Fires in 1894, a statue burned in 1896
The record lists fires in January and July 1894 and says the Statue of the Republic burned in 1896.
The questionWhy did fire clear the site so quickly, and what was found in the debris?
Investigate · Chicago 1893
Statue of the Republic in basin at the World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago LCCN90716433
1 clue in this photo
Photo: Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress · Public domain · via Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons