Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-08-04
Narrow Escape From an APPALLING Ca.
lamIty-Fall of a Portion of a Staging
Upon which were a Thousand Chil-
dreD.

Iaml9y-FdIl OF POftl0n OF q Staging
Upon which were a Thousand Chit
dren.
In Cleveland Friday evening, an acci-
dent occurred at the Forest City Rink,
which, for the time being, created the wild
est confusion and alarm, but, strange to say,
without resulting in loss of life or serious
injury to the hundreds of children, whose
precious lives were imperiled by the care
less construction upon which they were
standing. The Leader contains the follow
ing account of the affair:
Our readers are aware of the fact that for
some time past rehearsals have been in
progress, with from thousand to fifteen
hundred children, under the direction of
Mr.. Suffern, for a grand song festival =
The concert was announced to take place
on Friday evening, at the rink. For two
or three days workmen had been engaged
IN putting up the staging for the children.
This was completed on Friday, but, as the
sequel showed, was constructed in dam
gerous and unsafe manner. It was ar
ranged in circular tiers of seats, resting
one above another like the seats of cir
Gus tent, to heighth of thirty or forty
feet.
In the evening an audience of five or six
hundred people assembled for the enter
tainment. AS the time approached for the
concert, the children, to the number of
over a thousand, took their places upon
the seats. At 8 o'clock, as the programme
was about to begin, portion of the staging
gave way beneath the weight, owing to the
breaking of one or two of the stanchions.
These were by far too light, and some of
them were much weakened by knots.
The seats which gave way were about
4IoE Lo4t
tunately the children saved themselves
from falling by leaning upon the other
seats. a scene of the widest alarm and
CONSERVATION followed, which battles de-
scription. The children were panic
stricken, and rushed like frightened lambs
down the seats. Fears~were entertained
that the entire structure might give way
and precipitate all to the floor.
It was almost miraculous that in the rush
many were not thrown down and severely
injured, if not killed. Some of the little
ones screamed with terror, calling for help
in piteous tones. Many lost their hats and
other articles of clothing. In the audience
were large number of the parents and
friends of the children and they manifested
the keenest anxiety for the safety of their
little ones.
1t was at length ascertained that none of
the children were seriously injured, one or
two only slightly bruised, and the alarm
generally subsided. Of course the concert
was broken up for that night, and all dis
persed to their homes. Mr.. Suffern an
nounces that it will take place on Monday
evening, but we doubt if the children will
be induced to trust themselves again upon
structure that so nearly proved fatal to
many. The carelessness of the manage.
ment in erecting such fragile staging, and
piling upon it twelve hundred children,
cannot be too highly reprehended, and it
will not be strange if the parents of the
children refuse again to entrust the lives of
their darlings in hands that have proved SO
unworthy of trust.
TEA BRANDS AND THEIR MEANING. The
| following, which we picked up somewhere,
will interest housekeepers:
''Hyson" means F'before the rains" OF
| hourishing spring, that is, early in the
spring, hence it is often called stYoune
| Hyson."
"Hyson Skin" is composed of the refuse
of other kinds, the native term for which is
''tea skins. Refuse of still coarser descrip,
tons, containing many stems, is called
''tea bones"
| ''Bohea" is the name of the hills in the
region in which it is collected.
"Pecoe," or "Pecco," means white hairs
the down of tender leaves.
''Pouchong," ''folded plant"
s'Souchong," ''small plant"
s'Twankay" is the name of a small river
in the region from whence it is brought.
Congo" is from a term signifying stla.
Dor, from the care required in it's prepare.
| ton.