The Sunday globe., 1901-07-28
In This Country, Where Originality
Prevails
TO BURN THE BUFFALO SHOW
And Charge an Admission Fee to see the
Greatest Spectacular Exhibition Since
Rome was Burned While Nero Fiddled'
The Greatest Scheme Of Modern Times
and It will Pay its Projectors Assert,
Special Dispatch to The Globe.

| A stock company is in process Of or
| ganization and capitalization in Buff
falo, that for uniqueness oil purpose
| has never ben approached in the coun-
try The object of the company Is to
! arrange for the most wonderful bon
fire evr witnessed in the country, If
not in the world. n is proposed on the
night of December lst to set fire to all
the Pan-American Exposition build
ings simultaneously and, aided by
mines and fireworks, create a great
| conflagration.
Although the projectors of the COM
pany which has set out to outdo the
burning Of Rome do not wish to be-
come identified with the movement at
present they are reliable, substantial
business men of the city who have be-
come convinced that the schem is feas-
ible. The exposition managemnt has
not yet been approached on the subject
in formal manner, although personal
talks have ben had, and IL is consider
ed that in the proper circumstances the
management would cheerfully make
over the titles to the buildings which
are now the objects Of admiration on
the part Of thousands Of people.
The contract the exposition has with
the Rumseys reqHires the restoring of
the plot of ground now occupied by the
first of next July. At Chicago the
buildings were razed by a wrecking
company and the same company has
made a proposition to tear down the
Pan-American Exposition at the close
of its spectacular life. Whether the
wreCking company or the conflagration
company secures the privilege of clear
ing the Rumsey tract of land will de-
pend upon the remuneration offered
the exposition.
Few details of the plans are made
public at this time, it not being the
purpose to divulge the plan Of action
to the profit of someone else. In gen.
eral it is planned to tear down the ex-
position fence and on every point Of
vantage erect seats sufficiently near the
cOniiagration to enable a full and un-
obstTucted view, and yet outside the
radius Of intense heat. A dollar or
more would be charged spectators, ac-
cording to the location of the seats.
The buildings would be prepared for
the COnfagration in advance. In the
foE corners of all buildings would be
huge mines All about would be scat
tered tanks Of oil and other infam-
mable materials, so that when the FIRST
match was touched the flames would
leap skyhigh from every part of the
grounds at once. The signal for the
torch to be applied would be the dis.
charge of the greatest bomb ever man
ufactured for exhibition purposes. The
bomb would be sent flying mile in
the air and there exploded with a great
report Hardly would the yibratons
of the immense bomb have died away
when mines in all the buildings would
be exploded With each deafening re-
port, flying debris, sparks and flames
would shoot hundreds Of feet in the
air. As the flames swept over the
grounds at frequent intervals novel de-
vices Of fireworks would be licked up
by the flames, and the pyrotechnical
display added to the grand spectacle.
The spectacle of destruction would
be complete in every detail, not a sim
gle building on the grounds, with the
exception Of the New York State build.
ing. being left to tell Of the departed
glOTies of the Pan-American, Beauti-
ful statuary would crumble 10 dust be-
fore the terrific heat, the architecture
which has aroused millions to admi-
ration would disappear in a fash, and
in a few hours all that would be left
of the worlds most beautiful sxposi-
ton would De blackened areas Of land,
piles of debris alone indicating the for
mer location of the magnificent build
ings,
With the Electric Tower especially
extensive plans are being devised. The
structure OF the tower is steel, but
this would not retard the burning to
any considerable extent. Great sheets
Of flame would envelop the tower and
leap high in the air, Illuminating the
sky so that the flames would be visible
for miles. The goddess Of light, which
now surmounts tho tower, would be
brought into prominence by some mag
nifCent pyrotechniCal display, at the
conclusion Of which it would be shot
into the air to fall back into the court
Of fountains radiant with light,
The conhagration would be adyer
tised the country over, and cheap ex-
cursiOn rates secured on all railroads.
The novelty of the scheme and the as
suranoe that people would witness the
this country would fill Buffalo with
hundreds of thousands Of visitors,
whose admission fee to the seating
concession would compensate the COM
pany for its outlay.
The only drawback to the scheme Is
the dubious prospect OF being able to
pull the confagration off within a
month after the close Of the exposi-
tion in order to give time for removal
Of all exhibits However, this Is con
sidered but a slight objection, as the
confagratiOn would be 50 strong a fea.
ture as to draw people from any dis
tance, even in cod weather. As view
in outlines the scheme doubtless will |
appear impossible Of execution TO many
people. although a study Of the details
would convince the most skeptical Of |
its feasibility. 1t would Of course, be
necessary to secure Permi ssiOn for the !
destruction of the buildings by FIRE |
but the promoters claim they can sat |
isfy the most pessimistic of the abso- !
lutte lack Of danger to other buildings, |
and would furnish a bond to any |
amount to insure people from loss that |
might be OCCasiOned by the spectacle |
They claim there would likely be no |
trouble in securing the legislation per-
mitting the fire, and in case their plans |
go through Nero's spectacle will grow
dim by comparison,
Can for Carolina Brights-they are pure |
and mild.