The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-29
CHICAGO COLISEUM FALLS.
TWELVE GREAT IRON ARCHES COME
down WITH CRASH.

| who were putting the finishing touches upon
the arches. The dead thus far known are:
| DuRR, WILLIAM. residence unknown.
| FARRKY, JONI. residence unknown.
| FESNER. LEROY. Toledo. o.
LOGAN. FRANK. 51li6 Clark street
| MURRAY. EDwN. 10 Morgan street.
| NORMAN, AL. Toledo. o.
| SHERMAN. RICHARD. 24d Randolph street.
| THonN THEODORE, 1851 Monroe avenue.
THOMPSON. STEPHEN j., 10 Twenty second street,
| wMPoL, CHARLES K. 9743 Commercial avenue
| The following are missing:
| MiILAs. ALEXANDER,
| SMITH. SAMUEL
| SWANSON ED.
| The injured are
| DowD, JONI, both legs broken and injured inter
| nally. may die.
| FoSSER. LOFTY, cuts and bruises not thought
| serious
GEodH,S. john, right hand and right leg crushed;
| not serious.
| HAWTHORNE JOIN. head cut, body bruised; may
| die.
PEILorRE. PETER, crushed about shoulder. and
| chest; may die.
TooMEr. CORNELIUS. injured about head and inter
| nally: may die.
WHITE. JOHN cut in head aud right side and in.
ternally injured not expected to live until morning
All Of the killed and injured were employed
| in the construction OF the building. 1t is i'm
| possible to ascertain their addresses. as many
| of them were not residents Of Chicago.
| The cause the accident has not yet been de-
| termined. The mon in charge OF the
| work represent the Pttsburg Bridge Com pany.
| which has tho contract for the architectural
| iron work as nearly as can be ascertained
| there were thirty-nve men engaged on the
| building. painters ironworkors. carpenters and
laDorers The list OF the dead and injured will
| no doubt be swelled when the debris can be
| cleared away.
| No ono among the builders con ected with tho
| firms having charge OF the construction can
| account for the disaster. Several theories are
| advanced. the one accepted by majority being
| that the sand in the foundations shifted under
| the immense weight and unsettled the bases OF
the arches. 1t is agreed that the building
| started to collapse at the northwest corner
| and fell to the South. This is shown by the
| positions Of the fallen arches. which lie ranged
| in regular rows overlapping one another.
| The direct financial loss will fall upon the
| Pittsburg Bridge Company. which will lose
about $40 900 for work and material. The Colise-
| um Com pany will. in an indirect way. be heavy
| loser through the impossibility Of getting the
building completed in tim for affairs that have
already been booked. The first OF these Is the
Horse Show. The injured workmen and the
| heirs OF those killed will be partially indemni-
| fled BY employers liability policies carried by
| the Pttsburg Bridge Company.
Tho mon who we're at work on top the OF the
| structure had no chance to make their escape.
| Other WORKING who were at the sides or near
| the south end OF the building. owe their lives
| to tho warning given by the grinding
noise OF the falling north arches. The arches
| had been riveted together and the twisting
| OF the steel rods told the men OF their danger.
Within two minutes after the first arch was
seen to sway, the entire twelve. each weighing
thirty-four tons. were almost fiat on the
ground
The collapse occurred at 20 O'Clock and
within ten minutes dozen ambuances and
as many relief corps were at the scene ofthe
disaster The injured men and the bodies Of
the dead were removed. The injured we're
nearly all taken to st. Luke's Hospital. a little
more than block away.
Two gangs of rivetters were at work when
the collapse came. Ono gang Of four mon was
on tho north end and all four met instant
death Their crushed bodies were removed
half an hour later by the aid Of jackscrews. The
second gang was working on the NTH arch from
the north and one man was Killed The other
three escaped by leaping into a trench half
filled with water. The others who were killed
or hurt were at work on various parts OF the
structure. one force being engaged in painting
the framework.
ue colIupoou btTucluTt was 'DOt leeJ ny ~
feet wide. and when com peted would have
been Is feet high. Work on it was begun
about ak weeks ago. and it was to have been
completed about Dec. !. The Coliseum was
designed for tho accommodation OF large con-
ventons. expeditions. crcuses. football games
and various kinds, of amusements Its cost
was 10 have been about S4OOUOO.
Tho Coliseum Company OF Chicago is off,
cered as follows: President. Charles +. Gum
Their. Chicago Vice Pres dent }. AT, Hull Con
I,,tr ali frin
Moincs Secretary. Stewart SpaldinR OF the
Chicago Canal and Dock Company; Treasurer.
savings Bank. Creston la. President Gun Gun
Their was at Saratoga. A telegram summoning
him home was sent at once and he is expected
here by tomorrow night
d. W Church; Chicago agent q the Pitts
S SqrG capss al tho
Was oSE9E "9 he sr I'D Tth
the erection Of the, arches, when the col
n me slowly %SFtH s The others aHa 'ef s
succession until the last one had come down, l
l isve anybody viii be able to until tho condi-
zion Of the foundations is ascertained."
the shes Eaah arch f 4. ad Wa
hinged ses truss WITH sPaH Of 80 iest
nSy T9Te the
Concrete bases. which were built on piles.
They did not rest unon the walls. and were six
I'VE had the collapse otthe old Coliseum out
at Sixty-third street IN mind when We took the
contracts with the PittsburE Bridge people"
said Secretary Shading, and we. took good
care thSt eDt1 an accident Sss beiel US
am glad that the arches fell to the
south Had they fallen in the opposite direc-
ton they would undou btedly have demolished
Grace Episcopal Church. which is situated lust
north OF the Coliseum"
Edward Bindon, an engineer who was at
tending to one OF the engines at the south end
OF the building. saw the falling arches In time
to escape injury. though he had no time to get
out OF tho building.
He threw himself behind nnd close TO pile
OF girders on the loora1d lay there while the
massive beams fell all about him. One OF the
largest arches fell directly across the pile ~
Orders but he was not even scratched. There
are a number Of others whose escapes were
equally remarkable
Charles T. Frost Of tho firm Of Frost 4
Granger. architects of the structure. said to-
night that work on the rebuilding Of the
Coliseum would be begun at once and that an
extra force of men would be engaged in It,
The building will be completel some time
during the winter" said he. 1T is possible
that ID NAV he finished in time for the Horae