Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-05-15
NATIONAL PEACE JUBILEE,
Destruction of the Coliseum.
E'rnrn the ROctnr, Tr,.ntrnlr,, Or+I,


From the Boston Traveller, 9th.
The high winds of last evening were
destructive to that portion of the coils
cum which has been erected. At four
o'clock the wind began to increase in
force until it well nigh approached a
hurricane, and those who were on the
truss, though secure at ordinary times,
were compelled to exercise every pre-
caution less they should miss their
foothold, and go headlong down among
the timbers below. AS night approach
ed, the gale increased, and at $50, Mr.
Seaas, fearful for the safety of the
structure, gave orders to have
extra guys and derricks erected, and
every means adopted whereby the
building could be made secure AS
night came on the workmen left the
building, feeling confident that the
worst of the storm had passed The
two men who were detailed to watch
the building, state that about twenty
minutes before eight O'Clock they had
made circuit Of the structure, and
finding everything all right, had taken
a position on the outside near the cen
tral tower. The wind again increased
to the force of a tornado, and swayed
the building back and forth, causing
the crowd which had gathered, to dis
perse in different directions with con
siderable celebrity.
Between seven and eight O'clock the
sound of cracking timbers was heard
by the people on the ground, and at a
little past eight the towers, the frame
work Of the south end, and the i'm
mense truss which has been erected
with so much labor, and indeed the
whole building, as far as erected, fell
with loud crash. The sound of the
fall resembled a clap of thunder and
lasted five or six seconds. The crash
was distinctly heard in the Central
business part of the city, in portions OF
the Highlands, and in Cambridge,
and probably not fifteen min
utes had elapsed before the true
state of affairs on the Back Bay was re-
allied in every part of the city One
of the watchmen Immediately sounded
the alarm from box 81, and this, to-
gether with the fearful approximations
caused by hearing the crash, brought
crowds to the ground, and the news.
"the coliseum has blown down, spread
rapidly throughout the city. Many
hurried to the scene by horse cars
while others left adjacent buildings tC
witness the devastation which the gale
in it's fury had wrought There was a
report that several persons were crush
ed in the ruins, and terrified feel
ing prevailed.
The situation of affairs is thus des-
cribed by the writer of the Advertiser
"There lay the sides of the building
PROSTATE, and the high tower was lying
pile of broken timbers-one might
almost say kindling wood. Eight-inct
timbers were sticking up with broken
Jagged points, which had been snapped
in two, and large piece of the side Of
the tower was lying on the pile at an
angle so sharp that the boys would
have been delighted to slide down its
smooth surface. The immense truss was
twisted and broken short off in three
places. The position explains how the
building fell. The guys were placed
through the tower and fastened to the
second truss. The tower gave way,
falling upon the guys, which snapped,
pulling the truss on the heap as it fell.
ildN Gll0 guys Ue6u over Tile DulIUlDg
independent cf it, the truss would have
been standing now. Or if the truss had
been fastened close to the tower leaving
no space between, the wind could have
had no effect upon it. F"
The Executive Committee have voted
to commence at once the reconstruc-
ton of the Coliseum, of the same di.
mansions as hitherto contemplated
and to employ such number of work
men as shall insure the completion Of
the building by the 10th of June.
The loss is estimated at from $40, 00C
to $40, 600; the probabilities, however,
are that it will amount to about $50,
600. The loss of time of the men en-
ployed in building the tower is about
IS, 900. The construction of tr1sses,
of which the posts remain on the
ground, cost $4,000, and taking them
apart Will cost an additional So, COO, and
the loss by depreciation of the lumber
IN them Will amount to about $4,000
more