The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-12-25

Where Bryan Was N ominated, Eaten Up by Flames in Twenty Minutes-Long List ofMissing and Injured.
 Chicago, Dec. 24.-Fire tonight de- stroyed the Coliseum building at Sixty third street and Stony Island avenue, in which the democratic national conven- one of the quickest ever seen in Chi cago Within about twenty minutes from the time the fire originated by the crossing of two electric light wires, the Coliseum was pile of twisted iron and hot bricks. The building had been rented for manufacturers exposition and was filled from end to end with booths, all of which were destroyed with all their contents.
 Although no bodies have been recov- cred the following persons are missing and have undoubtedly perished in the flames: Girl named Pauline Dauphine. seen to enter the building in search of her mother. The girl and her mother were employed in the Irish Village, the former as a dancer and the latter doing chores. Two men seen in the center of the burned building by firemen during the fire; L. Ladynwine and his son, who conducted a sausage booth in the build ing. Ladynwine entered the building during the fire to rescue.
 The injured are: Harry Parker, New York city, slightly burned; G. A. Lyons, slightly burned; Mrs. G. A. Lyons, se- verely burned; Mrs. M. J. Morley, burn ed; M. J. Wheeler, watchman, hand burned; James Maher fireman, burned while cutting live wire; Robert Harley, fireman, severely burned; Miss Helen Conger, severely burned; George Deckreko, severely bruised by jumping from a window; Louis Weiss, janitor, burned about the face and hands; Frank Murphy, St. Louis severely burned; Harry Hamilton, burned about the face; W. H. Wright, burned about arms: William Alloy, fireman, thrown from engine in a collision with a Lake Shore train, head bruised; Albert Chamberlain, burned about face and hands; Eugene Duggan, burned on left side.
 The fire originated in a booth which was used for an exhibition of X-rays, the booth being managed by William Robertson and w. J. Morley. The two men were examining their Roeat6en machine when they were starled by sizzling noise behind them and upon turning saw part of their exhibit ablaze. Crossed arc light wires which V, were over the exhibit are thought to have caused the flames. The two men first tried to smother the flames but before they had secured water and cloth the fire had spread throughout the en- tire booth. Morley realizing that he and his partner would be unable to cope with the flames endeavored to save some of the most valuable of the X-ray paraphernalia. Running to the ma chine he grasped two Crookes tubes and then with Robertson began fighting his way out of the building Before he reached an exit the tubes which he held in both hands exploded from the heat severely lacerating his hands. His hair also caught fire and he was severely burned about the head. Robertson was burned about the face
 About three hundred people were In the building at the time of the fire and at the first alarm there was rush for safety. Fortunately the aisles were wide, and owing to the comparatively small number of people in the building there was little difficulty in reaching the doors. Most of those endeavoring to escape ran to a large door on the east side of the building. Fully two hun dred people gathered before this door, which was found to be locked, and as the fire was roaring through the build ing it seemed as if none of them would be able to escape A watchman saw the trouble and ran to open the door, but the crowd was packed in front of it so closely that he had the greatest diff ficulty in opening it. Once it swung wide, however, the crowd was in the open air. Several people were badly crushed, but none was seriously injur- ed.
 The balcony is lined with windows that swing outward and they had no trouble in getting upon the roof, and from there the leap to the ground was not great The fremen were at hand before any of the people were out, and they devoted their attention to clearing the hall of people. Then they devoted their efforts to the fire. Within ten minutes after the fire began the roof was ablaze and in very short time af- ter the fire had appeared on the top of the building one of the large arches that spanned the building gave way with a tremendous crack and then an other and another, each one going down with a sound like the report of can non. The building fell very quickly, as after the first arch went down the weight was too great for the arches next to it and all collapsed. It took not over twenty minutes to make complete ruin of the building. While respond ing to the alarm of fire from the Colise- um Engine company 9 collided with a passenger train on the Lake Shore road The engine was badly damaged. Only one fireman, Albert Chamberlain, was injured.
 The losses will probably aggregate over a million dollars, although noth ing definite can be learned tonight.
 OiIstove Explodes, Damage S4O,O0O.