The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-25

la
trouble in getting upon the roof and
from there the leap to the ground was
not great.
The @remen We're 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 hall of the people. BY the time
thew were read-- to pour water on the
fire the flames had spread with such
rapidly that there was no chance
whatever of saving the building.
ALL COLLAPSED.
Within ten minutes after the fire be-
gan, the roof was ablaze, and in a
short time after the fire had appeared
on top Of the building. one of the large
arches that SPAWNED the building gave
way with a tremendous report, and
then another, and another, each going
down with 4 sound like the report of
q cannon. The building fell very quick
~ 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 20 minutes to make a complete
ruin of the building.
ITS IMMENSELY.
The Coliseum cost S25O,OOO and was
twice as large as the Madison Square
Garden building of New York. 1t had
a floor space of seven acres, including
the ground and gallery floors, was $40
feet long by 500 wide and contained
2,50000O pounds of steel, 100000 feet of
timber and 5000, 900 bricks
An Aug. q, 1895, the first Coliseum,
then in the course of construction, was
wrecked, entailing a loss of S125,000.
The cause of the collapse has never
been known, but was thought that the
last arch was not placed in position
correctly. The building was to have
been opened Sept. 2 of that year by
the Barnum q Bailey circus and the
contractors were rushing the work in
order to have it completed in time.
Six hundred men had been working on
the building up to half an hour before
the crash came. which was 11:10 at
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.
Later-Ladanyi, who conducted the
sausage booth, turned UP later unin-
jured.
NEW BUILDING.
After the collapse of the first build
ing, Architect S. S. Beman at once drew
plans for new building, and it was
constructed and opened to the public
June !, 1896. The details of the mas
Sive building show composition of IA
enormous arches, 20 feet at the apex
above the ground, and with a span of
$50 feet in the clear. The building was
encircled on the inside by a gallery IS
feet wide and SO feet above the floor.
The arena was only equalled in extent
by that of the Roman Coliseum. The
building was insured for S120000, the
insurance being written in 20 different
companies.
The total loss on the building and
contents is said to be $47S,000 OF this
amount SEQ 600 was the value of the
building. and S12S,O00 the estimated
cost of the exhibits and material in the
exposition in progress in the building.
Insurance to the amount of $4,000 was
carried on the Coliseum, but of this
amount 100000 viii go to the holders
Of outstanding bonds to pay these
obligations in full. The owners of the
building will get but $4,000 out of
their insurance. Colonel John T. Dick
inson, president of the Coliseum COM
pany said tonight that no effort would
be made to restore the building.
DISASTROUS COLLISION.
While responding to the alarm of fire
from the Coliseum, engine company
No. 19 co!lided with a passenger train
on the Lake Shore road, smashing the
engine badly. Only one OF the firemen,
Albert Chamberlain, was injured, how
ever. The accident occurred at Forty
first street and Cottage Grove avenue.
The hose cart OF the company Was
ahead of the fire engine, and close I'D
on the tracks When the Waterman
heard train approaching, and closed
the gates. The hose cart was TOO close
to the gate, however, and before the
driver could stop his horses, crashed
into it, carrying it down completely.
The driver managed TO stop his horses
on the track, and the Waterman, seeing
that unless he opened the gate the hose
cart would be run into, opened the gate
letting the cart out of danger The
driver o. The engine, which was close
behind. thought from the raising OF the
far side gates that the way was clear,
Urged on his horses and dashed on The
tracks. The train was there before ne
was, and he drove scuarely into the
side Of a rapidly moving passenger
coach. All of the firemen We're thrown
from their seats, but all of them es-
capped injury, with the exception of
Chamberlain. whose hurts are not Sc
we're.
NOT LOST.
Late tonight it was learned that Mrs.
Pauline DauDhin and her daughter
Pauline, who were said by Manager
Austin to have been lost in the IRE,
had gone to their hotel on the West
Side and were not injured in any way.
DISGRACEFUL CONDUCT.