The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-16
PLANS To REOPEN
BRUSSELS SHOW
Damage Not SO Great as Was
First Reported; Valuable
Art Treasures Saved.

BRUSSELS, Aug. l5.-lt will take
many days to place the Belgian exposi-
ton in a fit condition for the reopen
ing, although u large majority of the
loss caused by the fire which swept
through the "white city, yesterday is
between $6,000,00 and $4,000 900.
This is chiefly confined to the Belgian
and British sections, but the damage
by smoke and water has been general
and Will add materially TO the total
loss.
The American section escaped the
fires. The art exhibition was in a build
1ng two miles distant from the flames,
The French loss ls confined to the build
ing in which various foods were dis
played and the pavilion of the city of
Paris. containing industrial exhibits
and models of the schools of arts.
Rich Jewels Saved.
The recovery Of valuable collections
of Jewels helped to reduce the first
estimates of the loss. The magnificent
collection of precious stones owned by
Belgians and valued at 100000 was
unearthed from the ruins, unharmed.
There was considerable pillaging af,
ter and during the fire and thieves
made a heavy haul, Gendarmes caught
number of looters who had in their
possession scores of rings and brace
let's from the French Jewel exhibit.
1t is believed parliament will vote
extra credits for the purpose of clear
ing away the ruins and constructing
new buildings.
The ruins of the burned sec.
tions of Belgium's exposition OF
1910, destroyed by yesterday s
FIRE. are still smoking. although all
danger of renewal Of the fire is past
At meeting early today the execu.
tive committee Of The exposition decided
10 close 1t for lew days in order 10
clear away the ruins, Then the exposi-
ton Will be reoDened.
1t ,s impossible IN the present confn.
sion to estimate closely the losses in the
sections of the fairylike architecture
and caused the loss Of two lives, but the
damage will run into the millions of
francs.
The losses, however. will not be so
great as was at first thought, when dur
ing the excitement of the conAagration
they were roughly estimated at $780,
100000
Extent of Destruction.
The entire Belgian and British sec
tions, the whole Kermesse of Brussels
the Coney Island of the exposition with
water chutes, toboggan slides and other
west of the Avenue des Nations were
destroyed, but by heroic work of the
firemen and troops In the early hours of
the morning and the use Of dynamite in
blowing up buildings in the path of the
flames, the fire was checked.
Practlcally everything in American
Danish. Russian, Norwegian, Austrian
was. saved: Only the facades of the
Italian and Spanish sections and about
one third of the entire French section
the latter containing valuable art col
lection, were burned
Fortunately, the most priceless art
treasures which had been lent to the
exposition or acquired by it, including
5000 Gobelin tapestries, large exhibi-
tlon of lewelry. many paintings, marbles
ard ancient furniture, were removed by
the police, fremen and exposition EN-
ployees beyond the reach of the flames
and the pillaging criminals who attempt
ed to take advantage of the disaster.
The reproduction of the house of
Rpbens at An1twerp-the official pa
ing masterpieces of Flemish art OF the
Rubens period, culled from the galleries
of the world-was not even scorched.
Many Marrow Escapes
In the Belgian and British sections
the flames spread with such rapidity
that practically nothing was saved 4
gale carried the fire through the Kcr,
messe. iammed with Sunday crowd Of
nearly 100 900, with such speed that IL
is considered miracle that the panic
stricken masses got out with loss no
greater than two killed and thirty in,
jured
The British loss is very heavy 1t in
cludes Tudor panellngs from the Toron-
to museum. costly Morlaix tapestry and
priceless furniture from the collections
of Bernard More, on which he refused
to set any price. They were insured for
S500.000 Most of the French dress
makers exposition, which was insured
for millions, was saved
A few of the wild beasts in the me.
nagerie which escaped suffocation were
shot by the keepers, who. found them
covering in fright in various parts of
the grounds.
The exposition managers announced
that in spite of the conhagration and
the destruction of so many features of
e