The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-01
SACRAMENTO'S CALAMITY.
THE FAM or THE CROWDED. FLOOR
or AN OPERA MOUSE.
One Hundred and Thirty Persons Injured,
Eleven OF them Fatally The Fearful ~trug-
gle of Parquettul Of FriRhtcned Men.


Prom he Sacramento Hecord. Un,on.
At az O'Clock last evening the flre-aarm
bells rang out signal that sent tho thrones
sutRins tow rd Second street, between and l.
streets. where stands building forty Nv eighty
ieei, formerly the State armory, recently the
nall ~ an Olymtic Clup, and at the time OF the
S S IT,, OF st night ~, c9ases' Or me,9deon
with the building. forty Ov eighty feet with
haht plriition ut the front cut Ing ~ two
rooms Thii floor was self supporting. 1t con-
sisted " usuai tongued ana RrUuved stun nailed
upon the lengths ~ Josts. The wall lengths
entered mortisc- In tine Drck W lis three incnes,
ana the tner ends Of these, Joined to the ends
Of the middle row OF Jbis:s. were so attached
aud bracea as TO form seli--uppor'inE ho"r.
House, and would accommodate ak hundred
persons. The Pc family was the re ! orc.
and having ri Interest. The Peaks mad
expended $1,000 In ntting up the hall. and last
night WIS announced for the grand opening.
Ihe company Guided the original Peak family
OF : Nls bell rim ers.
Al an early nour the psiauet was packed
Win men, aud the noIes l 81 aud a. each were
hled by men. When the curt In went up II
disclosed semicircle Of men and women,
arr nged and Cla1 after the usual metOueUn
styie the women being In short clothes, and
ariv all teng possessed OF mot tan usual
personI attractions. The overture had been
PLAYED. "A few solos sung, Bnd an Interval Of
silence hid been reached, when suddenly tho
Il 'or gave wa, and the whole mass OF people,
thrown violently toward It's centre, were pr-cip-
itateu into the table below. distance OF tx
tes or eighteen feet. Tue floor seemed to
sank, the jois drew out OF the walls the floor
broke on at the room partitions Oh the east
onu, the rows VI boxes Careened toward each
other chung an instant to the alls a. they fell.
and then pitc ed over upon the struggling mass
u human OeinRs below.
One cry ~ horror went up from the stricken
audience then u rose EN- m1sse the next ~
slant it tossed ~ a broken and confused
he ., Lnt second afterwlrd was plunged
downward ami crushed beneath the broken
timers and filling boxes, entangled In the
wreck Of furniture ana stage fixtures. nd
wedged In between aud broken upon the hacks,
Carriages aud other vehicles, aud the heavy
stall .rtitious below. The walls trrm Dled with
tho shock, the roof wavered, the door beneath
grOuned, but the walls stood. the root clung to
iis fastenings, and the stable floor, supported
from below 10y posts, b"re up under its new
burden.
A vreat cloud OF dust burst from the doors
and windows, some - tue broken gls pipes
blazed forth In long streams Of Il me, the light
rtppng~ u the wtecSed stage TINTED, tine cry
of DE WIS given on the outsi le aud before the
real nature Of the calamity Wa known the bells
were rung.
Men spfarg upon each other dashed over pros
ttatt bodies, rlamDered upon the heais OF the
s,ething mtse, ana fought for life. As u was
SATURDAY night the streets we're unusually full,
and the people npcked by thousands To- the
scene. and soon the entire street from tn l.
was dense mass OF human beings. Hundreds
OF HANDS SION laid Mold, the dead were ken
M, and their contorteu Inns decvnIN COM
posed Tor bun u the WDunjed were borne to
the nearest fices, engine houses. urug store.
Bnd hotels. Every uh stefan OF the city was on
the spot, and hunurrd wiling and exDeri-
ence1 nurses prOffer q all ne ded AID
In an hours time the wreck WIS literally tom
up and II WAS mace cert ~ that no mortal was
lett beneath the fuins. Seven pcrs ms were KILL
ed nutrtt INT. an four are supposed TO have b en-
a. sli.htN hurt were taken to their home. be-
lore tutir names could BE- secured. Woikmen
~ the RUNS rlace ms cnss "a ti9h lO. AZ
the lowest estimate not less Ia n 49, persons
were injured.