Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-01-12
SMOKING RUINS.
The Symmetry Of the Marvelously
Beautiful Court of Honor
Gone Forever.
The Peris$yle No More and Music
Hall and the Casino But
Heaps Of Ashes.
What the Fire Fiend Accomplished
at the Worlds Fair Grounds
in a Few Hours.

universal feeling regarding the worlds
fair fire is one of keen regret that the
symmetry of the marvellously beautiful
court of honor should be marred by the
red-tongued fend, whose malice has
heretofore brought sorrow and suffering
to Chicago. Others took more philo-
sophical view of the situation, saying the
fire but anticipated the work which
time would have assuredly done. Still
others expressed the wish, barring the
f. ct that the exhibits had not all been
removed, that the flames had been given
their will without let or hindrence, and
that they
Might Have Swept the Grounds
from end to end, including the Midway,
leaving nothing behind them except
ashes and the indestructible portions of
the great exposition. So should it have
had fitting finale. Unexampled in the
magic of its rearing and unmatched in
its almost supernatural beauty its end
would have been actually unparalleled,
and its grandeur would have been
treasured in memory, unblemished by
the gnawing tooth of time, instead of
falling apart piece by piece and
Becoming Melancholy Reminders
Of vanished loneliness. The scene at the
eastern end of the court of honor was
one of utter desolation and destruction,
where at sunset cleaned the white col
umns of the peristyle, flanked by the
Music hall and Casino, and capped and
ornamented by the imposing quadrigga
over the central arch and figures along
the cornice. The peristyle is no more,
and the Music hall and Casino are heaps
Of ashes. Save for the great golden
statue Of the Republic, standing in silent
majesty at the eastern end of the basin,
the view from the grand plaza in front
of the administration building, between
the Agricultural building on the on the
one side and the great Manufactures
hall on the other, the view out over the
blue waters Of Lake Michigan is unob-
structed, and what was few hours
since perfect architectural whole, is
now an
Unsightly and sorrowful Aggregation
of unbalanced architecture. Thus does
one little change mar the symmetry of
an artistic whole; thus is shown with
what almost inspired knowledge of
artistic unity the builders of the worlds
fair worked. The beauty of the grand
court is completely taken away as an
artistic whole and the plans for its
preservation have been put completely
to rout unless it shall be determined to
rebuild the destroyed PORTIONS thing
not at all likely.
The flames produced greater changes
In the appearance of Chicago's
famous pleasure park than it was ex-
pected would be made by six months of
building ng-wrecking. To the gloomy
sight of vacant buildings and almost de-
serted driveways, since the gates were
closed, is now added the spectacle of
smoking and blackened heaps of debris.
The Casino, where thousands spent de-
ilghtful hours watching gay scenes upon
and about the grand basin, was wholly
destroyed. Of the peristyle, once illum-
mated with thousands of incandescent
lights and Greek fire, and furnishing
endless enjoyment, nothing remains.
Its arches were burned away, and it's
stately columns, half burned and
:charred, lie in confused masses upon
the brick promenade which surrounds it.
The colossal figures which surmounted it
toppled to the ground when their sun
port burned away, and are broken in
pieces. Columbus and his heralds. with
their war horses and chariots, are un-
recognizable among the mass of ruins.
Music hall likewise is a 4 81
Melancholy Heap of Ashes.
Save here and there where twisted
Iron girder protrudes, not portion Of Il
was saved from the flames. All about
the walks are, strewn with debris.
zcharred brands which the wind blew,
from the burning buildings, and little
piles Of white ashes where some Of the
brands We're consumed after falling. AT
various hydrants. fire engines Yet re-
main to throw heavy streams upon the
smoking ruins to prevent any possible
new outbreak Of flames. Manufactures.
building, both within and without, pre-