The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-01-26
ANoTnER HORROR.

ANOTHER HORROR.
A Calciun-Light Explosion ut the Grand
Opera House In Milwaukee-Five Per-
sons Seriously, and Three Of Them Fa-
tally. Injured.
MILWAUKEE, January Is.
A horrible accident took place at the Grand
Opera House tonight during the performance
of the flights O. London" The orchestra had
just finished tho tnteriude between the first
and second acts, and the stage-manager was
waiting for few minutes for the calcium
lights to be arranged, when an awful explosion
took place. The lights on the stage were put
out, the scenery was blown into fragments,
and the utmost terror prevailed among the
members Of the company. who were all ready
for their work in the second act. In o few
minutes the gas-jets on the stage were lighted,
aud the full nature and result of the accident
learned. One of the cylinders of the calcium
lights apparatus had exploded, and five men
were lying on the stage. -.-...
Doctors were summoned, and an investiga-
ton showed the following casualties:
Albert Seymour, stage employee, head hurt
by piece of the broken cylinder, died before
midnight. .Htru % Iua l-sFflF.'
Robert Harrington, manager of the calcium.
light apparatus. left knee and left hip shat
tered; died shortly After midnight
Gustave Steuber, stage hand, right leg and
right side torn in pieces: not expected to live
Richard Reed, stage hand. knee injured.
James Foster, assistant manager of calcium
light, leg injured; condition regarded as dam
gerous.
When the explosion occurred the audience,
which was very large, displayed the utmost
GOODNESS. A few were disposed to rush from
the house. but a number of lead ng citizens
rose I'm their places and cautioned the others to
keep cool and prevent panic. Their counsel
prevailed, and there was not the slightest ap
pearance or panic. Manager Collier and otn-
ers went to the front of the stage and called
for the audiences to remain seated. Caudex
leader of the orchestra, struck up lively air,
and the musicians played with all possible
energy, thus aiding in preventing stampede.
As soon as the gas on the stage was lighted,
Charles Williams. Golfers stagc-carpenter.
seized the remaining cylinder of the calcium
light apparatus bore 1t to the front of the cur
tain with the burning gas still escaping, placed
it in front of the audience, and coolly sat down
upon it, to impress upon the audience the fact
that there was no danger to the front OF the
house. .. .f..
The entire city Il in a state of uneasiness, re-
sulting from the Newhall-House fire. As soon
ns 1t was known that the alarm came from the
Grand Opera-House thousands upon thou.
sands of people rushed to the building, and
the widest excitement prevailed 1t was re-
ported that the house was on fire inside, and
this report increased the alarm and excite
ment. As soon as it became apparent thai
the play could not go on the audience was dis.
missed. Most of those present were ignorant
of the terrible work on the stage and, as they
passed out into the street, stated to the crowd
outside that nobody was hurt, so that the ex.
element was soon quelled.
Tho accident was caused by the careless
ignorance of the man managing the apparatus.
Most of Golfers scenery and that belonging tc
the house Is completely spoiled. The force OF
the explosion is shown by the fact that ioist,
two by ten inches, was riddled to kindling.
wood Several people were thrown clea,
across the stage, and one of the injured was
thrown into the flies. No members of the com.
pany were injured.
The story of the cause of the explos on is
thus told: One OF the cylinders had been leak.
Ing, and was taken away for repairs. On re-
filling the cylinders Harrington for some reu-
son, concluded to put the oxygen gas in the
cylinder which had been used for hydrogen,
and vice versa. 1t is stated, however, that he
either forgot or was unmndful of the fact that
there still remainnd a quantity of hydrogen
In the cylinder into which he hal put the oxy.
gen. The result of this mixture was that
when the light was applied the explosion oc-
Cured The cylinder was made of malleable
iron, about three-sixteenths of an inch in
thickness, and appeared to possess great
strength. The fragments were sent in all d.
rections, Kidding the scenery, the floor and
the walls.
..- INCIDENTS.
Some of the escapes were miraculous. One
young man was blown q distance of over
twenty feet. One of his trOusers-legs was
torn into shreds, but he did not receive 8
scratch. III.
Three members of the company and the
stage manager stood within three feet of the
apparatus when it exploded and were not I'm.
jured in the least.
The two members of the fire department
who are on the stage at every perform hce,
aided by the stage hands, put out what little
fire was eau sed i'm the scenery by the explo-
sion without any difficulty.
The scene on the stage when the gas-iets
were lighted was something horrible. The
scenery was one mass of ruins, lying in disor-
der on the stage. Spots of blood and pieces
of flesh lay all around Young Seymour lay
with mingled blood and brains oOZing from
the terrible hole in his head. Harrington lay
with the clothing entirely torn from his lower
limbs, his knee batterc d. his hip cut open, and
blood running from half a do zen wounds. 1t
appeass that seymour was leaning over the
apparatus. aiding Harrington, when the ex-
piosion occurred. and was struck in the head
and thrown into the flies.