The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-12-30
"a BIG BUILDING BURNS.
Famous Coliseum Building at Chi.
cage Is Destroyed.
One Life Lost and Eighteen Persons
injured During a Rush to Es-
cape-L6hs In Estimated
- .- aat x4TS,OOO


building, at Sixty third street and
Stony Island avenue, in which the DEM
ocratic national convention was held
last year, was totally destroyed by fire
Friday night The fire was one of the
quickest ever Scent in Chicago. From
the time it originated, by the crossing of
two electric wires, until the Coliseum
was pile of twisted iron and hot
bricks, not over 20 minutes elapsed.
The building had been rented for a
manufacturers exposition, and was
filled from end to end with booths, all
OF which were destroyed, with all con-
tents. 1t was at first supposed that
number of people were lost in the
flames, but all those reported missing
were afterwards found. Only one life
was lost, that of N. II. johnson, an en-
Ploye, whose charred remains were
found this morning. Eighteen persons
were injured during the rush to escape
from the burning building.
About 800 people were in the building
at the time and at the first alarm they
rushed for safety. Fortunately the
aisles were wide and owing to the COM
paratlvely small number of people in
the building there was little difficulty
in reachingthe doors. Most of those en-
deavoring to escape ran to large door
on the east side of the building which
was wide enough to admit team of
horses and wagon. A crowd of fully 200
/ gathered before this door which was
found to be locked, and as the fire was
roaring through the building with
great speed, it seemed for a few min
utes as though none of these would be
able to escape. w. ]. Wheeler, watch
man, saw the trouble and ran to open
the door, but the crowd packed in front
OF it so close that he had the greatest
difficulty in opening it. Once it swung
wide, however, the crowd was in the
open air in a few seconds. During the
jam at this point several people were
badly crushed, but none were seriously
injured.
The balance of the people made their
way through other doors, and several
who were caught in the balcony were
compelled to jump to the ground from
the roof. The balcony was lined with
windows that swing outward aud they
had no trouble in getting upon the roof,
and from there. the leap to the ground
was not great Firemen, were at hand
before all the people were out, and be-
fore they made any effort to fight the
flames they devoted their attention to
clearing the hall of people. By the time
they were ready to pour water on the
exhibit there was no use of their doing
anything, as the fire spread with such
rapidity that there was no chance what.
ever of saving the building after it
once got beyond the confines of the
booth in which it started.
Within ten minutes after the fire be-
gan the roof was ablaze, and in a very
short time after the fire appeared on
the top OF. the building one of the large
arches that span the building gave way
with tremendous report. and then an
other, and another, each one going
down with sound like the report of a
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. It took
not over 20 minutes to make complete
ruin Of the building.
The Coliseum cost $25O,OOO and was
twice as large as the Madison Square
Garden building, New York: 1t had floor
space of seven acres, including the
ground floor and galleries, and was ITO
feet long by 800 feet wide. On August
21, 1895, the first Coliseum, then in
course Of construction, was wrecked,
cntailing loss Of $125,0O0. The cause
of the collapse was never known, but
it was thought the last arch was not
placed in position correctly. Six hun
dred 1nen had been working on the
building up to half an hour before the
collapse. After the collapse of the first
building plans were drawn for a new
building, and it was constructed and
opened to the public June /, 1896. Its
arena was only equaled in extent by
that of the Roman Coliseum.
The total loss by the fire is estimated
at about $47S,000. OF this $3.50 900 is
placed as the loss on the building and
$685. 900 on the exhibits contained there
in. Insurance on the building, S12O, 900.