The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-12-25

Horrible TrAGsdy-AIany Narrow E'-
eRpsL
CHICAGO, Dec. A.-Flre tonight de-
stroyed the Coliseum building, at Sixty
third street Stony Island avenue, in
which the Democratic national conven-
tIon was held last year. The fire was
one of the quickest ever seen in Chi
eago, rom the time when the FIRE was
originated by the crossing OF two cleo
tr!c light wires until the Coliseum was
pile OF twisted and hot bricks, was
not over twenty minutes.
The building has been rented for an
exhibition OF manufacturers e%hlbi-
ton and was Alled from end TO end
with booths, all Of which were destroy
ed with all OF their contents.
| II is supposed that u number OF peo-
pie were lost in the flames, and although
no bodies have been recovered, the fol-
I lowing people are missing and have un-
doubtedly perished;
A girl named Pauline, surname not
known; seen to enter the burning
building in search OF her mother, whom
she said was Imprisoned by the flames.
The girl and her mother were employed
in tho Irish village. the former as
dancer ard the latter doing chores.
Two women, dancers In the Midway
/ exhibit; seen in the building just be-
fore It collapsed.
Two men, seen in the center of the
building during the fire by tiremen.
l.. Ladanyi and his son conducted q
! sausage booth In the building. Ladanyi
entered the structure during the fire to
search for his son, whom he declared
| was penned In by the flames, and
neither OF them has been seen since.
/ Both lived at the Columbian central
apartment building. -'a--
/ About twenty persons were more or
| less injured, their hurts consisting
mainly OF burns.
The fire originated in a booth which
was used for an exhibition OF %-Fays'
the booth being managed by NJ. j. Nor
ley and william Robertson. The two
men were examining their RoentGen
machine when they were startled by
sizzling noise behind them. and upon
turning saw a part OF their exhibit on
are. The crossed electric light wires
which were over the exhibit are thought
TO have causcd the flames. The men at
first tried 10 smother the flames, but
before they secure water the fire had
I spread throughout the ehtlfe Dooth'
| Mureley then made an enueaVor 70 saNe
| some OF the most valuable Of uhe H-ray
noranberualln. He grasped two
/ Crnokes tubes, and then with Robert
SON began fighting his way out OF the
/ building. Before he reached an exit
! the tubes. which he held In both nus
/ hands. exploded from the heat, severely
| laceratng his hands, HIS hair alSo
caught fire and he was severely DuThcd
about the head. Robertson was burn
ed about the face.
| About 800 people were in the building
at the time OF the fire, and at the ilfs'
alarm there was a rush for safety. For
uinately the alsles were wide and there
was a comparatively small number of
people in the building. Most of those
ondenyorinf; 90 egcape ran TO large
door on the east side OF the building
which 10 wide enough to admit team
of horses and wagon. A crowd OF rully
200 people gathered before this door
which was found to be locked, and ns
the fire was roaring through the build
ing with great speed, It seemed for a
few minutes as though none OF lhoee
would be able to escape. W. Mhee'eL
n watchmnn. saw the trouble ana ran
ia opcn the door, but the croWu was
hacked In front OK II 70 Closely tilut ia ne
had the greatest difficulty IN opeh'hB ~ ~,
/ Nvben IL swung wide, however, inc
,,t,,,G was In the open air In a few gee.
nnds Durlng the jam at thlS p9iht
ss,.sral persons were badly cruSned bnt
rni wns seriously injured. The balance
~ the pcoplc made thelr way GUY
,brnnEh The other doors, and several
,yi,n tyere caught IN the balcony We're
co,npelled TO jump to the ground from
the roof
r,bo Grpmon werd at hand before all
of Inc peoplc were out, ana boioTc they
ta,da any enort to fght the flames they
devoted thelr attention 10 olearlnB 'no
hail OF the people, ny the time they
were ready to pour water ON lhe lle'
ihcro was no use OF their doing any
4 thing as the flro spread with sucli ra-
pldlty that there was no chance WIN,
rvcr Of eovlng the building after II hhu
once got beyond The confines OF lhe
booth I'm which It started.
Within ton minutes after thc htc pe-
r1n tho roof was nblngc ana very
shor time after the frc had appeared
ON Ton OF the building, Que OF the laIse
aTpheg that spanncd the building give
| yay with tremendous report Onu
tbon another, end another coeh ono
rllng down with a sound llhc the &C.
pori osa cannon ThebuldingVety quiet.
iy went down after the llrst nrcll went
dawn, the weight was too great tnr 'ne
arches next to It, and nll collapsed u
took net Oyer twenty minutca 10 MAKE
"A complete ruin of the building AZ
prparni nolhlnn ip known Of those sun
tegeb So be lose hpyund what hus bCHu
1lulod Manager Austin, ol The eNlusI
lion, NJ confident iNlt the rirl Pauline,
iost hyl lliu, ai Doe BlyH that he met hcr
near one W the vnltPneo1 making nor
way into the building llr puHhci hcr
out lcillHg htr'thAl Hhr would lose lor
llte N phe catered me buildInf which
/ by thla ilno was u ronrluE furnace, Hho