Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-15
Brussels Exposition Managers
Undaunted by Fire.
ART TREASURES SAVED
General Losses Heavy, But Not So
Great as First Estimated.
BRITISH EXHIBITORS SUFFER
Sunday Crowd Of 100000 in Panic
When Flames Attack Build
ings-Two Lives Lost.

BRUSSELS. August 15.-The ruins OF
the burned sections of Belgiums exposi-
tion OF 1910. destroyed by yesterdays s
fre. are still smoking. though all dan
ger Of a renewal of the fire is past.
At q meeting early today the executive
committee of the exposition decided 10
close 1t for few days in order to clear
away the ruins of the destroyed sections.
Then the exposition will be again opened.
II Is impossible in the present confu-
sion TO estimate closely the losses. The
losses. however will not be so great as
was at first believed. Two lives were
lost.
The entire Belgian and British sec
tions. the whole "kermesse of Brussels.
the Coney Island OF the exposition. with
water chutes. roboggan slides end otHcr
special entertainments, and everything
west of the Avenue des Nations were
destroyed. but by heroic work OF the nre-
men and troops In the early hours OF the
morning and the use of dynamite in blow
ing up buildings in the path of the
flames the lire wss checked.
American Section Saved.
Practically everything in the American,
Danish, Russian. Norwegian, japanese.
Turkish and Swiss sections was saved.
Only the facades of the Italian and Span
ish sections and about one-third of the
entire French section. the latter con-
tanning q valuable art collection, were
burned.
Fortunately. the most priceless art
treasures. which had been loaned 10 the
exposition acQuiI ed by IL, including
e.uOO valuable gobelin tapestries, "A large
exhibition of Jewelry, many paintings,
marbles and ancient furniture. were re-
moved by the police, firemen and exposi-
tion employees, beyond the reach of the
flames and the pillaging criminals who
attempted to take advantage or the dis
aster. The reproductions OF the house
OF Rubens. at Antwerp, the official Iavil-
lien OF the city of Antwerp. containing
masterpieces OF Flemish art of the Ru-
bens period. collected from the galleries
OF the world. was not even scorched by
the flames
In the Belgian and British sections the
flames spread with such extraordinary
fApidity that nothing was saved except
the plan of the coming international ex-
position at Turin, Italy. in 1911 A strong
gale carried the conhagration through the
kermesse. jammed with q SUNDAY crowd
Of nearly 10000 At the time Of the out
break. with such speed that IL is con-
Sidered q miracle that the panic-stricken
masses were gotten out with a loss no
greater than two killed and thirty In
3ured-
British Loss Is Heavy.
The British loss is very heavy. 1t in
cludes Tudor panelings. from the Toronto
Museum, costly Mcr!aix tapestries and
priceless furniture from the collections of
Bernard More. on which he refused to set
any price. They were insured for 100000.
Most Of the French dressmakers exhibits.
which were insured for millions, we're
saved.
nagerie. which escaped suffocation In the
flames which drove back the soldiers and
attendants endeavoring to 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 confiagration and the de-
struction of so many features OF the fair
they hope that the exposition will remain
open.