Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-12-28
The Huge Edifoe a Pile of EN-
| Ders and Twisted Iron With
~
l, in Twenty Minutes.
Flames Spread So Rapidly as to
Make Exit Of Occupants
- Extremely Hazardous
Eight Persons Missing and Supposed
~. to Be Lost-Fate of
Brave Girl.
5aighteen Persons Were Injured
Total Loss Is Estimated
at $4sO,0OO.

Total Loss Is Estimated
Ns. at s4sO,OOO.
I Chicago, Dec. 25.-Fire Friday night
destroyed the Coliseum building, at
Sixty-third and Stony Island avenue,
dn which the democratic national con-
vention was held last year. The fire
was one of the quickest ever seen In
Chicago. From the time 1t 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
contents. It is supposed a number OF
people were lost in the flames, and, al
though no bodies have been recovered,
the following people are missing and
undoubtedly persisted:
The Missing.
Girl named Pauline Dauphin, seen to en-
ter the building in search of her mother.
whom she said was Imprisoned by the
flames; the girl and her mother were en-
ployed In the Irish village. the former aa
a dancer and the latter doing chores.
Howard Geyser and Joseph Byrnes dec
orators. Geyser and Byrnes were decorat-
dng one Of the booths in the balcony when
the fire broke out. The manager Of the
exhibit ran to ths booth and called to the
men that the place was on fire, and for them
to save themselves; they were apparently
In no hurry, and the last seen Of them
they were still at work; 1t is thought they
were both lost.
Two women. dancers in the midway ex-
hibit; seen In the building just before II
collapsed.
Two men. seen in the cepter Of the build
1ng during the fire by the hremen.
The Injured.
Following are the injured, a. far a.
known: Peter Foote. Waterman, burned
about face and hands; Harry Parker.
slightly burned; G. A. Lyons. slightly
burned; Mrs. G. A. Lyons. severely burned;
~ ]. Morley, lacerated by explosion OF
Erookes tubes used in X-ray exhibit, and
burned about head; William Robertson.
fac$ and hands burned; M. J. Wheeler.
watohman, hands burned; James Maher.
Qremah, burned while cutting live wires;
Robert Harley, fireman. severely bruised
by debris during collapse Of wall: Misc
HELEN Conver, shocked by live wire and Sc
Hsrely burned; George Lekreke, proprietor
Streets OF Cairo exhibit, jumped from a
window and was severely bruised; Louis
Weiss, 1anitor, burned about face and
hands; Frank Murphy, severely burned;
Harry Hamilton. burned about face; w.
n. Wright, burned about arms; William
Allaby. fireman, thrown from fire engine
ia collision with Lake Shore train at Cot
EAge Grove avenue and Forty-flrst street;
ALBERT Chamberlain. burned about face and
hands; Eugene Duggan, burned about
head and side.
Origin of the Fire
| The fire originated in booth which
was used for an exhibition of X rays,
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 q
sizzling noise behind them, and upon
burning saw part of their exhibit ablaze
Crossed electric wires which were ovel
the exhibit it is thought caused the
flame. They first tried to smother the
flames, but before they could secure
water and cloth the fire spread through
out the entire booth. Morley, realizing
that he and his partner would be unable
TO cope with the flames, made an en-
deavor to save some of the most valu
able paraphernalia. Running to ma
chine he grasped two Crookes tubes
and then with Robertson began fight
ing their way out of the building. Be
tore they reached the exit the tube.
which he held In both hands exploded
from heat, severely lacerating hi
bands. His hair also caught fire ant
he was severely burned about the head
Robertson was burned about the face
Rush to Escape.
About 300 people we're in the buildin,
at the time and at the first alarm the,
rushed for safety. Fortunately TIL
aisles were wide and owing to the com
paratively small number of people il
the building there was little difficult:
tnreaching the doors. Most of those en-
deavoring to escape ran to large doc
on the east side of the building whic
was wide enough to admit team O
horses and wagon. A crowd Of fully 20
gathered before this door which wa
found to be locked, and as the fire wa
roaring through the building wit
great speed, it seemed for few mir
Ites as though none of these would b
able to escape. w. j. Wheeler, watch
man, saw the trouble and ran to ope
the door, but the crowd packed in from
Of 1t SO close that he had the creates
difficulty in opening it. Once it swun
wide, however, the crowd was in tn
open air in few seconds. During tn
Jam at this point several people wer
badly crushed, but none were seriousl
injured.
The balance of the people made thei
way through other doors, and severe
who were caught in the balcony wer
compelled to jump to the ground fro1
the roof. The balcony was lined wit
windows that swing outward and the
had no trouble in getting upon the roo
and from there the leap to the groun
was not great. Firemen were at han
before all the people were out, and b.
fore they made any effort to fight tn
flames they devoted their attention t
clearing the hall of people. BY the tim
they were ready to pour water on tn
exhibit there WINS no use Of their dom,
anything, as the fire spread with sue
rapidity that there was no chance what
n Sncc Of saving the building after
hoo+h ut beyond the confines OF tn
Scotch it started.
ru,.ht,. a.. Mass of Ruins.
u Witni IN zen mih>4ss after the fire be
- .Ae 1901 was a oisve and in yer,