Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-09-11
Eunraster .4nrelIigrncer.
TUESDAY EVENING. SEPT. Ii. 1888.
FALLING wIrp A srAuE BRIDGE.
A Curious Accident IN q New york Thestr'
several People lpjured.

~ OurtOUa Accident IN New hOrk
several People lpjured.
A serious accident occurred at noon
Monday on the stage of Colville's Four
teenth street theatre, New York, by which
some members OF the company were in-
iured. While "Othello" was rehearsiDg
tho bridge at the rear OF the stage sud.
denly gave way. The bridge was used as
n passageway to the stage proper and sew.
eral steps led from 1t to the stage.
Shortly bsfore noon preparations
wore being made to rehearse the
play, in which Mr.. George Ed
gar takes the principal part. The
actors, actresses and supernumeraries were
coming on the stage by way of the bridge.
Miss Fisher and Miss Price had two Others,
who were leading the way, had just got
on to the steps when an omiuous noise
was heard and with loud crash the
bridge gave way, precipitationg the ten
people who were on II to tue cellar
beneath. There were twice a. many more
back of the bridge who had not yet sepped
on 1t and who thus fortunately escaped
Among these was Mr. Edgar, who was
10 have crossed last of all. Some Of
those who fell were wedged in between
the broken pieces Of timber and the
beams, OF which the bridge was
built. All Of the injured were taken out
as speedily as possible and laid on impro
vised couches until the ambulance sur
geons, who had been summoned from st.
Vincent's aud New York hospitals had
arrived. Mr.. Price had his ankle dis'O-
Gated aud received several bruises. Tie
other injured parties are Mrs. Katie De
Forest, aged 80, of 1l5 East Fifteenth
street, Sc 7eral ribs fractured Kate Burns,
aged 25, OF 67 West Twelfth street. severe
shock aud iujury 10 the back August
Nelson, residence unknown, eS years Old,
left log broken /; J. ". Bradley, aged %,
Of ia Eighth avenue, foot diSlocated !,
Thomas Manahan, aged 81, of l3i West
Fifteenth street, Commissions of thigh and
Thomas Ryan, aged Al, of No. s Bowery,
slight Injury to his eyes.
Mrs. Katie De Forest was among those
who fell. As soon as she WAS drawn out
from under the beam which had fallen on
her she was placed in CHAIR carried to
her home, directly opposite the stage en-
trance Of the theatre, in West Fifteenth
street. In the room INTO which she was
brought were her blind husband and her
little boy to receive her. The grief of the
poor husband was piteous to behold aud
the cries and the moaus of the injured
woman n rent the hearts of those present.
She was laid on the bed and DR.. Larkin,
the ambulance surgeon of St. Vincent 5
hospital, who had been called in, attended
to her. While he was baudaging her
wounds she continually called for her
little boy. She sustained several frac
tured ribs and it is feared that she is
internally injured.
The bridge was built by Fechter at the
time he reconstructed the theatre and has
since been frequently used for the Black
Crook aud other spectacular pieces re-
quiring it to sustain large number Of
people. During the present rehearsals
twice the weight has been sustained by
the bridge without sign of weakness
and the accident is entirely inexpicable to
the stage carpenter, who pronounced the
bridge sound.