THE BIG BLAZE AT BRUSSELS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 897, 17 August 1910, Page 5

THE BIG BLAZE AT BRUSSELS.

EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. FLAMES LICK UP BUILDINGS WITH GREAT RAPIDITY. LIVELY TIME IN MENAGERIE. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. (Rec. August 16, 11.5 p.m.) Brussels, August 16. In yesterday's fire at the Brussels International Exhibition, the' British section, consisting of a main gallery 510 foot long and 98 feet wide, with four narrower parallel galleries, was completely destroyed. Over 300 firms were represented, and the quality of the exhibits was described .in the opening notices in "Tho Times" as being higher, on the average, than that of the exhibitors who have represented tho United Kingdom in any previous foreign exhibition.

The French wine court perished in eight minutes, and the Dutch and Spanish sections were seriously damaged, the others suffering loss.

■' The. priceless pictures, which were housed in a separate building, aro unharmed.

A safe containing 140,000 francs, representing the exhibition takings, has been recovered from among charred and twisted masses of ironwork.

The domes and minarets have been reduced to broken masonry.

Troops are on the scene and are preventing further looting!

. The fire spread with terrifying rapidity, and was accompanied by frequent deafening reports, caused by the explosions of chemicals.

When the flames invaded the mena-. gerie eight gendarmes, with rifles, were ordered to shoot tho animals, but tho order was countermanded for fear of shooting the crowd.

The elephants, white asses, and monkeys were freed, and escaped. The lions and tigers, and other animals were burnt.. Tho firemen were prompt on the scene, but many houses had no water service. The peopKof Brussels were in a stato of pitiable athciety.throughout the night, rumours being in circulation that hundreds were dead. Lloyd's do not believe that their loss will exceed half a million sterling, their totul insurances'amounting to .£1,000,000.

The fire, was caused by the electric wires in connection with ,an illuminated device at tho entranco to the Belgian section becoming short circuited:

Sparks fell on splendid needlework and artificial silk in large portions of the Belgian and British sections.

The French food, etc., section , was wholly destroyed.

Very few of Bostock's animals were lost.

The British loss was chiefly old furnituro from Kensington Museum, specimens of porcelain, unique furniture (private collections), reproductions of British plate, and many pottery and textile exhibits. ' Tho British loss, is estimated to be within .£IOO,OOO. The machinery hall was saved. In the Belgian section there were snfes containing jewels to tho value of i£GOO,OOO. These were recovered, and tho ' jewellery found to be intact. French newspapers havo mado some exaggerated estimates of the ontiro' loss, which they put down at .millions of francs. ." '

No deaths occurred, but 25 persons were injured. The exhibition remains open. '■;