Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-12-28

short time after the iirs appeared ON
the top Of the building one Of the large
arches that span the building gave way
with a tremendous report, and then an
other, and another, each one geing
down with q sound like the report Of q
cannon. The building fell very quick
ly, as after the first arch went down the
weight was too great for the arches
next to 1t, and all collapsed. It took
not over 20 minutes to make complete
ruin Of the building.
Nothing 10 known OF those supposed
to be lost beyond what has been stated.
Manager Austin, OF the exposition. IL
confident that the girl Pauline Dau-
phin lost her life, as he says he met her
near one Of the entrances making her
way into the building. He pushed her
out, telling her she would lose her life
if she entered the building, which by
this time was roaring furnace. She
said her mother was In there penned
in by the flames, and she must help her.
Before Austin could restrain her she
ran into the building once more, going,
Austin says, right into a tangli Of live
electric wires. Before be could do any
thing more to save her the building col
lapsed. y
The burned Building.
The Coliseum coat $3.50, 900 and waa
twice as large az the Madison Square
Garden building, NewYork It had floor
space of seven acres, including the
ground floor and galleries, and was ITO
feet long by 800 feet wide. On August
FL, 1895, the first Coliseum, then In
course of construction, was wrecked,
sntailing loss Of $125, 900. The cause
OF the collapse was never known, but
1t was thought the last arch was not
placed in position correctly. Six hun.
dred men had been working on the
building up to half an hour before the
collapse. After the collapse of the frst
building plans were drawn for a new
building, and 1t was constructed and
opened to the public June i, 1896. It's
arena was only equaled in extent by
that Of the Roman Coliseum.
Tho Loss.
The total loss by the fire is estimated
ut about s47s,OOO. OF this $3.50, 900 /.
placed us the loss on the building and
SIPS, 900 on the exhibits contained there
in. Insurance on the building, $120, 900
Train Strikes Fire Engine.
While responding to the alarm Of frs
from the Coliseum, engine company II
collided with passenger train on tn,
Lake Shore road, smashing the engin.
badly. Only one fireman, Albert Cham
berlain, was injured, however. The &C
cident occurred at Forty first stree,
and Cottage Grove avenue. The hos.
cart was ahead of the fire engine an6
close upon the tracks when the watch
man began letting down the gates o.
the approaching train. Before tn.
driver of the hose cart could stop, bill
horses crashed into the gate breaking
1t down. The Waterman seeing tina
unless the other gate was opened tn,
hose cart would certainly be run down
opened 1t, letting the cart out Of dan
ger. The driver Of the engine, which
was close behind, thought from the rails
ing OF the far side gate. that the wa,
was clear, and urging on his horse,
dashed on the tracks. The train wa
there before he was, however. and h
drove squarely into the side of tn.
rapidly moving passenger train. Al
the fremen were thrown from theil
seats, and all except Chamberlain mi
raculously escaped without injury.