BRUSSELS FIRE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10069, 17 August 1910, Page 5

BRUSSELS FIRE.

CABLE NEWS

UniteS Press Association—By Electrio Telegraph Copyright.

ESTIMATES OF ROSSES.

A FRENCH EXAGGERATION,

, (Received Tuesday, 9.25 a.m.) . BRUSSELS, August 16. The fire originated through a short circuit in an illuminating device at the entrance to the Belgian section. Sparks fell on some splendid needlework and artificial silk .exhibits. Large portions of the Belgian and British sections, and the French Alimentation Court, were wholly destroyed. Very few of Bostock's animals were lost. The British loss is chiefly of old furniture from the' Kensington Museum, specimens of porcelain, unique ■furniture from private > collections, • reproductions of British plate, and many pottery and textile exhibits. The British loss is within £IOO,OOO. French newspapers exaggerate the entire loss to milliards (thousands of millions) of francs. There was no loss of life, but twenty-five persons were injured. The exhibition remains open. 1 MACHINERY HALL SAVED.

JEWELS RECOVERED.

(Received Last Night, 9.15 o'clock.) BRUSSELS, August 15. The Machinery Hall at the Exhibition was saved. Jewels to the value of £600,000 were recovered intact in the Belgian section.

LATER DETAILS

LOSS ESTIMATED AT HALF A MILLION. ' ■;'',;;^;PiTilßLElteiET^. ; ■ "' ; v ! -

; (Received Last Night, 11.15 p.m.) I •• , ;:'..' Augusts 16. I The, :British .sectioit, in. priri-' cipal Exhibition was completely destroyed , ~. The French wine court succumbed to the flames insight minutes. The Dutch and Spanish courts have been, seriously damaged, and others.to a lesser extent. Some priceless pictures in a separ-' ate building were unharmed. A safe containing 140,000 francs of Exhibition takings was recovered from among the charred and twisr ted masses of ironwork. ' The domes and minarets were reduced and masonry broken^ Trooris are preventing further loot-WS--i ■ '/"■ ..\;Thef fire spread withvterrifyiiig rar pidity. . 'There were frequent deafening reports :of the explosions of chemicals. The menagerie was invaded. Eight gendarmes with rifles were ordered to shoot, but the order was countermanded, fearing that they might shoot some of the crowd. Elephants, white asses, and monkeys were freed arid escaped, but lions, tigers, and other animals were burnt. The firemen acted promptly, but. in many houses there was no water service. The 1 people of Brussels were in a state of pitiable anxiety throughout the *night, through the rumours that hundreds of lives were lost. Lloyd's estimate that their loss will not exceed half a million. Their total insurances total one million sterling.