Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-11-24
MISSOURI STATE BUILDING AT THE WORLDS FAIR,
DESTROYED BY FIRE SATURDAY NIoHr NOVEMBER la.

on the stats, though the fire surround
ed them; and in the burst of applause
when Old Glory was waited to safety
by a friendly puff of wind when the
restraining ~halyards finally burned
away.
The States Loss.
By a conservative estimate made by
NJ. T. Davis, president, and ]. H. Haw-
thorne, treasurer of the Missouri COM
mission, the actual total loss to the
commission by reason of the fire which
destroyed the Missouri building at the
Worlds fair Saturday night is $4,000.
Ten thousand dollars is the esti-
mated loss on the furniture, carpets
and draperies, $1,000 On the fixtures
and machinery and 1000 on the build
ing itself.
Another source Of qualification to the
commission is the fact that practically
all of the portraits of the governors,
judges and senators Of the state, which
hung in State hall Of the pavilion,
have been saved. The portraits were
mixed up with those from the art gal
lery Saturday night, and in the ex-
element it was thought that they were
lost.
That the portraits of the famous
men of Missouri were saved is due to
the heroic efforts of James P. Nixon,
20 years old, of Lebanon, Mo. At the
risk of his own life young Nixon went
into State hall, where the pictures
were hung, and where the fire ragged
the hottest, several times, and removed
nearly all of them. At one time he
came very near being s~uffocated.
The portrait of Thomas H. Benton,
a senator from Missouri for 80 years.
is not with the mass of other pictures
which are being taken care of in the
Louisiana building. President Davis
is quite positive that the picture of
this famous statesman was taken from
the burning building, as he saw it him
self, but it is not known just where
the picture was taken. 1t is expected
that its whereabouts will be disclosed
to-day.
Gov. Dockery Gratified.
In his conversation with President
Davis over the long-distance telephone
yesterday, Gov. Dockery expressed
himself as being gratifed that the pic
lures were saved. These were price,
less relics the governor said, and nc
matter how great the financial loss
might be, it would be a mere baga-
telle as compared with the destruction
Of the portraits.
Among those who were solicitous
as to the safety of the portraits OF
the governors of Missouri was Mrs
Mary Phelps Montgomery, of Portland
Ore, a member of the board of lady
managers, whose father, John s
Phelps, was the chief executive of Mis-
souri, during the years 1877-18S1. In
quiry developed the fact that the por
trait of Gov. Phelps was saved. Much
qualification was also expressed by thu
members of the commission that thu
portrait of Gen. John s. Bowen wal
saved, as 1t was the property Of [
daughter of the deceased residing il
Philadelphia, and was only loaned Il
the commission.
Portraits of Gov. Dockery and for
mer Governors Francis and Stephen
were on the stage Of State hall, an
it seems remarkable that they shoul
be saved, in view of the fact that t
do SO 1t was necessary to go througI
binding smoke and fire.
The services of a doctor" will b
required to touch up some Of the pic
lures which hung in State hall. I