Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1899-08-29
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.
Massive Steel Frame Of Chicago
Coliseum Falls.
Ten Men Killed and Several More
Badly Injured.
ohio State Democratic Convention Il
Session al Zinesvllle.
GRE WHEELER AT MANILA.

Chicago, Aug. 2s.--Twelve steel arches.
each weighing thirty-three TONS which
were TO have supported the superstTncture
ofthe Coliseum building In course Of cree
tion on Wabash avenue. between Rif-
teenih and sixteenth streets. fell to ths
ground late yesterday afternoon. IL Ia
known that ten lives we're crushed out
All OF the twelve arches we're standing,
the twelfth and last having bsen com
pleted yesterday. 1t wss thu intention Of
the steel contractors. the Pittsburg
Bridge company. OF Pittsburg. Pa, to
turn over It's work 10 night TO the general
contractors. The iron traveller" OF
derrick which had been used In the erec-
tion OF the arches. had been removed and
the agents OF the bridge company were
accounting their work a. practically CON-
ple,ed. when suddenly and without the
slightest preliminary warning the arch
last put in place. suddenly fell over
Against The one next to 1t. The weight
was 800 much for this one and Il gave
way. cfssUing against the third. and one
by Oh" th- sreat steel spans fell over to
the south, preciseIy in the same manner
hia numbC, of cards would fall. Near.
ly all the men who we're killed were at
work on top Of the arches. forty feet
above the ground. some OF them m ida
futile attempts TO slide down side arches.
but before they could help them selves
they were hurled TO the ground. Most of
them were killed outright by the awful
nature OF their iDjlries. The skulls of
the unfortunate men were crushed into "A
shapeless mass, limbs cut of az IL by q
monster knife, and they we're manglsd
beyond recognition. The immense struc-
ture began falling slowly, each being
sustained by cross beams supporting the
entire structure. Az the mass gained
Impetus. bars OF iron, inches thick.
snapped with loud report. and the great
mass moved faster and faster In its
descent TO the gr.und with crash that
was heard blocks distant as the structure
fell, leaving the wallis practically unin.
Jured, and sending up great clouds of
dust and dirt.
That noI more men were killed and in
JlTtd, ~ almost "a miracle. Fully iifty
men we're at work in the spare covered
by thu arches IA they fell. A number OF
men fell into small excaystiOns,of which
there we're many In the ground beneath
the steel works, and although some
were battered up by ths tumble. these
ware saved from the great macs of steel
that crashed down over th,m Several
OF them standing under arches when
they commenced to fall and running TO
sidewalks. ly great good fortune, hap
pened TO stand in the space left vacant
by the cnrye OF the arches away from the
side walls. II ID the arches fallen to
either side, the loss of life must have
bsen much heavier, hut they fell true 10
the sonth, on line parallel TO the side of
the building, aud none Of them save two
southern arches, fell at all out OF the
space TO be occupied by the building.
The direct cause Of the accident il not
known. One theory which receives some
support, ia The shifting OF sand bensath
tina foundation, causing the collapse of
the first arch, which brought all the
Others TO the ground
II cannot say what caused the scci-
dent" said superintendent Johnson. 81
could hardly believe my eyes when saw
the result OF our weeks Of work destroyed
In u minute"
The work OF rebuilding will commence
at once. No financial loss will fall upon
the Coliseum company, which IL erecting
the structure, The only losers will be the
Plttsburg company. The cOmpanys loss
is estimated At $4,000.
The dlilicnlt task OF removing the heavy
iron arches aud twisted girders that form
the debris OF the frame work Of the Coli
scum, which collapsed yesterday and cost
ten lives, was continued vigorously to-
day.
Up TO noon none OF the injured work
men died, Five men are reported by the
police IA missing and are thought 10 be
under the debris. They are: Edward
Swanson, Joseph King. Samuel Smith,
William johnson aud Oscar Olson.
The list OF those who Lost their lives
yesterday by the falling OF the heavy
iron arches which formed the skeleton OF
the Coliseum huge hall In course OF con
str0cti0n now numbers ten. One man,
Edward Swanson, reported among the
missing, is to day added to the death roll,
Samuel smith, Alexander Millas,
Joseph King and others, reported miss.
ing, have been accounted Tor all having
escaped, Hospital authorities to-day Ie
ported that John M6rshsm will probably
die
Ohiu Democratic Convention
ZlnpsViiir. OliO, Aug 2g-IheTs IN All