Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 February 1894 — TRAMPS USE THE TORCH. [ARTICLE]

TRAMPS USE THE TORCH.

Two Attempts to Heiluce the Iluire Agricultural llullillnit to Ashe*. Fire lias oaten another black hole into the wreck of tho World's Fair. There aro men who are trying to destroy what is left of the White City with tho torch. Twico Wednesday they attompteil to burn up the Agricultural Building, and it cost a hard fight to provont the second attempt from boing successful. For all the splendid work of tho tiro companies, a Chicago dispatch rays, the 'southwest corner of tho buliding is in ruins. Tho whole of tha great structure is flooded and sodden. The beauty of the building is spoiled. The vandal ohoso for a place to begin his work of destruction ono of the groat Corinthian columns at the southwestern corner of tho building. Careless toathstors had broken ana crushed the staff covering of the column with the wheels of their heavy trucks, and mado black holes at the base of the pillars. The Incendiary selected this as an advantageous place to make the attempt to destroy the building. A little straw or somo paper was thrown into tho hole and the match applied. Then the Incendiary disappeared to await tho result of his work. Supposably tho work was done by the pestilential tramps who find the desertod nalacos such a convenient camping place. These vagabonds have been thick in the park since the Fair closed; the great fire last month which destroyed the peristyle is known to have been started by them out of revenge, and everything indicates that this blaze was even more deliberately , kindled. This fire has not oaused a great money loss—probably #5,100 or less will cover it all. The damage to the big, useless building can scarcely lie accounted as loss, and there were few goods within exposed to damage.