The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-08-15
Worlds Fair Sustalns Loss
Of $lOO,OOO,OOO
TWO PEOPLE KNOWN DEAD
Firemen and Soldiers Found Themselves
Bafled by the wind-There Were
~ 100000 People on Grounds at
Time Fire Broke Out.

Brussels, Aug. l5--The "White City
O. the Worlds Fair" as the Belgians
Lave called their 1910 exposition, is a
mass Of smouldering ruins. A spark.
falling into indammable material IN the
Telegraph building. burst mp in flames,
which. driven hy . high wind, swept
rapidly in all directions yesterday. Soon
tue Belgian, Englisl and French sections
were destroyed TIE 6remen and de.
tachmeuts OF soldiers. called quickly on
the scene, found themselves baflled BY
the yeritahe gale, which carried the
burning embers 10 all parts OF the
grounds The loss Il estimated at FIVE
hundred million francs (sl0O0a0000l.
To the left Of the main building arose
The picturesque roofs and spires OF
-Bruexelles kermcssee.R a Belgian Coney
island, with water cnntas foboecan
slides and scores Of side shows. This
place was alive with Sunday crowds.
and before they could be gotten out
with any scnhlance Of order the Ker.
niesse WAS aiire The crowds became
panic-strieken and men, women end
children fought maaly te escape The
exits became ehoked with thc struggling
masses and mon used their lists to clear
the pathway. Many were trampled un-
der foot snd badly injured
An engine corps from Antwerp st.
temptd to dynamite tie bridge Of the
French section. IN fhe hone OF checking
the fire, but tho Games leaped across
and eneulfed the Italian. Russian. Aus.
tIian. japanese. Chinese and Norwegian
buildings Forty houses on tie Ayenue
Solbosch. adjoining tie exposition were
destroyed AZ the time of tile outbreak
not less then 100000 persons were cir
sulating in tie grounds and the Ker-
nesse Troops were ordered out and
came al double qu 20 cid the police
ln clearing the erea grounds
This WAS aeaomp.ai in fair order
except within the limits OF The Ker.
messe, where tlis vast crowds became
sntangle6 q an almost uexirieablc mass.
ngnfing aeFefatelY to cad All escape
from the aame Nisicl swept viciousiy
through the liiaef-iise structure.
coon the iia9uup fseads tnmbled IN
ruins. Considering tiie rapditv OF the
fonliaeratse1s tfid sbisll INST of lie *
maryelW&. 50 far IS Il known IN ii
4 laie hour, onis two are dead. The
injured As oaealIy annomeea number
thirty, btf probably many hundreds re-
:eived minor hurts
Az the flames reached the menagerie.
It was decided to slioot the beast. but
The heat drove back the soldiers. and
the animals were left to their fate. Tie
multitude Of people We're driven back
TO safe distance and watched The
thrilling spectacle Of the destruction Of
The White City Tongues Of fire mount
ID high into tie heavens. and flaming
smbers were carried OF BY the wind
and fell upon the residences beyond,
setting them on FIRE.
The fire was finally gotten under con-
trol The Belgian and English sections
are in ruins, while all the other see
lions, including the American, were
partly destroyed.
Bands Of thieves engaged in pillage,
md soldier was stabbed while attempt.
ing to arrest three men whom he found
rifiing a iewelry exhibit
The aggregate loss win be enormous.
The diamond exhibitors are heavy suf-
ierers.