The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1897-12-27
COLISEUM BLAZE
Nine Persons Believed to Have
Perished. in the Big Chicago
auditorium.
It Was One of the Quickest
and Hottest Fires Ever
Known.
Whole Building Practically De-
stroyed Within the Space of
Twenty Minutes.

scum building at Sixty.third street and
Stony Island avenue, in which Hon.
William j. Bryan was nominated for
the presidency by the Democratic
party, has been destroyed by fire. This
is the second time that the immense
structure in its history of less than
three years has been laid in ruins. The
building had been rented for an exhi.
bitten of manufacturers exposition
and was filed from end to end with
booths, all of which burned with their
contents. Three hundred persons were
in the hinge structure when the fire be-
gan. In attempting to save their per-
sonal effects many had narrow escapes
S-om death. A large number were in
slred. A dozen persons were reported
missing. but all who were known to be
in the building at the time the fire
started have been accounted for except
nine.
Those of whom nothing could be
learned and who are believed to have
per;shed are:
Joseph Byrnes, Hoboken. N. j.. EN-.
ployed by beauty show.
Howard Geyser, Wilmington, Del,
employed by beauty exhibit as dec
orator.
Sholan Huffian, Armenian, employed
in streets of Cairo exhibition. Last
seen in exhibit while running.
J. A. Malosoum, Turk. employed in
streets of Cairo exhibit Last seen at
tempting to escape.
Gertie Wilson Of streets of Cairo ex.
hibit.
Two women, dancers in the Midway
ex libit; seen in the building just be.
fore it collapsed.
Unknown woman seen running about
bewildered in the building by w. H.
Wright, a skating instructor, imme-
diately before he himself was rescued.
The insurance on the Coliseum ag.
gregates $4,000 aud is taken out in
the name of the Chicago exhibition
company, with the loss. if any. payable
to the Illinois Trust and Savings bank,
as its interest may appear. The exhib.
itors were without exception uninsured.
Quickest Fire Ever known.
The fire was one of the quickest ever
seen in Chicago. In 20 minutes from
the time the first spark originated, by
the crossing of two electric light wires
in the X-ray booth. there was not a gir.
der standing. All the walls went down
except those on the ends, and all that
marked the place where the building
had stood was mass Of twisted iron
and bricks. The loss of life might have
been terrible if the fire had broken out
q few minutes before it did, as then the
visitors to the exhibition would have
been caught in the building. Asit was
the spectators had just left the build
ing and exhibitors and their people
were either preparing for supper Or
about to leave the building when the
flames broke out.
Most Of the exhibitors would have
been able to escape without difficulty
or danger If they had not stopped and
attempted to save their. personal be-
longings.
The Door Was Looked.
A number ran to a large door on the
east side Of the building which IL wide
enough to admit team Of horses and
wagon. The door was found to be
locked, and as the fire was roaring
through the building with great speed,
it seemed for . few minutes AZ though
none would be able TO escape. "A