The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-05-14
TRACK BURNED
ALSO HUGH PLUNKETT,s EARN,
 NEXT DOOR.
Total Damage Believed to Amount to Between s4,OoO and s5,OOO-BeIieved to Have Been Started by Boys in Track Dressing Room-Twenty-seve Horses, 125 Chickens and Twenty-f,ve Vehicles Saved from Barn-History of Track-Two Alarms.

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 Vehicles Saved from Barn-History
 of Track-Two Alarms.
 A good part of the Coliseum bicycle track on Howard avenue was burned up last night, as well as the large barn owned by Hugh Plunkett next door. The track has not been used this year except by a few local riders who have done little practicing on it. Nights, however, the dressing room under the west side of the track has been a sort of rendezvous for a band of young men and boys. Shortly after 9 o'clock that section of the stand burst into a sheet of flames. and it is thought that some one in the dressing room underneath must have set it on fire by carelessly 1 throwing a lighted cigar or cigarette against the woodwork.
 l About o'clock last night William Bracknell, who has charge of Hugh Plunkett's barn next door, saw the ]! flames and he called to Policeman Kel- ly, who was passing, to send in an alarm. MT Bracknell then rushed into 1 the barn and, assisted by a number of the neighbors, the twenty-seven horses were all brought out safely. as well as l125 chickens, which were also in the barn. There were twenty-six trucks and carriages, all of which were taken out safely except one old truck, which was burned up.
 Shortly after the arrival of the de- lpartment, as there were number of buildings surrounding the burning track. including the barn, which was then on fire, Chief Fancher thought it best to send in second alarm, which he did This, in additio nto the bright blaze, brought thousands of people from splendid policing the firemen were but l little handicapped in their work. Ow- ing to the fact that in all likelihood the track would have been torn down any way next Monday the damage done to l 1t is not reckoned very high, although the entire west and north sides were burned down. The damage done to MT. Plunkett's barn is estimated at about s, GOO, which, it Is claimed, is practical fly covered by insurance in MT. Kerri- gans company. It was stated that when MT. voight, of New York, had charge of the track 1t was insured, but that as his lease ran out few days ago it is thought that at the present time there is no insurance on it. The property on which the track stands belongs to the Futile estate, of which Mayor Studley Is the adminis trator, and in which Attorney Martin l Coyle has an interest. It is claimed
 that 1t was Mir Coyle who was to have had the track removed next Monday. 1 Although MT. Plunkett lost lot of hay and feed also harnesses and other things which were in the barn, it is not thought that the total damage to both the barn and track will amount to over s5,000, and will probably be nearer $4,- GOO.
 The track was built by Sperry &
 Treat about four years ago for George Collett, the professional bicycle rider; George Hugo and MT. Sperry, of the firm of Sperry x Treat. During the first two seasons there was great in- terest taken in it and some splendid meets were held there, some of the fast est riders in the world competing, but the last two seasons there has been
 very little interest taken in it, the last meet being held there about a year ago
 this spring.
 What remains of the track, which
 was an eighth of a mile in circunfer- ence, will likely be torn down and the
 land used for other purposes. The track
 was q very steep one and was regarded as one of the swiftest ones in the coun-
 try.