The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-08-25
MANY LIVES LOST
And 100000. 900
Several Cremated While Attempt
ing to Carry Out Painting That
Can Never Be Replaced-Loot-
ers Shot Down Without
Mercy by Police.

OnOAOJ Dy EOuCS.
BRUSSELS Special.-Careful
estimates made Monday by
the Belgian Exposition OFFICIALS
put the total amount OF damage
done by fire last night and early
today at 100000 This
makes IL one OF the most de-
structive fires i'm the history of
the world. The loss I'm the de-
Struction i'm San Francisco i'm 1905
was less than $500, 100000. The
insurance on the exhibitions here
VIII cover but fraction of the
loss, it is believed, yet several
French companies which handled
most of the insurance are report
ell hard hit.
Only two bodies had been re-
covered at noon when the known
dead were officially announced.
The list was Swelled. however, by
the many persons missing.
Ii was announced today that
the exposition Will continue open,
with the few buildings remaining,
efforts being made TO repair such
as were not entirely destroyed.
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM Special
The smoking ruins of the White City,
Brussels 1910 Exposition, today are
practically under martial law. Not a
building in the magnificent fair
grounds escaped damage or destruc-
ton in the flames which swept on with
rapid speed last night. 1t is believed
that twenty persons have been killed
by fire, panic or in clashes between
the military and hooters, while fully
100 were injured.
Some of the wild animals that es-
capped from the menagerie were to-
day still at large. Others had been
captured and some had been shot
down in jungle-like hunts in the outer
districts of terroriZed Brussels.
Sparks, carried by high wind, not
only spread the flames within the fair
grounds, but carried them beyond to
the residential districts in the vicinity
and three score homes were Destroy
ed.
| Throughout the night special trains
arrived from every part of Brussels,
| bearing additional fire-hghting appa-
| other apparatus, however, proved in
adequate, and the blaze burned itself
out despite the use of dynamite.
| When daylight came, the main Of
Ifices of the exposition were in ruins,
with all the records Of the fair de-
stroyed.
Because of this no pretense of dis
| tributing of awards or medals can
| be made.
| American Building Burning.
Dawn found the English and French
| buildings in ruins and the Russian,
| Japanese, Norwegian, Danish, Chinese
4 ma American DullOlnSS SUN =.
From the time that the crowd of
100000 packed in the grounds and
the adjoining pleasure park. the Ker-
\ meSse, were thrown into panic at o
| o'clock last night by the first sign Of
fire, the throngs never left the Vicin-
! ity of the grounds and grew constant
| ly.
The police. aided by the troops who
| were summoned at the first alarm.
drove them from the fair grounds, but
| ole f~i OF nj
| the fire zone. The work of the fire.
men was seriously hampered by thu
thrOngs.
This confusion was increased by the
terror of the inhabitants of the en-
tire section of Brussels lying in the
| vicinity of the grounds. The destruc-
ton Of homes on the side of the Ave
nue. Solbesch, opposite TO that occu-
pied by the pavilions, not only rem
dered several hundred persons home
less, but sent thousands of others 10
the open place in panic.
The majority refused to return to
their homes, either joining the curious
crowds or Juggling their household
goods 20 the parks or the middle of
streets, there 70 encamp in tents made
| Of rugs. or entirely unprotected.
According TO the fair officials the
greatest loss is not Industrial, but ar
tistic. Invaluable exhibits, covering
many phases OF history and all
branches of art, have been totally de-
stroyed. They can never be repIa ced.
With Robins femme acroupie, in
the French section, were eight Gobelin
tapestries and scores Of master paint
ings.
Attendants Risk Lives.
Some of the attendants risked their
lives TO save the art treasures. at
tempting to cut the pictures from the
frames and to pull the tapestries from
the walls. But so rapidly did the
flames spread through the himsy tenn
porary buildings that the would be
rescuers were in nearly every instance
forced TO flee for their lives, many
OF them being compelled to jump from
windows or to smash an exit through
walls against which they had beer
trapped.
Much that was in the English build
ing can never be replaced. One of the
most noted features of the British sec
ton was the famous Tudor paneling
belonging to the Toronto museum.
Therew ere besides a 100000 col
lection of historic furniture secured
from famous country houses of Great
Britain and from collections else.
where. Every period of English his.
tory was recorded in this exhibition
Highly priced china also went as well
as reproductions of the gold and silver
plate from the Kensington museum
Two large MorlaiX tapestries were de-
stroyed
| Probably the greatest exhibition OF
the paintings of Rubens ever seen was
housed in the Antwerp building, which
was reproduction of the painters
house. The pictures were hung ir
a room arranged to reproduce his
studio.
There were besides art exhibition.
from Germany, Italy, Spain and many
other countries, a collection OF armol
loaned by King Alfonso.
Many of these art collections were
near the temporary postoffice in the
Belgian section. where the fire started
when two electric wires crossed.