Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-25
Collapse of the First Coliseum.

OF steel, l,2Wc feet OF timber and S,or,po
bricks.
Collapse of the First Coliseum.
On August q. 1885, the first Coliseum.
then i'll the course of construction, was
wrecked. entailing loss of sl25,Gro. The
cause of the collapse has never been
known, but it was thought the last arch
was not placed in position correctly. The
building was to have been opened Septem-
ber 2, of that year. by the Barnum &
Bailey circus and the contractors were
rushing the work in order to have it COM
pleted in time.
Six hundred men had been working on
the building up to half an hour before
the crash came. which was at 10 o'clock
at night. Fifty thousand feet of green lum-
Der, which was to have been used for roof
Ing, was on the roof of the building at the
time, and the weight of this was supposed
to have had something to do with the ac-
cdent.
The original Coliseum was designed by
5. $. Beman, in Italian renaissance style.
In the center of one side rose n companile
24o feet high and 36 feet square.
After the collapse Of the first building.
Architect 8. S. Beman at once drew plans
for new building, and it was constructed
and opened to the public June l. 1896. The
details of the massive building show a COM
position OF fourteen enormous arches, sew
enty feet at the apex above the ground.
and with a span of 230 feet in the clear.
The building was encircled on the inside
by gallery thirty-five feet wide and
thirty-three feet above the floor. The arena
was equaled in extent only by that of the
Roman Coliseum.
The total loss on the building and con-
tents Is said to be $iIS,OOO. OF this amount
S.5UuOO was the value of the building. and
Sl2s,ON the estimated cost of the exhibits
and material in the exposition in progress
OF slHIGoo was carried on the Coliseum, but
of this amount 100000 will go to the hold
ers of outstanding bonds to pay these obi-
cations in full. The owners of the build
ing will get but $4,000 out of their insur-
ance. Colonel John r. Dickinson, president
OF the Coliseum Company. said tonight
building
Next to the Coliseum the heaviest indi-
Vidual loser is +. c. Bostwick, the pro-
Irietor of a mechanical riding school an
elaborate contrivance which is said to have
cost $4,000 and upon which there was no
insurance.
Late tonight 1t was learned that Mrs.
Pauline Dauphin and her daughter Paul
inc, who We're said by Manager Austin to
be lest in the fire. had gone to their hotel
on the west side and were not injured in
any way.
Engine Runs Into a Train.
Whlle responding to the alarm of fire
from the Coliseum. engine company No. 10
colided with a passenger train on the Lake
Shore road. smashing the engine badly.
Only one Of the firemen. Albert Chamber
lain. was injured. however. The accident
occurred at Forty-first street and Cottage
Grove avenue. The hose cart of the same
company was ahead of the fire engine and
close upon the tracks when the watchman
heard train approaching and closed the
gates. The hose cart was too close to the
gate, however and before the driver could
StOD int
down completely. The driver managed to
stop his horses on the track. and the
watchman. seeing that unless he opened the
gate the hose cart would certainly be run
down. opened them. letting the cart out of
danger The driver of the engine, which
was close behind. thought from the raising
of the far side gates that the way was
clear. urged on his horses and dashed on
the tracks. The train was there before he
was, however, and he drove squarely into
the side of a rapidly moving passenger
coach. All of the firemen were thrown
from their seats. but all of them escaped
injury with the exception of Chamberlain,
whose hurts are not severe.