Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-01-11

Chicago, Jan. S.-Thp worlds fair
POmpeii came tonight. 4 rushing vol
cano of flame, high gothic architect
ure tumbling into chaos, bewildered
mObs of people, all We're there, undel
Il great starry sky of Italian clearnes,
with Lake Michigan's broad eXpanse-
Il second Mediterranean.
Probably no more magnificent, vet
terrifying, spectacle has ever been
witnessed this side of the Atlantic 1t
was long after dark, tonight Whtn
people returning to their homes in the
suburbs along the elevated road, ia
mlliar to hundreds Of thousands OF
worlds fair visitors, noticed Il con
stantly charging column Of fire and
smoke ascending skyward i'll the east,
The worlds fair IS OH fire., was the
cry, and few indeed of the fascinated
watchers from the ualn windows
al@hted until the famous terminal ut
the exposition grounds was reached.
The last half mile Of the journey IS
directly west of the fair, 50 that all
view Of the blazing houses was shut of
for Il time completely.
Directly past the scene Of the cold
storage warehouse, hundreds Of spec
tatorS hurried from the train into the
celebrated court of honor. There sud
denly the cOnfagration came in full
view, while blazing brands We're be
ing carried by the wind from the end
Of the court of honor high over the
roof Of the mammoth liberal arts build
ing, the largest structure Oh earth.
The great golden statue Of the re
public could be seen lifting her liberty
cap defiantly alOft through the clouds
Of smoke and flame
The fire had been burning less than
an hour when thunderOuS crash Of
falling timber and 4 tremendous shout
from the crowd announced the collapse
of the perStyle. A moment later a ter
rifle 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
ladders bearing up the group Of fire
men fell with the columns and one of
the heroic tiremen went down to death
while Il number of others suffered i'll
juriCS more or less severe. The sky
was liyid ut this time with falling
sparks, many Of which fell upon the
roofs Of the art palace, Women'S build
ING ana various state structures. Every
train aud street car added momentarily
thousands to the throngs and but for
the terrifying 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 agricultural building and
south of the peristyle. The casino was
quickly devOured and the flames surged
north on the top of the peristyle and
dropping, made a second line of fire
along the base of the columns
The flames then Sprang through mu-
sic hall, which corresponds at the
north end of the perystile to the Ca
sine at the south end. While the fire
was burning there one of the most
singular and fascinating sights of the
night was witnessed. Along the top
of the peristyle were scores of heroic
statues. The spectacle for those peo
pie on the moving sidewalk east IF 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 couple
of trampS. The solitary guard in mn-
sic hall said that just before the flames
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 added to the horror
Of the scene. At 10 o'clock with a pes
sible loss of about $10gUU,UU0 by fire
in the manuf9 ctEdefs' building alone,
the authorities began to realize that
large element in the crowd was COM
posed of idlerS, who once started IL
1awleSSness, would be difficult to con
troll
Such prepare tons as could be hur-
riedly made We're set in motion to re-
move the goods and guard the other
buildings. but all such efforts were
the merest child's play.
The pectators at this time. partly for
safety and partly to prevent robbery
of the exhibits, were driven hack by
the police and lined up against the
building. Here they could
see great blazing fragments dropping
upon the exhibits below, crushing and
burning the exquisite French section
and threatening TO destroy the Rus
sian and British sections
By this time fireboatS and engines |
had succeeded in subduing the flames |
in the ashes of the peristyle and on |
the lower side of the liberal arts build |
ing. and the fire was subdued but |
shortly after IL o'clock it got /
beyond control upon the top of the |
promenade of liberal arts building and |
the main aisle of the building became |
J mass of flames
The fire hurled itself through the |
of the big iron arches at
dizzy heights above. The flames
wound boaconstrictor-like in and