The New York herald., 1879-03-13

built at elevation Of about eighteen feet from
the ground. was about twenty feet In width
and continuous at tho with the
permanent balcony that around the
outer wall. Some ten feet from the front was FIVE
feet high partition of plank. This was pierced at
short intervals with doors which gave admission to
the boxes which lined the front part of this tempo
rary structure. These were twenty-five in
number. and were designated by the letters of the
alphabet. beginning at the south end OF the row.
Boxes A. B, G. d. T.. F. and that to say those
in the southwest corner of the garden-were those
that gave way. They occupied length of forty feet
The space underneath occupied by two of the
rustic cottages.
HOW BUILT.
The temporary erection was sustained by beams
nailed to the pillars that around the building
close to the outer walk. Each beam about twenty
feet long. reaching from pillar to the next They
about two inches in thickness by ten in depth.
and attached to the pillars only by stout iron
spikes Ordinary flooring joists were stretched from
these beams to the edge of tho permanent balcony.
and on this the panks that formed the floor of tho
boxes were laid. The roofs of the rustic cottages
below were removed to make room for ssallery,
only the partitions between them and the fronts being
left standing.
In front Of Of tho cottages the stand Of the
glass blower. The crash made sad havoc with his
wares his table and all it contained being broken
pieces by the falling timber. He himself, however,
escaped without injury bouquet stand also
demolished.
HORROR.
wall Of struggling. grooming. manned and terri
fed persons of both sexes piled up in front
They were hurled into all sorts Of at
titudes. gashed face here peepcd through
the broken timbers an outstretchod arm
there; feet uppermost in another place; woman
prone face downward. and man jumping on her
back, others struggling forward to place of
curity, and In their haste and terror stepping and
plunging and women and children. and
jumping on blanched and bloody faces. presented a
scene Of indcscribabie terror and confusion that
beggars description. In On instant panic seized the
multitude of spectators. The entire audience in
state of the Widest commotion. general rush
being made toward the scene of the accident The
pedestrians werc forced to halt in their walk and
temporarily to retire from the track Captain Will
Jams and o number OF policemen were prompt In
rendering efficient assistance. 1t impos-
sible however. to keep the surging crowd
back from trampiing forward on the unfortu-
nate people who were held, beneath the broken
timbers. 1t was not they alone who occupied the
gallery who were injured, but q number OF people
who were stationed beneath the broken section were
caught in the ruins and Jared badly. cloud Of dust
accompanied the crash and this circumstance gave
rise in the minds Of few panic stricken people, who
viewed tho disaster from distance the belief that
tho place had taken fire.
A PANIC STROKES AUDIENCE.
At this aloud shout that connagration was
raging and thus intensified the panic. The police.
after superhuman efforts and tho free use Of clubs,
succeeded in clearing space whore they could
60 to the relief OF the injured parties. These
officials lost no time in rendering assist
flooring and joists were separated from the
struggling and groaning mass Of humanity beneath.
Soon the space around the tracks strewn with
the displaced timbers. and the wounded persons
carried the unoccupied part of the building ut the
back OF the garden Detectives Ferris and Handy Of
the Central Once assisted in rescung little girl
named Flanagan, who had accompanied her
aged grandmother to witness the walking
match. She was bruised about tho body and
her dress was torn. Shs was assisted homo. A
young man named Warren Harrigan. said to be
relative Of Edward Harrigan of the Theatre Comique
next plucked from dangerous position. He
was wodged tightly betwean the pieces of o
broken Dean. He was sericusiy injured about
the chest and his collar bone is supposed to be
broken. He was conveyed to the hospital In
an ambulance. II. l.. Desoney. of No.
"a State street, Brooklyn. was another unfortunate.
He was unconscious when rescued He removed
on q stretchcr to ambulance and thence conveyed
to Bellevue Hospital. John Maher. residing at No.
l13 Clinton street. had his back and breast bone
badly injured. He was taken to the hospital. Mrs.
Josephine Little. OF East Fifty fourth street. had it
is said, her arm disocated. Several other
people suffered wounds and injuries which
did not neccssitate their removal to the hospital.
and as thcy left hurredly for home their names
could not be ascertaned When the space had been
,,k-o N.cI,
accident the place strewn with ladies' hats and
shawls torn coats and fragments Of garments gcner
ally. Women and children went rushing about al
most delirious with looking for their absent
friends and relatives. not knowing the fate which
had befalcn them. The widest excitement pre-
vailed.
THE WOUNDED.
Tho arrival of the stretchers and the ambuances
did not by any serve to allay the oommotion.
but the contrary, intensified it, When the
maimed and insensible bodies of the men who were
the most seriously injured were being removed to
tho ambulances In waiting the excitement inside
was only rvalled by that which possessed the multi
tude outside on the
QUIET RESTORED.
At the east end Of the building cry Of water!
watcr!' raised and added to the terror that
already prevailed The track was invaded by the
crowd within the inner enclosure and the Chamber
ing over the railings toward the exit tho
Madison avenue end of panic.
Mems faces turned PALE their eyes stared vacantly
toward where the crash had occurred To add to the
general alarm number of stones were thrown by
some ruilians Idle, and they crashed through
the window pancs the sounds were such Aremcn
make when entering burning building.
BEGAN PLAY.
At the very moment when there was the greatest
danger of fatal crush the band struck up lively
air the police cleared the truck in front of the
musicians and Ennis marched through the
passage they cleared for him. The fear
of the multitude still great. but lessening
by degrees until cheer and clapping of hands
from the west end of the building brought reassur-
ance. Both were heartily rc-cchoed back and in a
moment all fear gone. The majority of the
people the galleries the sides of the building sat
quietly down again. but thousand at least left the
building and remained away. few moments suf-
feed to help tho entanglcd bodies from the fallen
timbcrs, and great relief felt when the word
went round that no one had been seriously in