100 Horses Burn at Race Track

From The Indianapolis Star, Monday, February 20, 1922: Fire swept through the main stables at the state fairgrounds early yesterday morning, destroying the structure. Stablemen entered the burning structure, braving the intense heat, cutting several horses loose from their stalls and driving them from the conflagration, but approximately 100 valuable horses perished in the blaze. Among those lost were the prize-winning racehorses Lord Busby and Masterpiece, along with sixty-one horses belonging to Batteries A and C of the National Guard. Lord Busby’s owner was sleeping in the stables and suffered severe burns. The fire is believed to have started when a coal oil stove, used for heating, exploded and ignited hay. Spreading swiftly on the loose hay and straw, the flames were far beyond control when discovered and firefighters confined their efforts to saving other structures endangered by the inferno.