
that the Liberal Arts building had
caught fire and that the whole exposi-
/. tion was threatened.
LIFE LOST.
A dramatic incident marked the de-
atruction of the Peristyle. One of the
ladders bearing up a group OF firemen
fell with the columns and one of the
heroic fire fighters went down TO death
while number Of others suffered in
juries more or less severe.
The fire started in the Casino, just
east of the agriculture building and
south of the Peristyle. The Casino was
quickly deyoured and the flames surged
north on the top of the Peristyle, and
dropping made second limo of fire
along the base of the columns. The
( flames then aprang through the music
hall, which corresponds at tine north
end; OF the Peristyle to the Casino at the
north.
While the fire was burning there was
one OF the most singular and fascinating
sights of the night. Along the top of
: the peristyle were scores of statues.
The spectacle for those people fortunate
enough to be on the moving sidewalk,
just east OF the Peristyle, was that of a
succession OF gigantic human beings
plunging, one Eatters>another, headlong
into the waters OF the lake below.
The origin OF the fire is said to be re-
yenge on the part OF q 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
s the grounds was terror and confusion.
A FEARFUL LOSS.
Fears of looting added to the horror
OF the scene. At about 10 o'clock with
possible loss of about ten million
dollars by fire in the manufactures
building alone, the authorities began to
realize that large element in the crowd
& was composed of idlers who once started
< in lawlessness it would be hard to con-
$gtrol. Such preparations as could be
IS hurriedly much were set in motion to
removegoods and guard other. buildings,
"a but all such efforts were the merest
81 child's play. The utter hopelessness of
such attempts on such short notice was
s. made apparent ut once. The few Off
GERS on guard could hardly do moro than
shut their eyes and grit their teeth,
hoping against hope that the flames
would speedily be stayed,
The fire boats and engines on the lake
side had by this time subdued the
flames in the ashes of the Peristyle and
Snithe lower colonade of the southeast
side of the liberal arts buildings, and
hopes were raised that the fire had
been subdued, but shortly after ll:15sp.
e M the flames got beyond control away
upson the top promenade of the liberal
IS arts pu1ldlng,s anu tue mann aisle OF {Sthe
building was "a mass OF flames, arising
from the blazing brands which came
81 from above.
Three days ago the number OF pack.
ages awaiting Shipment in each building
83S was, manufac ctnresS II ,974 /; Midway
Plaisance, ], 800 fine arts.73 ;sWomen's
SO ;lhorticul ture, 900; transp portation