The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-08-04
THE BALCONY GAVE WAY.
An Entertainment at Chelsea Has a
Tragic Endi.S.
FOUR PERSONS WERE KILLEI
And Many Injured by Falling q Distance
Of Forty Feet-Wonder Expressed
That Accident Didn't Occur Before- =
Balcony Unable to Hold Its Load.

were killed and many more painfully in
jured by the falling Of the second balcony
of the Chelsea Yacht clubhouse at Chelsea
at Sis o'clock last evening. The killed
are:
John p. Warren, 40 years old, leader Of
Warren's militia band, married. who lived
at the corner of Pearl street and Congress
avenue, this city.
A. l.. Pemberton. member of Warren's
band, "a years old, single; lived at MeIrose.
Mrs. Augustus p. Schuman, 40 years
old, of IL George street, this city.
Mrs. Frank X. Putnam, 25, of 139 Wal
nut street, this city.
The injured thus far reported are:
Thomas Mitten, a member oil the band,
compound fracture of the left arm; Mrs.
Lizzie Il. Barnes of West Third street,
Chelsea, right eye badly bruised; Miss Josie
Grimes, left arm broken, head cut AMI
injured internally; Miss Sadie Davis, in
ternal injuries, not dangerous: Miss
George Davis, compressed fracture of the
frontal bone, fracture at base of
skull, broken arm and bad decorations;
Mrs. Mortimer, bad bruises; Miss Annie
Farley, extremities injured; Charles Fuy,
Dsith anu iCAb ltk OtItUlldu NC
Carthy, numerous injuries; Fannie New
man, slight injuries; Mary Billman,
slightly injured; Mrs. Mary Van Varce,
received mis- injuries in atter s.ing to save
Miss Grimes aud to protect Land Mast n
Warren's body.
An Excited City.
Occurring as it did i'm the middle of the
evening, the streets were we'll filled with
people and in half an hour the widest
rumors had gained circulation.
Some said that 100 people had been car.
ried TO the naval and marine hospitals
close by injured, and others said that
several hundred were hurt and that more
than a dozen were dead
The greatest excitement prevailed all
over the city. Scores rushed to the hospi-
tails and hundreds TO the clubhouse and
the police station to learn il relatives or
friends who were known to be present
were killed or injured.
The occasion at the clubhouse was the
second annual illumination of the clubs
new building. It was hung with Chinese
lanterns, tho yachts about It were deco
rated and all was festivity.
About 200 people were strolliug about
the spacious boathouse. Warren's band
of 12 musicians was stationed at one end
of the second balcony, and besides these
persons there were probably 80 ladies and
gentlemen OH the balcony.
Suddenly and without seconds warn
ing the
Floor Of the Piazza Dropped Ont
and down went almost everyone on it 90
feet to the floating raft, the boathouse be-
ing on Chelsea bridge.
The victims did not scream and there
was scarcely sound beside the cracking
of boards. Everyone seemed as il paralyzed
by the awful sight till it was over, then
the awful scramble began.
Some who had caught the railing and
other things within their reach held on a
few seconds and then fell One by one,
almost. 1t seemed, more and more tumbed
headlong from the building on the heads
of those below.
Some one ran to box Is and rang in
fire alarm. Then the police alarm was
rung. summoning the whole police de-
partment.
Everybody who was not hurt took hold
to help care for the injured.
Last night the Rufus S. Frost general
hospital
Proved a Godscnd to Chelsea
and It took the best of care of all its pa
tients.
Nearly all the physicians in the city
were on hand. Several went to the boat
house Immediately after the catastrophe
and rendered aid to the sufferers, though
all four of those who afterward died were
beyond assistance.
The balcony which was the cause Of tho
accident yeas go feet long and 10 feet wide.
II is the second piazza and is over the
water, about 40 feet above It,
Fred 4. Tufts was out i'm a canoe, and
at the time of the accident was idly pad
ding about. When the crash came he, in
his excitement, overturned his canoe, and
found himself struggling in the water.
When he looked up he saw
HE Own Wife
hanging by one hand from the railing,
with no other support in reach, 40 feet
above the water. She bravely clung to her
support while he made frantic efforts to
reach her. One man, less excited than the
rest, helped her out of her perilous posi-
tion and she was not seriously injured.
Mrs. Alexander Geary, with her baby in
arms, and Mrs. Beattie were sitting on the
balcony They fell to the raft below, and
remarkable ns it may seem, both women
and child escaped unhurt
What Caused IL.
An examination Of the fatal veranda
after the accident gives cause for surprise,
not that IL happened but that il had not
happened long ago The affair was weak
aud frail, aud by no means fitted to hold
crowd Of any size 1t appeared dry. and
the timbers were splintered like laths.
The veranda is about 60 feet long. II
was supported by several studs, held by
outer posts and the building One OF
these studs, 10 feet from the left end,
caused the disaster. When the weight of
the crowd settled upon the stud IL proved
incapable of supporting il and gave way.
As n result, the flooring on both sides,
from the end rail on one side and to the
next stud on the other, dropped In until
it touched the balcony below.
The stud was pulled completely out of
the socket, where IL was mortised to the
post, and the floor planking at either end
was drawn out In similar manner. The
lower balcony was uninjured, save for the
destruction Of the rail where the upper
one struck IL