The San Francisco call., 1904-12-03
InCendiarieS Apply
Torch to Several
Buildings.
Concessions Are Destroyed
Together With Valu-
able Exhibits.
Rare Collections Of Art, Porcelain,
Bronze and a Painting Brought
Here Under Bond Are Lost.
Special Dispatch to The Call.


ST. LOUIS, Dec. "A general alarm
Wirld's Fair ground. at 1880 o'clock
this morning, and was followed a few
minutes later by an alarm from the
Varied Industries building. Fifteen
minutes later another alarm came In
from the Palace of Mines and Metal
lurgy.
These alarms caused the widest ex-
citement, and for a time 1t appeared
that the entire exposition was doomed
to destruction by fire. At lis a. M,
however it was reported that the Va
ried Industries and the Mines and Met
allurgy building fires were under con-
troll and that the Worlds Fair fire de-
partment and Hales fire-fighters.
which were working desperately on the
main fire on the Pike, hoped to prevent
the spread of the flames beyond the
territory in which they were then rag
ing.
At 1880 o'clock the police arrested a
man giving the name of Arthur v.
Dunn ia the Hereafter building on the
Pike. They claim that he was in the
act of setting fire to that structure
when caught. They believe that all
the fires, which started one after an
other. were the work of incendiaries
and that they have captured one of the
gang who deliberately set out to burn
the exposition buildings.
ART COLLECTIONS GONE.
The first fire on the Pike was in the
concession known as Fair Japan." !"
Some of the most valuable collections
Of art, porcelain and bronze to be
found at the exposition were in these
buildings. The structures were all of
frame and burned hercely and the en-
tire concession was badly damaged.
Quo Vadis,' another Pike conces-
sion, and quite near Fair Japan. .
caught fire almost simultaneously
and burned as fiercely. The fire sprea 4
rapidly to the Old st. Louis and Bow
cry concessions and in a short time
these frail structures were wiped out
of existence.
Carl Hagenback's wild animal show
is but stones throw from Fair
Japan" and it was at first reported
that this great concession was burn
ing, but the report proved untrue.
At 1:15 the Worlds Fair fire de-
partment believed 1t would be able to
hold the confiagration in its present
limits.
Persons connected with Ancient
Rome" say that watchman whom
they knew as Scott has been missing
since the fire was discovered and they
believe that he was burned.
LOSS WILL BE HEAVY.
In addition to the loss of the build
ings a collection of oil paintings. de-
picting scenes in the novel "Ouo
Vadis,'' valued at $4,000, were burned.
They were painted by Jan Stytka. a
Polish artist, and were brought to this
country under a bond of $4,000.
The German Government was the
first to begin active work of demolish-
ing its Worlds Fair buildings. a
large force of men yesterday began to
tear down the Prussian railway ex-
hibit, which was one of the first in
stalled.
Director of Works Taylor stated to-
night that the first of the exposition's s
buildings to fall before the onslaught
of the wreckers will be the stockbarns.
or the exhibit palaces the Horticul-
tural building probably will be the
first selected for razing, and, as all of
its perishable exhibits will be removed
In a short time, it may be less than a
fortnight before work on it is begun,
AS for the other exhibit buildings.
they probably will stand all winter. as
IT will be fully ninety days before they
are cleared of their contents. They
will be turned over to the wreckers
as soon as emptied.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2.-According
to statement prepared at the Bureau
Of Insular Affairs, the net cost OF the
Philippine exhibit at the st. Louis Ex-
position to the Philippine Government
up to the night OF November 26 was
$716,633.