The herald., 1897-12-25
CHICAGO'S
COLISEUM
Took Just Twenty Minutes
to Burn
MANY PEOPLE MISSING
And Probably Perished in
the Flames
CRUSSED ELECTRIC WIRES
cRussED ELECTRIC WIRES
THE CAUSE OF THE SUDDEN
CONFLAGRATION
The Largest Rooted Building in the
World Is now a Pile Of
Twisted Iron and
Broken Bricks
Associated Press Special Wire


CHICAGO, Dec. 24.-Fire tonight dee
stroyed the Coliseum building at Sixty
third street and Stony Island avenue, in
which the Democratic national conven-
tion was held last year.
The FIRE was one Of the quickest ever
seen in Chicago. From the time when
the fire originated, by the crossing Of
two electric light wires. until the Colise-
um was a pile Of twisted iron and hot
bricks was not over 20 minutes.
The building had been rented for .
manufacturers exposition and was filled
from end to end with booths, all of which
were destroyed, with their contents.
The total loss on the building and COM
tents is said to be $47S.O00. OF this
amount $3.50, 900 was the value Of the
building and $12S,O00 the estimated cost
of the exhibits and material in the ex-
position in progress in the building. In
surance to the amount OF $l2O,0OO was
carried on the building, but OF this
amount 100000 will go to the holders OF
outstanding bonds to pay their obliga-
tions in full. The owners of the build
ing will get but $4,000 out of the insure
ance. Col. j. T. Dickinson, president OF
the Coliseum company, said tonight that
no effort would be made to restore the
building.
1t is supposed that number OF people
were lost in the flames, and although no
bodies have been recovered, the follow
ing people are missing and have undoubt-
edly perished:
PEOPLE MISSING
TWO WOMEN, dancers in the Midway
exhibit, seen entering the building just
before it collapsed.
TWO MEN, seen In the center Of the
building during the fire by firemen.
L. LADANYI AND HIS SON con-
Quoted sausage booth in the building.
Ladanyi entered the structure during
the fire to search for his son, who he
declared was penned in by the flames.
and neither has since been seen.
HOWARD GEIsER. Wilmington,
Del, decorator.
JOsEPR BYRNEs. Hoboken, deco
rator
The man Ladanyi, who conducted
the sausage booth, turned up later un-
injured.
Geiser and Byrnes were decorating
one of the booths in the balcony when
the fire broke out. The manager OF the
exhibit ran to the booth and called to tho
men that the place was on fire, and Tor
them to save themselves. They were
apparently in no hurry, and the last
seen of them they were still at work. It
is though they were both lost.
LIST OF INJURED
The injured are:
PETER FOOTS, watchman, burned
about face and hands;
MRS. G. A. LYONS, severely burned;
M. j. MORLEY, lacerated by explosion
of Crookes tubes and burned about the
head;
VIM. ROBERTSON, face and hands
burned.
M. J. WHEELER, watchman. hands
burned.
JAMES MASER, fireman, burned
while cutting live wire with pair Of
shears;
ROBERT HARLEY, fireman. severely
bruised by debris during the collapse of q
wall of the building; es
MISS HELEN CONGER, shocked by
live wire and severely burned about
right arm.
GEORGE DEKREKE, proprietor Of
"Streets Of Cairo" exhibit jumped from
a window of the burning building and
was severely bruised.
LOUIS WEISS, janitor, burned about
the face and hands.
FRANK MURPHY, st. Louis, severe-
ly injured.
HARRY HAMILTON. burned about
arms.
w. H. WRIGHT, burned about arms.
WIN. ALLABY, fireman, thrown from
engine in collision with Lake Shore
train at Cottage Grove avenue and
Forty-first street.
ALBERT CHAMBERLAIN, burned
and cut on face and hands.
EUGENE DUGGAN, burned about
the left side.
While responding to the alarm Of fire
in the Coliseum, engine company 19 col
lided with passenger train on the Lake
Shore road, smashing the engine badly.
Only one fireman, however. Albert
Chamberlain, was injured.
THE FIRST SIZZLE
The fire originated in booth which
was used for an exhibition Of x-rays.
the booth being managed by M. j. Nor
ley and VIM. Robertson.
The two men were examining their
Roentgen machine when they were.
startled by sizzling noise behind them.
and upon turning saw part Of their