New-York tribune., 1883-03-17
ALARu IN the COSMOPOLITAN TRE4TRE.

ONE OF TIE SUPPORTS or THE GALLERY GIVES
wAY-NO ONE INJURED
What might have proved very serious accident
Occurred last evening IN the Cosmopolitan Theatre,
at Broadway and Forty-lirst-st. Thatcher Prlm-
rose & Vests Minstrols are giving entertainments
there, and have drawn good houses.
There was a large attendance last nights every seat
In the parquet was filled and the balcony and gall
lery were crowded ] hatcher and Primrose had
just come on In a comic song and dance act. The
applause which greeted their appearance had
barely died away, and the orchestra was
PLAYING a jig tune when those seated in the
Iarquet on the left of the house.
and especially those beneath the balcony on that
side. were startled by a loud cracking overhead.
The balcony a little left to the centre had suddenly
settled more than five inches Many of those in the
parauet at once started for tho door. There were
cres of alarm and from those beneath the bal
cony and in it,. The majority of those underneath
realized at once that if the balcony fell they were
IN danger of being crushed. Consequently, whilo
some passed forward, carrying away portion of
the rail which bounds the parquet, others crushed
AGAINST the wall. Those in the balcony, in tho
vicinity of the weakened part, lost no time in get
ting out of the way, some hurrylng down stairs and
others rushing in an opposite direction.
The orchestra, meantime continued playing, and
the performance on the stage was not stopped.
Superintendent McAVoy. of the Bureau Of Repairs
and Supplies, and General Thomas +. Burke. who
were standing beneath the balcony short distance
from where the break occurred, shouted that there
Uas no danger. and this was taken up
bv some Of the more cool-headed men IN the
audience. What threatened to be a very dangerous
manic was thus averted. Many had left the theatre
and could not be prevailed on TO come Dack. one
gentleman, accompanied ny may, was 80 Hlgh!
ened that he would not even 10 back to where their
wraps lay in plain sighr. An usher procured me
articles for him. and the couple left the house Mr..
Mackey, one of the managers, was ADVISED Oy
Superintendent McAyOy to clear the gallery Wnere
the break occurred. He demurret, asserting that
there was no danger, but when It was pointed out
to him there was imminent danger OF TINS portion
of the balcony giving way entirely, he gave orders
that oil shoui I'D leave IT, The performance was con
tinued until the programme was exhausted DuI tne
audience were not in condition to ENJOY IL.
There were considerable number OF persons VINO
lost hats oyercoats, canes and umbrellas, and IN
few instances ladies lost wraps. Inc managers as
surcd all who applied for lost articles that they
would endeavor to make good any ultimate loss;
doubtless there were many who had caught up the
wrong article in the excitement and would return
them to-day.
superintendent McAvoy made an examination
fHf Ho ''iS found p''1t that " where two girisrs
joined they rested the cap OF an iron column ris-
ing from support on the main floor. This column
had been removed for some reason, and there was
scarce any support for that portion Of the balcony
sons. had not been precpitated on the heads OF
those below. No one could be found who could give
a satlsfactory explanation Of the removal of this
iron column superintendent McAyoy, who IS a
practical builder, said to reporter OF IHE IRIB-
USE that the removal OF IL was piece OF crllnl-
nal carelessness. The architecture OF the house
was all right II was the removal of one OF the
principal supports OF the balcony which had caused
for information, declared that the matter was
mere tribe that few persons became frightened
and left the building aud they were positive that
no one was badly hurt