The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-12-25

of the people were out and before they
made any effort to fight the flames they
devoted their attention to clearing the
hall of the reop.e. By the time they
were ready to pour water on the fire, it
was useless to do anything as the fire
spread with such rap.dity that there WAS
no chance whatever of saving the build
ing after 1t had once got beyond the con-
fines of the booth i'll which it started.
Within ten minut after the fire began
the roof was ablaZe and in n very short
time after the fire had appeared on the
top of the building one of the large
arches that spanned the building gave
way with tremendous report, and then
another, and another, each one going
down with sound like the report of a
cannon. The bu lding fell very quickly
as after the first arch went down the
weight was too great for the arches
next to it, and all collapsed. 1t took
not over. twenty minutes to make q
complete ruin of the building.
Nothing further is known of those sup
posed to be lost.
The Coliseum cost $250,O00, and was
twice as large as the Madison Square
Garden building of New York. 1t had
n floor space of seven acres, including
the ground and gallery floors, was 770
feet long by 300 feet wide, and coz
tanned 2y5O0,O00 pounds of steel, 1900
coo feet of timber and 100000 brick.
On August u, 1895, the first coliseum,
then in the course of construction, was
wrecked, entaiIing a loss of $125,OOO.
The cause Of the collapse has never been
known, but it was thought that the last
arch was not placed in position correct
~. The building was to have been
opened September End of that year by
the Barnum and Bailey circus, and the
contractors were rushing the work in
order to have il, completed in time.
Six hundred men had been working on
the building up to half an hour before
the crash came which was 11:30 o'clock
ut night. Fifty thousand feet of green
lumber, which was to have been used
for roofing, was on the roof of the
building at the time, and the weight of
this was supposed to have had some
thing to do with the accident.
The original Coliseum was designated
by ). ). Beman, in Italian renaissance
style. In the centre of one side rose
canpanile 240 feet high and thirty-six
feet square. After the collapse of the
iiiSL DuiIuluS dTCHltect -. -. Denim at
once drew plans for a new building, and
It was constructed and opened to the
public June i, 1896.
The arena was only equalled inaextent
by that of the Roman Coliseum. The
building was insured for $4,000, the
Insurance being written in twenty-six
different companies.
1t is almost impossible to form any idea
of the loss to the exhibitors, as there
were about one hundred booths in the
place, filled with all sorts Of goods.
The total loss on the building and con-
tents said to be S47S.000. OF this a.
mount $350,000 was the value of the
building and S12S000 the estimated COS
of the exhibits and material in the ex-
sItion in progress in the building. In
surance to the amount of Sl2O.U00 wae
carried on the coliseum but of this a
mount 100000 will 20 the holders Of
outstanding bonds to pay these obliga-
tons in fun. The owners of the building
will get but $4,000 out of their insur-
ance. Col. John L. Dickinson. president
of the coliseum company, said tonight
that no effort would be made to restore
The building.