Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-08-20
tF NARTInsBuRs aERAs
WILL REOPEN FAIR
s1o,ooo,ooo Will cover Fire Losses of
the Exposition-JeweIs Found
In the Ruins.

Brussels, August 1.-THE ruins Of
the burned sections of Belgium's Elk
position or 1910, destroyed by Sun
days fire, are still smoking, though
all danger of a renewal OF the confia-
grafton is past. At meeting early
today the executive committee OF the
exposition decided to close it for
few days in order to clear away the
ruins of the destroyed sections. Then
the exposition win be again opened.
1t is impossible TO estimate closely
the losses but they viii run into mill
hons of francs. They, however, Will
not be so great as was at first beliey-
ed, when during the excitement OF the
contiagration they were roughly esti-
mated at 500, 100000.
The entire Belgian and British sec
lions: the whole "Kermesse of Brus-
sels." the coney Island of the exposi-
ito with water chutes, toboggan
slides and other special entertain
ments. and everything west of the
Avenue des Nations We're destroyed,
but by here c work OF the fremen and
troops in the early hours Of the morn
ing and the use of dynamite in blow
ing up buildings in the path OF the
flames, the fire was checked
Practically everything in the Ameri-
can, Danish, Russian, Norwegian, Aus
TRAN. Japanese, Turkish and Swiss
sections was saved. Only the facades
of the Italian and Spanish sections
and about one-third of the entire
French section, the latter containing a
valuable art collection, were burned.
Art Treasures Saved.
Fortunately the most priceless art
treasures which had been loaned 70
the expos ton. or acquired by it, il
GLIDING 5000 valuable Gobeli1 tapes
tries, large exhibition OF jewelry
marry paintings, marbles and ancient
furniture were removed by the police,
firemen and exposition employees, be-
yond the reach of the flames and the
pillaging criminals who attempted to
take advantage of the disaster.
The reprodution of the house Of Re-
bens, at Antwerp, the Official pavilion
of the city of Antwerp, containing
masterpieces of Flemish art Of The Ru-
bens period, collected from the gal
leries CT the world, was not even
scorched by the flames.
In the Belgian and British sections
the flames spread with such eXtraor-
binary rapidity that nothing was saw
ed except the Plan of the coming In
ternational Exposition at Turin, Italy,
in 1911. A strong gale carried the
conflagration through the Kermesse,
iammed with Sunday crowd of near
ly 100000 at the time of the outbreak
with such speed that it is considered
miracle thai the panic-stricken
masses were gotten out with loss
no greater than two killed and 30 i'm
jured.
British Loss Heavy
The British loss is very heavy. 1t
includes Tudor panelings from the
Toronto Museum. costly Morlaix tap
estries and priceless furniture from
the collections of Bernard More, on
which he refused to set any price
They were insured fer 100000. Most
of the French dressmakers' exposition
which were insured for millions, were
saved.
few of the wild beasts in the men
agerie, which escaped suffocation in
the flames which drove back the sol.
diers and attendants endeayoring 70
put them out of Their misery, were
shot down by the troops, who found
them covering in fright in various
parts of the grounds.
The exposition managers announce
that in spite of the confagration and
the destruction of so many features OF
the fair, they hope that the exposition