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HALTS ESSEX PABI IUCING FIRE DESTROYS THE GRANDSTAND AND CANCELS THE PROGRAM FOR SATURDAY. The- Spcrt to Se Returned at Oaklavrn Tomorrow, Use of That Track Havir.j; Been Tendered Essex Park Folk 3 for the Remainder of Meeting. Ibd Springs. Ark.. March 31. Fleas consumed the iis-rx Park gn ndstnud this moral ig and eaussdl a temporary ssjaseuetou of racing. Racing will be resumed again next Monday over the Oaklawn track, the latter plant having been tendered to the Fssex Dark management to continue i;s meeting. The firo was first discovered about 10:30 this morning In the uppi r pert of the west end of the grandstand and spread with alarming rapidity, the entire structure being a soothing mass in no time. It was an impossibility to save the grandstand and tie hundreds of horsi men, who acted as volunteer firemen, at once eenb red their energies n preventing a spread of the flames and to confining tic conflagration to the grandstand. Their objective point was the paddock. If successful in their effort to keep this part of the plant from being ignited it would mean the saving of stables and possibly prevent the destruction of numerous horses and possibly some of tin- men. For a time it appeared improbable that a disaster would bo avoided, for a north wind was carrying the flames towards t.ie paddock, but luckily the wind suddenly shifted and soon after the remaining portion of the grandstand collapsed. The fortunate incidents, pet a cheek on what might have Imi n a calamity. When it became patent that all danger of firo spreading to other sections of the plant was over, plans for a continuance of racing here xvas at once put into action. General Manager Jospeh B. Martin of Oaklawn. Who was still in the city, was got in touch with aid arrangements quickly completed to put th" Oaklawn plant at the disposal of the I.usi-nes Mens League for the running of the remaining Bases I nk earing date--. Announcement to this effect was immediately made to the horsemen. The fire xvas discovered w lien the horsemen were busily engaged around the secretarys office making entrios tor Monday. HoriCT.on Kelp to Stop Conflagration. They at once but their aid to stopping the conflagration and did yoeman service. Tic hardest of tin- woikers were It. B. Watkins. Fred ier-bsrdy, Patsy Bowman, George Beardon, who srgen-hwd the valets into a bucket brigade. Jockey Stearns, especially distinguished himself by climbing tiie paddock roof and carrying a hose with him and playing the stream steadily on parts most exposed to the flames from he grandstand. After it was definitely established that Oaklawn would be available for a continuance of the racing here, secretary Fred Gerhardy anneemced that entries intended fat today were declared off and those made for Monday would be run. as scheduled. An idea of the intensity of the fire can be had from the feet that fourteen minutes after discovery of the flames, the huge grandstand was in total collapse. Word of the conflagration spread rapidly ani hundreds of automobiles and other conveyances UN re Essex Dark iKiit from Hot Springs. The five milea intervening were literally blocked with sightseers. The grandstand was a total loss, it being uninsured. The fire is said to have originated in an old storeroom overhead of the kitchen. Horsemen immediately began arrangements for transferring their establishments back to Oaklawn and all of them will resume their former quarters tomorrow. To avoid confusion, semen were usque ted to move buck to their old stables. This eliminated the uetesalty of altoting stalls, which Would have taken much time. Frank Weir shipped tin two year-olds that US re meed at Juarez to Lexington with W. J. gpii ra consignment thi- morning. Tampa and Rubbles, from J. O. Talhotts string, were shipped to Lexington to be turned out.
