DISASTROUS FIRE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 896, 16 August 1910, Page 7

DISASTROUS FIRE.

. . . EXHIBITION DESTROYED. GREAT DAMAGE DONE AT BRUSSELS FORTY DWELLINGS DEMOLISHED. By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright. , (Rec. August 15, 10.51 p.m.) . " - . ■ Brussels, August 15. A-'disastrous Jiro broke out at the great international exhibition now being held here, and most of the 'sections occupied by foreign nations have been destroyed.. • The fire- is attributed to sparks from the fireworks or to a short circuit in the electric wiring. : It began ut nino o'clock at night in the Belgian section. The facade on thu eastern side of the-Belgian building was in flames with extraordinary rapidity. The was mannequins of the Brussels dressmakers added , fuel to the fire, and soon an unbroken sheet of flame was rushing up. ' .. . > From, here the flro spread to the two British sections, both of which were consumed in fifty minutes: . , Among tho British exhibits destroyed were the Grinliiig Gibbons carvings and theMorlaix tapestries, much pricelessfurniture,' and the Bradford tableaux showing tho worsted industry; Only documents woro saved beforo the cry of "Sauvo qui'peut!" was raised.. The w.ind caused the sparks to scatter everywhere, and ' .the French, Danish, Russian, .Norwegian, Spanish, Austrian, Japanese, and Chinese sections were soon involved, the whole-left side of the Avenue des Nations being destroyed, as-also forty houses in'the Avenuo Solbosch, adjoining the exhibition. Sappers ifinally blew up a number ol buildings with melinite to arrest the tax'ther spread,of the fire.' The'-Machinery Hall, however, , is still threatened. . ■ ■ Numerous thefts are' reported. An Apache stabbed a soldier who was arresting'him. ■:.-,' , Fortunately, tho public were excluded from the buildings after six o'clock, but the grounds were filled by enormous crowds watching the fireworks. ■ The worst panic occurred in a section of the'grounds showing a reproduction of old. Brussels, Hero hurrying crowds were: bewildered in a;maze of old streets. These [ were destroyedj and it is reported that two were killed: and thirty injured. The animals from Bostdck's wild beast show escaped and were afterwards shot.