Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-09
HAVOC AT THE FAIR.
Continued from Ninth Page.

OF the French was the japanese exhibit,
and about it clustered a crowd of scared
and frantic Japanese. This, like many ex-
hibits. has not been released from bond.
and the goods could not be taken from the
building. Under the direction Of some Jap
anese officials, the wares were carted to
the doors and there they stood guarded by
natives OF the Flowery Kingdom, who sor-
rowfully awaited the destruction that
exhibits had long ago been removed, but the
formalities of the custom house had de-
tained the goods of the foreigners
Frantic Exhibitors.
All through the great structure frantic ex-
hibitors rushed, seeking the safety of their
goods.
our hands are tied" said one; we can
not remove our wares from the building.
We must stand idly by and see them burn.
We can do nothing"
The fire department fought with energy
and skill. but the conditions were all against
success. A fierce wind came over the lake.
Ringing fiery embers everywhere and fan
ming the flames into fierce life with every
moment Huge pillows of flame rolled
northward over the great glass roof, being
manfully combatted by the men upon the
roof, Who were handicapped, however by
the lack of water a heroic effort was made
10 get streams to the top of the giant struc-
ture, for the only apparent salvation Of the
structure Lay In getting men upon the en-
n
to the furnace below. The water supply vas
fearfully Inadequate.
Time and again the streams were cut or
almost entirely. Scattered throughout the
1air grounds are MIGRANTS from which the
supply was to be drawn, but they were in
sufhcient In the hour of dire need Finding
that 1t was impossible to reach the roof
the chier ordered his engines into the build
ing.
About the manufactures building ccrdons
OF policemen were stationed, and groups of
Dluecoats guarded every entrance But the
eager crowds which thronged over the
pridges and rushed about the walls of the
blazing piles could not be stopped in their
course and thousands gained admittance to
the building. They thronged every aisle.
ana crowded every passageway and pushed
forward TO be thrust back time after time
by the officers on guard,
can see little hope of saving the man.
fractures building" said Superintendent
Tranam. shortly after midnight. FOR all
can see. the great structure will be by
morning mass of smoking and charrad
ruins. The French exhibit PERTAINS the
most valuable of all those left here is now
almost ruined and the Russian is burning
Mucn OF the goods are yet in bond and cam
not be taken out until released We have
made every EFFORT to get the officials down
here and expedite the work and feel that we
cannot be blamed
Two Firemen Killed.
Shortly after IL o'clock four firemen were
just outside the manufactures building.
streams or water were instantly poured I'D
on the mass, and soon the injured men were
removed. Their names could not be ascer-
tanned by the chief, but it was said that all
OF the men were unconscious when rescued
and that two of them were fatally injured
AS ne was being lifted into a patrol wagon.
one or the wounded men revived, and rails
ing one burned arm above his head, while
the other hung helpless by his side cried
talntly: Fight her. boys: fight her; we must
save it,
AS the wagon rolled away he raised him.
SER on one elbow. and looking at the de-
struction OF the beautiful white city. the
rather die than to live
Inc climax of interest was reached after
niiuhisnt when a company of fifty could lie
seen by the watchers outside the building
euslng their way along the ridge of the roof
heretofore all efforts in this direction Fad
practically failed, and owing to the fright
ful loss of life on the fair grounds before
wheh nremen We're ordered up to face a pos
siDie ran or 40 feet, the marshals had been
slow to incur the responsibility for duDii-
eating such peril
The LOSS.
President Higginbotham at midnight tele-
phoned that he had been i'm the burning
building over two hours: that the roof lad
burned and fallen. but that, fortunately
few of the exhibits were i'm the range OF the
falling embers.
Il should say the loss by water would be
much greater than by fire. The total loss
OF exhibits will not exceed SlOo,Uv
.'Of course. the loss is serious enough.
The fire is now fairly under control nrd
there Is no more to fear
All told the contents OF the liberal arts
building did not exceed a million dollars In
va,ue: AS TO the casino. peristyle and music
hall. there is no loss. We should not ,arret
their burning. as it is the cheapest way of
removing them
Estimate of LOSS.
A rough estimate places the loss on the
buildings at about s%D.UU. No estimate of
the loss on the exhibits can be- given Until
the cases containing the stored goods ARE
examined.
SmOidertng Flames Revived.
AT ii o'clock last night the attention of
the fire department was turned toward saw
ing the manufactures building from the i'm
pending danger OF total destruction The
smoidering embers OF the peristyIe were
Tanned TO life again by the brisk breeze ard
set fire to the piiing. Slowly the flames
worked toward the agricultural building.
Four engines were kept busy playing on the
burning piles and succeeded in subduiny
the flames and putting the agricultural
When the piiing underneath the peristyIe
had burned away. the earth, deprived OF
support, gave way and fell into the lake
with IA crash, leaving hole $50 feet i'm
length and ~ feet i'm width.
The statue of the republic was left In
harmed save for little scorchiny hy the
heat.
When the extent of the confederation he
came known, President Higinbotham re-
paired at once to the fair grounds and put
in nearly the entire night directing opera
lions toward suppressing the spread of the
flames in the manufactures building and
minimizing the danger of the exhibits
At midnight he was seen by a reporter
and made the following statement:
Reports have greatly exaggerated the
value of exhibits stored in the manufactures
building. some of them placing it as high as
$5.OOOUUO. Even at the most liberal esti-
mate, their value will not exceed $1,000 90.
$2OO,OOO, which will be an outside figure.
The damage is entirely by water and smoke
and none of the exhibits have been injured
by fire. Two engines have been inside the
building all night and as soon as fire caught
among the cases it was extnguished.
Il know little or nothing about the origin
of the fire. 1t is very unfortunate, though.
l am mostly concerned about the goods held
in government bond. If it We're not for the
contents we might let this big building burn
without any serious loss"
LAUREL.