The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-25
which is wide enough to admit team
Of horses and wagon.


A crowd Of fully so people gathered be-
fore this door. which was found TO be
locked and az the fire was roaring
through the building with great speed 1t
seemed for few minutes as though none
Of those would be able 10 escape. ". j.
Wheeler, a warchman. saw The trouble.
and ran 20 open the door. but the crowd
was packed In front of il so closely that
he had the greatest difficulty in opening
ii. Once IL SWING wids. however, the
crowd was n the open air in few Sec
onds. During the jam at this point.
however. several people were crushed, but
none were seriously injured.
The balance ot the people made their
way through the other doors and several
who were in the balcony were compelled
10 jump 10 the ground from the roof.
The balcony Is lined with windows that
swing outward. and they had no trouble
In getting upon the roof and from there
the leap 10 the ground was not great
The fremen were az hand before all the
people were out. and before they made
any effort 10 fight the flames they devoted
their attention 10 clearing the hall of the
people. BY the time they were ready to
pour water on the fire. the flames had
spread with such rapidity that there was
no chance whatever Of saving the build
ing
Within ten minutes after the fire began
the roof vas ahlaze and in a short time
after the fire had appeared on top OF the
building, one OF the large arches that
spanned the building gave way with a
tremendous report, and then another. and
another, each going down with a sound
like the report of a cannon. The build
ing fell very quickly. as after the first
arch fell the weight was too great FOR
the arches next to II. and all COLLAPSED.
II took not over twenty minutes TO make
a complete ruin of the building
The total loss on the building and con-
tents is said to be ss7S0n. OF this
amount, s35001o was the value OF the
building and 900 the estimated cost
of the exhibits and material IN the ex-
position In progress in the building IN
surance to the amount Of $50 0ao was car
ried on the Coliseum, but of this amount
sioo 900 will go TO the holders of outstand-
ing bonds to pay these obligations in full.
The owners of the building will get but
s2e,ooo out Of their insurance. Col. ]. T.
Dickinson, president of the Coliseum
Company, said tonight that no effort
would be made TO restore the building.
Engine Collides With n Train.
While responding to the alarm of fi-e
from the Coliseum. Engine Company No.
1s colHded with a passenger train on the
Lake Shore road. smashing the engine
badly. One Of the firemen, Albert Cham
berlaia was injured. The accident oc-
CURED on Forty-first street and Cottage
Grove avenue. The hose cart OF The
company was ahead of the fire engine
and close up on the tracks when the
watchman heard a train approaching and
closed the gates. The hose cart was too
close TO the gate. however. and before
the driver could stop his horses crashed
into IL, carrying IL down completaly The
driver managed to stop his horses on .ha
track, and the watchman, seeing that un-
less he opened the gate. the hose cart
would be run into. opened the gate let
ting 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. and