The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-25
FIRE RACES WITH WILD FURY.
CHICAGO's DIG COLISEUM CONsUM-
ED IN TWENTY MINUTES.

a Number OF Lives Supposed to Have
Been Lost-BOOths Being Arranged
For an Exhibition of Manufactures
When the Blaze Stnrts-CrOssing of
Two Electric Light Wires SUPP
posed to Have Started the Fire.
Chicago Dec. 24.-Fire tonight destroy
ed the Coliseum building, at Sixty-third
street and Stoney Island avenue, in which
the democratic national convention was
held last year.
From the time when the fire was orig
mated by the crossing of two electric
heht wires until the Coliseum was a pi,
of twisted iron and hot bricks. was not
over twenty minutes.
The building had been rented for an ex,
hibition of manufactures and was filed
from end to end with booths which were
destroyed, with all of their contents.
1t is supposed that a number Of people
were lost in the flames and although no
bodies have been recovered at this hour,
the following people are missing, and have
undoubtedly perished:
Two women dancers in the midway ex-
hibit, seen in the building just before IT
collapsed.
Two men, seen in The center of the build
ing during the fire by firemen.
Howard Geyser of Wilmington. Del, a
decorator.
James Byrnes of Hoboken. N. j., another
decorator.
Geyser and Byrnes were decorating one
of the booths in the balcony when the fire
broke out They were apparently in no
hurry and the last seen of them they were
stin at work. 1t is thought they were both
lost.
The following are the injured:
Peter Foot, watchman, burned about the
face and hands.
Harry Parker of New York city. slightly
burned.
G. A. Lyons of New York city, slightly
burned
Mrs. G. A. Lyons severely burned.
NJ ]. Morley, lacerated by explosion of
tubes and burned about the head.
William Robertson, face and hands
burned.
NJ. ]. Wheeler, Waterman, hands burned
James Maher. fireman. burned while cut
ting live wire with a pair Of shears
Robert Harley. fireman, severely bruis-
ed by debris during the collapse of a wall
Of the building.
Miss Helen Conger, shocked by live wire
and severely burned about right arm.
George Decker. vice president OF the
streets of Cairo exhibit, jumped from
window of the burning building and was
severely bruised.
Louis Weiss. janitor. burned about face
and hands.
Frank Murphy. st. Louis. severely
burned.
Harry Hamilton, burned about the face.
w. H. Wright. burned about the arms
william Allaby. fireman. thrown from a
fire engine in a collision with a Lake
Shore train, at Cottage Grove avenue and
Forty-frst street, head bruised.
Albert Chamberlain, burned about the
face and hands.
Eugene Duggan. burned about the left
side
The fire originated in a booth which was
used for an exhibition of x-rays, the booth
being managed by NJ. j. Morley and Will
lam Robertson. The two men were ex-
omining their Roentgen machine when
|, they were startled by sizzling noise be-
hind them, and on turning saw a part of
their exhibit ablaze. Crossed electric light
wires, which were over the exhibit, are
thought to have caused the flames They
tried to smother the flames, but before
they could secure water the fire had
spread through the whole booth. Mr.. Nor
ley, realizing that he and his partner
would be unable TO cope with the flames,
then made an effort to save some of the
valuable X-ray paraphernalia. Running
TO the machine he grasped two Crookes
tubes and then Robertson began fighting
his way out of the building. Before he
reached the outside OF the booth. one cf
the tubes which he held in his hand, ex-
ploded from the heat, severely laceratlng
his hands. His hair also caught fire and
he was severely burned about the head
Robertson was burned about the face
About 200 people we're in the building at
the time, and al the first alarm, there was
a rush for safety. The firemen were at
hand before all the people were out. and
before they made any effort to fight the
flames they devoted their attention to
clearing the nai OF people. Inc Dre spread
with such rapidity that there was no
chance whatever Of saving the building
after IL had once got beyond the confines
of the booth in which II started.
In but a short time one Of the arches
within the large building gave way with
a tremendous report and then another
and another, each one going down like the
sound of the report from cannon. The
arches fell very quickly, as after the first
went down the weight was too great for
the arch next to ia. and II collapsed. In
twerty minutes the building was a COM
plete ruin.
The Coliseum cost $3.50 900 and was twice
as large as the Madison Square Garden
building OF New York. 1t had a space OF
seven acres was 40 feet long by 30 feet
wide, and contained 2.5oo,Ooo pounds OF
steel. 10000 feet Of timber, and 100000
bricks.
The details OF the massive building show
a composition Of fourteen massive arches,
seventy feet above the ground. and with
a span OF go feet in the clear. The build
ing was enc5rcled on the inside by a
gallery thirty-fyc feet wide and thirty
three feet above the floor. The arena was
only equalled In extent by that Of the
Roman coliseum.
The total loss on the building and con-