Omaha daily bee., 1910-08-16
WILL REOPEN In FEW DA
None Admitted Till the Ruins Al
Cleared Away.
WILD ANIMALS SHOT
Soldiers Find Beasts which Escaped
suffOcation in MenaEerie Cover
ing In Fright I'm Various
Parts Of Grounds.

BRUSSELS Aug. 15.-The ruins OF the
burned sections Of Belgium's exposition Of
( 1910, destroyed by yesterdays fire, are still
smoking though all danger Of a renewal
of the fire Is past. At meeting early
today the executive committee Of the ex-
position decided to close II for few days
/ In order to clear away the ruins. Then the
exposition will be reopened.
1t Is impossible in the present confusion
to estimate closely the losses in the fire
which last night swept through the Belgian
exposition of 1910. wiping out whole sections
OF the fairy-like architecture and causing
the loss of two lives, but the damage will
run into millions OF francs.
The losses, however, will not be so great
as was at first believed. when, during the
excitement OF the conflagraton, they were
roughly estimated at $1O0O0O,000.
The entire Belgian and British sections,
thf whole Kermesse of Brussels, the Coney
4Aand OF the exposition, with water chutes,
toboggan slides and other special enter
tainments and everything west of the Ave-
nue. Des Nations were destroyed. But by
heroic work of the firemen and troops in
she early hours OF the morning and the use
of dynamite in blowing up buildings in the
path OF the flames the fire was checked.
Practically everything in the American.
1hIllhils fhuShlhHs INOTWtSldlit 1AOSOAoAii
Japanese Turkish and Swiss sections was
seved Only the facsdes OF the Italian
and Spanish sections and about one-third
of the entire French section the latter
containing valuable art collection, were
burned.
Art Treasures saved.
Fortunately the most priceless art
tretsures which had been loaned to the
exposition or acquired by It, including 500
Gobelin tapestries. large exhibition Of
jewelry. many paintings, marble and
ancient furniture, were removed by the
pohee, fircnae ana exposition employees
beyond the reach OF the flames and the
pillaging criminals who attempted to take
advantage OF the disaster.
The Reproduction of the house OF Rubens
at Antwerp-the official pavilion of the
city Of Antwerp. containing masterpieces
of Flemish art of the Rubins period
collected from the galleries. OF the worlds
was not even scorched.
In the Belgian and British sections the
flames spread with such rapidity that
practically nothing was saved. gale car
ried the fire through the Kermosse, pam
med with a Sunday crowd Of nearly 100000,
with such speed that it is considered mir
acle that tho panic-stricken masses got out
thirty injured.
The British loss is heavy. 1t includes
Tudor panelings from the Toronto museum,
costly Morlaix 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 exposition which was
insured for millions was saved.
Escaped Animals shot by Troops.
A few OF tho wild beasts in the menagerie
which escaped suffocation were shot by the
. troops. who found them covering in fright
: IN various parts of the grounds.
Beigium's white city stood near the end
pf the Avanue Louise the fashionable park
drive which on the west side of Brussels
leads out to the beautiful Bois de 10
Cambre. The national building, that of the
Belgian section. rose majestically on a
slight elevation facing the main entrance.
To the left of the main building was the
Kermes. A magnificent quadrilateral of
gardens was surrounded by the four con-
ceselons OF France. Germany, Holland and
italy. The italian pavilion was built after
the renaissance style OF the fourteenth
century. The German section was grouped
around the main pavilion. Eight large
hhllA were devoted to exhibits OF railroad
,oYnoafies, Agricultural machines art aud
sducation. The Netherlands section in
Guided an elevated roadbed.
one Of the most striking features OF the
French section was the palace Of agricul-
ture and horticulture, special pavilions
being devoted TO Tunis. Madagascar. AL
seria. western Africa and Hindo-China
The spanish pavilion offered remarkable
reproductlon OF the Alhambra palace al
Grenada.
The Court OF Lions and several of th'
ruins OF state were represented, in which
the Spanish government exhibited some o.
its national treasures such as tapestries
paintings, arinors and jewels OF the former
royal families.