The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-08-29
Workmen Crushed to Death Un-
der the New Coliseum.
BODIES BENEATH wREckAoE.
The Last Of the Immense Spans Tot.
ters After Being Lodged IN lts
Place, and Then Crashes Against
the Next-Al Twelve Of Then
Leveled 70 the GPounA In . Few
SecOads-LOss Reaches ~x5.O


each Weighing thirsy-three tons. which
were to have supported the superstructure
Of the Coliseum building, In course Of erec-
ton on wabash avenue. between Fourteenth
and Sixteenth streets. fell TO the ground
late this afternoon. 1t Is known that nine
lives were lost. The bodice Of three men
are supposed TO be under the wrtckage-
Seven are In the hospital with injuries re-
ceived In the accident. and OF these two
win surely die. one may possibly recover
and the balance are for the greater part
seriously injured.
Names of the victims.
Tho killed and injured are:
Dead-Charies Walpol: Edward Murray.
Frank Logan. Stephen =. Thompson. John
Farray. Richard Sherman. Theodore
Thosn. Leroy Fenner. workman frnm To-
Iedo. o.: A. l. Norman. workman from To-
iedo O.
Fatally injurcd--John Marshman. frac-
tured skull and fractured rtgh, leg; J. J.
Dowd, internal injuries, both eyes out. both
lexs broken: Peter psiiteir. right arm cut
on at shoulder. skull fractured: John
White. skull fractured, internal injuries.
Missing and believed 10 he In the ruins
Edward Swanson. Joseph King.
Injured, not serious-C Cornelius Toomey.
J. n. Marley, John Hawthorne. John J.
Johnson, David Rcardon. II. r. thinner.
J. F1ack, J. Hanson. Andrew Morrison
All OF the twelve arches were standing,
the twelfth and last having been comp'c'-
ed today II was the intention OF the steel
contractors. the Pittsburg Bridge Company.
Of Plt,sburg, Pa. 10 turn over Its work to-
night 10 the general contractors The iron
"traveler'' or derrick, which had been used
In the erection OF the arches. had been re-
moved and the agents Of the bridge COM
many were accounting their work as prnc-
,ically completed. when suddenly and With
out the slightest preliminary warning the
arch Ias, put In place suddenly fesi over
against the one next TO IL. The weight
was too much for this; II gave way. crash
ing against the third. and, one by one. the
great steel spans fell over 20 the south,
nrecfSeiy IN the same manner as q number
OF cards would fall
Men Unable to Esrave.
Nsariy all the men who were killed
were a, work on the top ~ the arches.
for,y feet above the ground. Some OF
them made futile attempts % slide down
the aide of the arches. but before they
,o the ground. Many Of them uttered
pl.rcing shrieks for aid as they fell Most
~ them were killed outright by the aw-
ful nature ~ their injuries. The skulls
~ the unfortunai. men were crushed
into shapeIcss masses. their limbs were
ca, OF as ~ hy monster knife and they
were nangied beyond recognition. The
immense structure began falling slowly.
each arch being sustained by the cross
beams supporting the entire struc;ure.
A. the mass gained impetus the bars ~
irou. inches thick. snapped with loud
report and the great msrs moved faster
and faster IN its descent. To the ground
with crash that was heard blocks dis
tan, the structure fell. leaving the walls
practically uniniured and sending up
great clouds ~ dust and dirt.
Desperate EHor's ~ RescSe.
An immense crowd gathered around
IN. place and despite the efforts 81 the
roi.ce. Who were clonc az hand. they
swarrned over the mass of wrcckaxe.
making desperate. bat sll-direcfef efforts
90 drag OF, the dead and save tho
wounded II was only With the greatest
fiffculfy iha, the police were snany
able 20 drive back the crowd and give
'he grernen ard uniniured ~orkmen a
chance 20 rescue the injured.
Tha; more men ~ere NOT killed ard In
,uret sas almost a miracle. Fully fsfy
men were ~ work IN the space covered ~
me arches ss tafy feii A number ~ fne
men fen into small excavations os vhlca
here were many in tho ground beneath
,ne steel rofss. and siiaoagn some we're
battered ~ ny the tumble. these we're
sav~A from tire Er~a; masses ~ .tse. thsc
crashed Gown over them Several cf ;h~ra
were Standing under ,N~ arches ~asr they
oou-nenre1 20 fsH arr. ruurinx 70 ne
rsaewssks hy great E,of fortune happsn nf1
% stssf in fae sfafe q vacant IS ths
curve % fns arches s~sy fysn fAe ~se-
~s.hs Had the arches fallen 20 either
SIDE, sss ,ess Il ass must have sssn Hssa