Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-02-01
ANOTHER HORROR.

A CaIcium-Lirht Explosion at the Grand
Opera House in AIiiwaukee-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 lights O London" The orchestra had
inst finished the interlude 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 Sstdgeswere 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 a few
minutes the gas-jets on the stage were lighted.
and 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 emploYe, head hurt
by piece of the broken cylinder, died before
midnight. sasT
Robert Harrington, manager OF the calcium
light apparatus, left knee and left hip SHAT
tered: died shortly after Midnight.
Gustave Steubcr, 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 us dam
gerous vs
When tho explosion occurred the audience.
which very large. displayed the utmost
GOODNESS. A few were disposed TO rush from
the house. but a number of lead ng citizens
rose in their places and cautioned the others to
keep cool and prevent panic. Their counsel
prevailed, and there was not the slightest ap-
pearance of panic. Manager Collier and 9TH
ers went to the front of the stage and called
for the audience to remain seated. Claudex,
leader of the orchestra, struck up lively air,
and the musicilns played with all possible
energy, thus aiding in preventing stampede.
As soon as the gas the stage was lighted,
Charles Williams. Golfers stag carpenter,
seized the remaining cylinder of the calcium
light apparatus, bore it 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.
Meantime the fire alarm had been sounded.
The entire city is in state of uneasiness, re-
sulting from the Newhall-House fire. AS soon
as it 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 that
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 -yas hurt, that the ex-
element was quelied.
The accident caused by the careless
ignorance of the man managing the apparatus.
Most of Golfers scenery and that belonging to
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 clear
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 rea-
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 unmindful of the fact that
there still remainnd quantity OF hydrogen
in the cylinder into which he ha put the oxy-
gen. The result of this mixture was that
when the light was applied the explosioA oc-
CURED. The cylinder made of malleable
iron, about eesixteenths of an inch in
thickness, and appeared to poss ass great
strength. The fragments were sent IN all di-
rections, Kidding the emery, the floor and
the walls.
Some of the escapes were miraculous. One
young man was blown distance of over
twenty feet. One of his trousers-lags was
torn into shreds, but he did nos receive a
scratch.
Three members of the company and the
stage manager stood within three feet. of the
apparatus When it exploded and were not in
jured i'll the least.
The two members of the fire department
who are on the stage ut every performance,
aided by the stage hands, put out what little
fire was sed in the scenery by the explo-
sion without any difficulty 4FEtE
The scene on the stage when the gas-iets
were lighted something horrible The
scenery was one mass of ruins, lying in disor-
der on the stage Spots of blood and pieces
of flesh lay al 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 battered, his hip cut open, and
blood running from half do zen wounds 1t
appears that Seymour was lean ny over the
apparatus. aiding harrington, when the ey-
plosion occurred and was struck i'm the head