The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-08-15
Belgians Lose Beautiful City
of Worlds Fair by
Fire.
LOSS OVER $1OO,OOO,OOO
High Winds Drive Flames
So Furiously That Fine
Structures Wither.
.OSs OVER 100000, 900

Brussels, Aug. 15.-The
White City of the worlds
fair, as the Belgians have
called their 1910 exposition,
is today a mass of flames and
smouldering ruins, the fire
starting late last night and
consuming the entire aggre-
cation Of buildings. A spark
falling into inflammable ma
terial in the telegraph build
ing burst into flames, which,
driven by a high wind, swept
in all directions.
Soon the Belgian, English
and French sections were de-
stroyed. The firemen and
detachments of soldiers
called to the scene found
baffled by the
gale, which carried the
burning embers to all parts
of the grounds. The loss is
estimated at 800, 100000.
Panic Ensues.
To the left of the main building
arose the picturesque roofs and
spires of "Bruxelles Kermesz,' Bel
gian Coney Island, with water chutes,
toboggan slides and scores of side
shows. This place was alive with
Sunday crowds, and before they
could be gotten out with any sem
blance of order, the Kermesz was
afire. The crowds became panic
and men, women and chill
dren fought madly to escape. The
exits became choked with the strug-
Cling masses and men used their fists
to clear the pathway. Many were
trampled under foot and badly in
jured.
Dynamiting Attempted.
An engine corps from Antwerp at
tempted to dynamite the buildings
in the French section in the hope
of checking the fire, but the flames
leaped across and engulfed the Ital-
ian, Russian, American, Japanese,
Chinese and Norwegian buildings.
Forty houses on the Avenue Sol
bech, adjoining the exposition were
destroyed.
At the time of the outbreak not
less than 100000 persons were cir
culating in the grounds and the Ker-
mesz. Troops were ordered out and
came at double quick to aid the po-
lice in clearing the great grounds.
Crowds Bewildered.
This was accomplished in fair Or
der, except within the limits of the
Kermesz, where the vast crowds be-
came entangled in an almost mex
tricable mass, fighting desperately to
find an escape from the flames, which
swept viciously through the finder
like structures.
Soon the enormous facade tum-
bled in ruins. Considering the rapid
ity of the conflagration, the small
loss of life is marvellous. So far as
is known, up to a late hour tonight,
only two are dead.
The injured, as officially an
number 80, but many, prob
ably many hundreds, received minor
hurts. AS the flames reached the
it was decided to shoot
the beasts, but the heat drove back
the soldiers and the animals were
left to their fate. The multitude of
people were driven back to a safe
distance and watched the thrilling
spectacle of the destruction of the
white city.
Flame Mounts Heavens.
Tongues of fire mounted high into
the heavens and flaming embers were
carried off by the wind and fell upon
the residences, beyond, setting them
on fire.
The fire was finally gotten under
control. The Belgian and English
sections are in ruins, while all the
other sections, including the Ameri-
can, were partly destroyed.
Bands of thieves engaged in pill
age and a soldier was stabbed while
to arrest three men whom
he found rifling jewelry exhibit.
Diamond Losses Heavy.
The aggregate loss will be enor-
NOUS The diamond exhibitors are
heavy sufferers.
Belgium's white city stood near
the end of the Avenue Louise, the
park drive which, on the
west of Brussels, leads out to the
beautiful Bots de la Cambre. The
national building, that of the Belg
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