Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1910-08-17
FIRE DESTROYS
BRUSSELS FAIR
OneOt EuTOpa's Main Attractions
Is Reduced to Ruins
100000 PEOPLE IN PANIC


of Worlds Fairn-Animals In Big
Menagerie Perish-only Two Per-
sons Killed, but Many Are Injured
Loss Is Estimated at 500 1000, 900
Brussels, Aug. 15.-The white
City of the Worlds Fair as the Bel
gians have called their 1910 exposi-
ton. is a mass of flames and smould-
ering ruins.
A spark falling into infammable
material in the telegraph building
burst out in flames, which, driven by
a high wind, swept rapidly in all di-
rections. Soon the Belgian, English
and French sections were destroyed
The loss is estimated at 500, 600, 600
francs $500, 600, 0O0).
The firemen and detachments of
soldiers, called quickly to the scene,
found themselves baff1ed by a gale
which carried the burning embers to
all parts of the grounds.
To the left of the main building
arose the picturesque roofs and spires
of "Bruexelles' kermesse, a Belgian
Coney Island, with water chutes, to-
boggan slides and scores of side
shows. This place was alive with
Sunday crowds and before they could
be gotten out with any semblance of
order the kermesse was afire.
h.
and men, women and children fought
madly to escape. The exits became
choked with the struggling masses,
and men used their fists to clear the
pathway. Many were trampled un-
der foot and badly injured.
An engine corps from Antwerp at
tempted to dynamite the bridge of the
French section, in the hope of check
ing the fire, but the flames leaped
across and engulfed the Italian, Rus
sian, Austrian, Japanese, Chinese and
Norwegian buildings. Forty houses
on the Avenue Solbosch, adjoining the
exposition, were destroyed.
At the time of the outbreak not less
than 100, 900 persons were circulating
in the grounds and the kermesse
Troops were ordered out and came at
double-quick to aid the police in clear
ing the great grounds.
This was accomplished in fair Or
der. except within the limits of the
kermesse, where the vast crowds be-
came entangled in an almost mex
tricable mass, fighting desperately to
find an escape from the flames which
swept viciously through the tinder-
like structures.
Soon the enormous facade tumbled
in ruins. Considering the rapidity of
the conflagration, the small loss of
life is marvellous So far as is known
only two are dead. The injured, as
officially announced, number thirty,
but probably many hundreds received
minor hurts.
AS the flames reached the menag-
erie, it was decided ! to shoot the
beasts, but the heat drove back the
soldiers and the animals were left to
their fate. The multitude of people
were driven back to safe distance
and watched the thrilling spectacle of
the destruction of the white city.
Tongues of fire mounted high into
| the heavens and flaming embers were
| carried off by the wind and fell upon
the residences beyond. settling them
on fire.
The exposition was one of the main
ATTRACTIONS in Europe this summer
| and thousands Of Americans have
visited the beautiful white City
The fire was finally gotten under
control. The Belgian and English
sections are in ruins, while all the
other sections, including the Ameri-
can, were partly destroyed.
Bands of thieves engaged in pillage
and a soldier was stabbed while at
tempting to arrest three men whom he
found rifiing a jewelry- exhibit. The
diamond exhibitors are heavy losers.