Milwaukee, WI Exposition Fire, June 1905

MILWAUKEE EXPOSITION IN RUINS.

IT OCCUPIED AN ENTIRE BLOCK AND THE LOSS IS $300,000.

SKAT CONGRESS HAD JUST CONCLUDED SESSION AND THE 1,500 PEOPLE IN HALL ESCAPED.

Milwaukee, Wis., June 4. -- June 4. -- The Milwaukee exposition building, occupying a city block, was totally destroyed by fire this evening. The loss is $300,000, insured for $75,000. The fire is supposed to have been started from an electric light wire. The blaze broke out in the northwest portion of the gallery just at the time the national skat congress completed its afternoon session. At the time the fire broke out there were over 1,500 people in the building but all got out in safety. A curtain was first discovered to be burning and the firemen attempted to quench the flames by the use of a chemical but without avail. The interior had been decorated with thousands of yards of flimsy drapery and in a twinkling the flames spread throughout the interior.
Stretched across the top of the inside of the structure was a heavy canvass and scarcely had the assembled skat players got out of the building when the canvass fell. Many buildings situated near the big structure were threatened and in some cases were slightly damaged. The exposition building was build about twenty-six years ago.

Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette Indiana 1905-06-05
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!