The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-28
ORIGIN Of COLISEUM FIRE
STORY THAT A PET DOG WAS
THE INDIRECT CAUSE.
Another Lays the Blame On the Mis-
chievous Cigarette-Prospect of
Rebuilding Under Consideration.

Chicago, Dec. 27.-The Coliseum,
which burned Christmas eve, was set
on fire by a pet dog. An explosion of
gasoline set the dog on fire. Lolita, a
dancer in the Cuban village, says
Frank Murphy,an employee in the *
ray booth, confessed to her that he
caused the explosion. She says he told
this to her and her mother when he
called on them about the benefit to be
given the exhibitors. Lolita said:
Murphy told me today how the fire
started. 1t was caused by an explosion
of gasoline in the X-ray exhibit. A
big lamp was used to light the booth,
but it was not considered sufficient and
the manager of the show sent for a
gasoline torch. Murphy said man
named Bowen gave the gasoline torch
to the manager. and about 20 minutes
after . o'clock Murphy carried in
tive-gallona can of gasoline. The lamp
was burning close by and when Muir
ply went to fill his gasoline torch he
was quite near the burning lamp.
Morley, the manager of the exhibit,
was on ladder, almost over the lamp,
arranging the drapery about the booth
Murphy started to pour the gasoline
into the tank of the torch which had
not been lighted, but the fluid caught
from the burning lamp near by and
went UP in a puff.
There was a little pet dog in the
place connected With the exhibit. and
when the gasoline exploded, the dog
was covered with the burning oil The
poor beast rushed around in terror
and set fire to the drapery of the BOOTH
which hung to the floor. Quicker than
flash the whole trimming of the booth
was on fire and the Haze was rising to
the balcony where our show was To-
Gated The men about the booths
nearby ran and got the eXtinguishers,
but they would not work. A hose was
turned on but they could get no water
~. Morales, a Mexican dancer
warned me 10 get out, and we were
just getting to the doors when the gas
tank that supplied the calcium lights
for the tight-rope walkers exploded and
the place was a mass of flames
Lolita's story about the origin of the
| fire was corroborated by Frank Hat
field, the dOorkeeper.
Murphy, when seen, denied that the
explosion of a can of gasoline was the
cause of the fire. He thought the
drapery caught fire from a cigarette
or cigar stump.
The origin of the fire will be thor
oughly investigated by the police and
by agents of the insurance companies,
and our company viii do all in it's
power to assist in the investigation, -
said Colonel John T. Dickinson, pres
ident Of the Coliseum company L
do not know yet whether the fire was
due to the act of an incendiary or not -
| he continued, although I am inclined
! to think it was caused by some acct
dent in the X-ray picture exhibit.
About all that 1 have heard that would
| indicate incendiarism has been CLEANED
from the newspapers.
we will have meeting of the ex-
ecutive committee of our company to-
! morrow The subject of rebuilding will
doubtless be considered, but from what
I know of the temper of the stock
| holders, 1 am satisfied that no such
project will be undertaken by them,
| for although the Coliseum babe fair
, to be a very profitable Investment.
those who put money into it have, of
course, lost heavily by it's destruction.
We had just got clear of debt and
were in a fair way to make money in
the future"