The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-01-10
The Insubslantlal Glory Of the Court
OF Honor Has Gone Out
Forever.
It's Beauty Effectively Destroyed
by the Fiery Tongue OF
Flame.
And Many Wished That tho End OF the
Great Fair Might Bsnt Its Match
less History.

CHTCAuO, Jan. 9-karioas we're the sx-
pressions 10 DO heard to-day wherever the
citizens wero oonFrsRAted ia regard TO the
FIRE at the Worlds fair last night. The
frst feeling this morning. when most Of
tho inhabitants first learned Of the eonfia-
grafton from the morning papers, was one
Of keen regret that the symmstry OF the
msrvellousy beautiful court Of honor
should have been marfed by the red
tongued fend. whose malice has herstofore
brought sorrow aud suffering to Chicago.
Others took a more philosophical view OF
the situation. saying the hrs bat antioi-
pated the work which time would have as
surely douo. Still others expressed the
wish barring the fact that the
exhibits were not all removed,
that the flames might have been given their
will without let OF hiudrancs. and that they
might have swept the grounds from end TO
end. includinR the Midway. leaving moth
ing behind them except ashes and the inde-
structible portion Of the great exposition.
so should it hsvs hal fitting finale. -un-
examplsd IN the magic Of its rearing. and
unmatched in lie supernatural beanty. its
end would have been equally unparalleled.
and lie grandeur would have been treasured
in memory unblemished by the gnawing
tooth of time, instead OF falling apart
piece by piece. and becoming melancholy
reminder Of vanished loveliness.
The soene at the eastern end Of the court
Of honor this morning was one of utter des-
olation and destruction. where al sunset
last night cleaned the white columns o.
the psrlstyle. flanksd by the music hail and
casino. aud capped and ornamented BY the
.g-4.. NWmH
and rows of figures along Its cornine. The
petistyle ia no more. and the music hall
/ and casino are heaps of ashes. Save for
/ the great golden statue of the republic.
standing IN unmovsd majesty az the east
ern end OF the basin. tine view 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 waters of Lake Michigan was unob-
struoted. and what was yesterday perfect
architectural whole is now an unsiRhtly
ana s3rtowful aggregation Of unbalanced
aEchitsoture.
Thus does one little incident change the
symmetry of the artistic whole; thus IL
shown with what inspired knowledge of ar
tistic unity the builders OF tue Worlds fair
worked. The beauty OF the grand court IL
oo4npletsy taken away as an artistic whole,
ana the plans for its preservation put COM
/ rletely 10 Tout, unless IL shall be deter
mined 10 rebuild the destroyed portion,
/ thing not at all likely.
But ths flames did not stop at the peri
! stvle, the music hall and the casino. They
/ leaped to the great arohed hall of manufae-
lures and libefAl arts, and bsfore, with
/ most strenuous efforts, the fire department.
was enabled TO check them, eating away
/ the Lofty roof. a vast hole was made therein
and FIRE brands from above falling upon
the boxed and Grated goods below togethe
with thousands Of tons Of water, did vast
| amount of damage.
One Of the great arohed girdeEs forming
/ the largest span of any building IN the
/ world, Overhsnted by the tapping tongues
/ OF flame, buckled and fell 10 the door be-
low. crushing the beautiful Frsnch pnvil-
1 lion. in which was housed what remained
| OF It's valuable exhibit. The damage 20 the
/ manufactures building was mostly confined
/ so the south half of the roof and 90 ex-
hibits vet unremovsd beneath that portion.
Over Il space 800 feet on the east side and
/ $50 feet on the west side the roof 10 entl ely
burned awav. Beneath this portion were
the French. Belgian and Russian exhibits,
aud they suffered most.
/ IL Is impossible as vet to estimats ths
losses on exhibits, as they were all boxed
aud will hava to be unpacked before IL can
/ known what damage was done by water TO
the textiles. and by breakaRe 20 ceramics
and other fragile exhibits In abe work Of
/ hasty removal. The heaviest loss. however,
was in the French section. whose exhibits
we're originally worth Sl.500.000. Among
the losses in that section are the bronze
statue of war, the Ssvres china exhibit.
Gobslin tapestry exhibit. mosaic and in
laid furniture exhibit. the DoFe bronze
vase, costume exhibit and aha French pub
/ fishers exhibit.
The loss on the burned buildings is total,
as the insurance had expired. The manu-
faetnres building cost Sl,700000, mnsie
hall 500, 900 the Casino 100000 ard she
/ paristyle Sl50,000. These figures. however
cannot b. taken in estimating the value of
the destroyed buildings as they were prac.
ticallv worthless the cost OF demolition
and removing IN case OF all exospt the
manufactu 90 buildlng being equal 10 II
not greater than than value. Tue value
. OF the manufactures building was chiefly
confined to the great steel arches, which.
with the exception of the one mentioned.
are still intact.
IL was about three o'clock this morning
before the IRE was thoroughly under con-
/ troll, and the nremen continved on duty
many hours longer, turning streams apon
smoking or glowing timbers here aud there
20 quad against the possibility of IRE
newei outbreak.
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