The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-01-09

Pompeii came tonight. A rushing vol
|cano of flame; huge Gothic architec-
ture tumbling into chaos; bewildered
mobs of people; all were there, under
a great starry sky of Italian clearness,
with lake Michigan's board expanse,
"a second Mediterranean.
Probably no more magnificent, yet
terrifying, spectacle has ever been
witnessed on this side of the Atlantic.
1t was long after dark tonight when
belated people returning from work to
their homes in the southern suburbs
along the elevated road, familiar to
visitors, noticed a constantly enlarg-
ing column of fire and smoke ascend
ing skyward in the east.
1.-THE Worlds fair is on fire. was
the cry and few indeed of the fascinated
watchers from the train windows
alighted until the famous terminal at
the exposition grounds was reached.
The last half mile of the journey Is
directly east of the fair, so that all
view of the blazing pleasure houses of
the world was shut off for a time COM
pletely.
Directly past the scene of the fright
full fire at the cold storage warehouse.
hundreds of spectators were hurried
from the train in the celebrated court
of honor. There, suddenly, the confia-
grafton came into full view the whirl-
winds blazing embers being carried
from the end of the court of honor
farthest from the administration build
ing high over the roofs of the NAM
moth liberal arts building, the largest
structure on earth.
The great golden statue of the re-
public could be seen lifting her liberty
cap defantly aloft through the clouds
of smoke and flames.
The fire had been burning less than
an hour when a thunderous crash of
falling timber and tremendous shout
from the crowd announced the col
lapse of the Paristyle. A moment la
ter, a terrific yell from the crowd
told that the Liberal Arts building was
on fire, and the whole exposition was
Threatened.
+ A dramatic incident marked the de-
struction of the Peristyle. One of the
fell with the columns and one heroic
fireman went down to death, while a
number of others suffered injuries
more or less severe.
The sky was livid at this time with
falling sparks, which fell upon the
roofs of the Art palace, the Woman's
Building and the various state struc
lures Every train and street car
added, momentarily, thousands to the
spectacle, it seemed as if the greatest
gala night of the fair was on in all its
glory.
The fire started in the Casino, just
east of the Agriculture building and
south of the Peristyle. The Casino was
quickly devoured, and thy flames
surged north on the top Of the Peri
style and, dropping, made a second line
of fire along the base of the columns.
The flames then sprang through the
Music Hall, which corresponds at
the north end of the Peristyle to the
Casino at the south.
While the fire was burning there was
one of the most singular and fascinat-
ing sights of the night witnessed.
Along the top of the Peristyle, were
scores of heroic statutes. The spec
tacle for those people on the moving
side walk east of the Peristyle was
that of a succession of gigantic human
beings plunging one after another,
headlong into the waters of the lake
below.
The origin of the fire is said to have
been revenge on the part of a couple of
tramps The solitary guard in the
HuSlC Hall SclQ JUST DelOlc llIe udlleS
broke out he kicked two vagabonds
out of the building. They left in the
direction of the Casino, and soon after
that the fire broke out and terror and
confusion ensued.
Fears of looting were added to the
horror of the scene.
At 10 o'clock, with a possible loss of
about $10,000,000 by fire in the Manu-
facturers' building alone, the authori-
ties began to realize large element
in the crowd was composed of idlerS
who, once started into lawlessness.
it would be difficult to control
Such preparations as could be hur-
riedly made, were set in motion to
remove the goods and guard the other
buildings, but all such effects were
the merest child's play.
The utter helplessness of such at
tempts on such short notice made it
apparent at once. The officers on
guard could do no more than hope
the flames would be speedily stayed.
The climax of interest was reached
shortly after midnight when a COM
their way along the roof of the Manu-
facturers Building. A cry of horror
went up as huge section of the roof
almost under the feet of the firemen
gave way and fell with a crash
The firemen did not waver, and by
o'clock it looked as if their heroism
had not been in vain.
The fire is still burning, but it is
thought to be under control, and is not
expected to spread further.
DRAWN BY A DARK HORSE.