New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-21
FIFTY STUDENTS INJURED.
ACCIDENT AT THE HARVARD BoAT-HoUsE.
FALLING OF TWO BALooNIEs-FREDERICK 8. MEAD
AND SEVEN OTHERS SERIOUSLY HURT.

AND SEVEN OTHERS SERIOUSLY HURT.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass, Oct. 2O.-To-day the scrub
races of the Harvard boat crews were to have been
rowed. The crews about getting into line for
the start in the first race, and many students had
crowded TO the front of the two balconies which
stand out from the river front Of the Harvard boat
house, about an equal number on each balcony, all
eagerly pressing forward to the race when with
crash both balconies gave way, precipitating many
into the river while many others, who stand
ing on the lower balcony pinned down and
bruised by the fall of the upper balcony upon them.
FORTUNATELY SMALL ATTENDANCE.
The rain which fell seems to have been provden-
tial in one respect. The weather was not bright
enough to attract large throng to the of the
prospective sport, and aside from those who ex-
pected to row probably less than q hundred men
went to the bOat-hOuse.
The balcony is on level with the second floor Of
the building, about fifteen feet above the piazza
tension of the first floor, and extends the whole
length of the boat house. From the piazza three
long bridges extend to q large float in the river.
The tide was at about half food at the time Of tho
accident, and the distance from the piazza to the
water at the river bank was about ten feet. Few
students were the lower piazza Of the boathOuse.
The majority of the spectators on the balcony
above. There were about seyenty-fye students
roof to get better view Of the course.
The upper class men expected to make an
exciting race, and the freshmen, of whom five
eights were to row later were looked to for great
amount Of sport. The eyes Of all the spectators
turned eagerly to the place of starting. Sud-
denly the middle post supporting the balcony gave
way the plank flooring broke in the middle, and
thirty men more were precipitated into the mud
and water of the Charles.
A SCENE OF CONFUSION.
An indescrbable scene Of confusion followed
Those who were left the ends Of the balcony and
those who had climbed to the roof leaped down on
the piazza and into the mud to their friends
The crews down the river did not wait for any word
TO start now but pulled for life up TO the floats.
The strong arms and ready hands of the crews were
soon hard at work with the others. Captain Per-
kns Of the Varsity crew, took direction of affairs
and got all the work possible out of his lieutenants
Half a dozen men were pulled helpless from the
planks and dozen Others dragged themselves ter
ror-strickcn from the mud. The most seriously in
jured were laid on the boathouse floor and brandy
and water were brought for their relief. Physicians
and carriages were Immediately summoned, and the
house was cleared of all who were not at work car
ing for the injured
THE MEN WHO WERE INJURED.
Frederick s. Mead, of Boston, a Freshman
was found TO be very seriously injured internally
and badly bruised about tho head and body. His
condition tonight IL extremely critical, and the
physicians hardly anticipated other than an unla-
yorablc result from his injuries but later they
finished a thorough examination Of their patient
and find that what was thought TO have
been fracture Of the skull is merely
q superficial cut; that there Is nothing to
indicate serious internal injuries, and that
aside from the shock TO the nervous
system the only material injury is a fracture of the
right leg just above the ankle. He is very comforta
BILE and will recover.
Most Of the others who are seriously injured are
hurt internally, but all of them will recover. Their
names 50 far as ascertained are rs follows:
IA White, Senior of Williamsport, Penn, inter-
nally injured.
L. II. Allen. Freshman of Cambridge, internally
injured and arm broken.
l.. p. Frost, sophomore, of Boston, injured about
the head and back.
c. r. Hardwick, Junior, of Quincy, internally
hurt.
A. H. Drake, Freshman, residence unknown,
bruised about the back.
H. II. Curtis, Junior, of Boston, back bruised.
George A. Stewart. Senior, Of South Boston, knee
spraincd, and bruised about the head.
Charles s. Hamlin of the class of s3, grandson Of
Hannibal lIamin Boston, bruised about the head
large number of students not mentioned above,
perhaps fifty, were cut and bruised by falling tim
bers but only those named in the foregoing report
were seriously hurt.
The news of the disaster spread over the city with
remarkable rapidity, exciting the keenest sympa-
thy aud causing gloom in the vicinity of the col
lcgc.
THE CAUSE OF THE DISASTER.
Investigation remains to be made Of the cause OF
the accident. The balcony supports were four
rather small posts, but the balcony had been occu-
pied many times by a much larger number of per-
sons than had assembled on 1t to-day. From an ex-
animation IL seems that the flooring of the balcony
had not been laid by the builders in tho most ap-
proved STYLE 1t is alleged that the attention OF the
college authorities had been called to tho very
spie that first gave way and caused the accident
Lat,r-The cause of the accident was not the
breaking of a post, but the slipping OF the
standard from its foundation. The pics wnlch
constituted the foundation had evidently sank INTO
the mud and caused the upright 10 slip
from the beam upon which it rested. There Is con-
siderable adverse criticism of the managenenU
among the students, because they were told by
careful observers as far back year ago that the
structure unsafe.