Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-08-16
EXPOSITION BURNS
ATBRUSsELs,B BEL.
TWO KILLED, MANY HURT AS
100000 PEOPLE RUSH
FOR GATES.
FORTY RESIDENCES DESTROYED
struaIlna Masses Choke Exits
Thieves Are Busy.-Wild Beasts
Roast in Caees.-$10o,o 100000
Probable Loss.

brussels, Aug 15.-Ihe Wnlte CITY
of the worlds fair as the Belgians
called their 1910 exposition. is mass
of flames and smouldering ruins. A
spark falling into infiammable mate
rial in the telegraph building burst
into flames which, driven by hlgh
wind. swept rapidly in all directions.
Soon the Belgian, English and French
sections were destroyed. The firemen
and detachments of soldiers, called
to the scene, found themselves baffled
by the gale, which carried the burn
ing embers to all parts of the grounds.
The loss in the exposition hre Is
estimated at $1OO,0O0,000.
To the lett of the main building
arose the picturesque roofs and spires
of "Bruexelles' Kermesse," Belgian
Coney island. This place was alive
with Sunday crowds, and before they
could be gotten out the kermesse was
atire. The crowds became panic
stricken, and men, women and chill.
dren fought to escape. The exits be-
came choked with the struggling
masses and 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
checking 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.
Troops Rush to Aid.
At the time of the outbreak of the
fire not less than 100000 persons were
circulating in the grounds and the
Kermesve. Troops were ordered out
and came at double-quick to aid the
police in clearing the grounds. This
was accomplished in fair order, ex-
cept within the limits of the Ker-
messe, where the crowds became en-.
tangled in an almost inextricable
mass. fighting desperately to find an
escape from the flames which swept
viciously through the tinder-like struc-
lures.
Soon the enormous facade tumbled
in ruins. Considering the rapidity of
the confagration, the small death loss
is marvellous. So far as is known
only two are dead. The injured, as
officially announced. number 80, 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.
Bands of thieves engaged in pillage.
and a soldier was stabbed while at
tempting to arrest three men whom
he found raiding jowelry exhibit.
Many jewel exhibitors were unin.
sured. In the French art section, the
priceless Gobelins, paintings and
sculpture, were ruined, as were the
rich treasures in the English, Belgium
and Turkish sections. All the archives
burned and it will therefore be i'm
possible to confer medals and diplo-
mas.
The fire was due to short circuit.
In addition to the panic that prevailed
in the Kermesse there were several
minor panics at other points within
the grounds, and women and children
were crushed down in the rush. Some
their cages and added to the excite
ment 1t is believed several of them
are still at large.