St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-07-12
NUMBER OF VICTIMS OF THE
ATLANTIC CITY DISASTER
't3 GROWS.
HORRORS OF THE SCENE.
NONE OF THE INJURED DEAD,
AND ONLY ONE IN A CRIT
ICAL STATE.
AN OLD AND UNSAFE BUILDING
1t Was known to Be Dangerous,
and Somebody VIII Be
Held Responsible.

ATLANTIC CITY, N. j., July IL
Mayor Stoy reports that all of those
injured by the collapse of the floor of
the Casino during the social session
of the Elks last night are doing well.
Nobody is dead, he says, and nobody
is likely to die. Fred Klaproth, the
Canadian musician who was so Sc
riously hurt is not dead. He was ia
ken to his home in Camden this morn
ing. The scene of the casualty was
visited by thousands today, who de-
clared 1T remarkable that at least one
half of those in the structure at the
time were not killed outright.
The authorities will institute an i'm
mediate investigation, with a view not
only to ascertaining the cause, but
also to provide against the possibility
OF a recurrence of such a catastrophe
The enterprise of which the structure
was part has proven an unfortunate
one for the original investors. 1t was
scheme combining a double music
pavilion, toboggan slide, merry-go-
round and long pier, from which
steamboats, made frequent trips to
sea. The storms of the first winter
swept away the pier, which was re-
pullt only to be swept away the next
winter. During a subsequent storm of
wind part of the roof of the pavil-
ion, the upper floor of which has now
given way, was blown Off. This was
repaired and has since remained in
tact. A year or more ago a portion of
the toboggan slide fell to the ground
and is still in that shape.
WHAT CAUSED IT.
The gaiety and hustle characteristic
OF this resort has given away, in a de-
gree, to feeling of depression in con-
sequence of last nights disaster. It is
largely tempered, however. by a. de-
vout thankfulness that the catastrophe
was no worse. At the Pacific avenue
santarium, where the most seriously
injured are being cared fer, it was re-
ported this evening that only one of
the patients was in any immediate
danger of death. The other inmates
of the hospital are all progressing en-
couragingiy. The number of the in
Jured will aggregate close to 200. al
though it is impossible to obtain exact
figures, many of the victims having
left for their homes, and the others
being scattered throughout the city in
1nnumerable hotels. It has been defin-
ltely learned that the accident was
caused by a rotten wooden pillar, which
helped to support the second floor of
the Casino itself. Most of the visitors
had been on the lower floor, which had
been used as, a refreshment pavilion,
but the music from Jennings band.
which was stationed above, attracted
a large majority to the upper floor.
This undoubtedly prevented a great
loss of life. There was a party of
eight New York delegates below, and
they remained there, chatting togeth-
er, when there suddenly came a warn
ing crackle, the ceiling above them was
seen to split, and they rushed for
their lives, gaining the board walk
outside but a moment before the crash
came. The great weight of the crowd
was primarily responsible for the col
lapse, but it was generally known that
the structure was unsafe for a multi
tude.
ANIC-STRICKEN.
The scene that followed was almost
beyond description. Within the radius
of a mile the town was panic-stricken,
but it was not long before every able
bodied person who had escaped unhurt
began the work of rescuing the victims
from the mass of timbers. Incidents
of a curious character were not lack
ing, even amid the intense excitement,
which lasted until the early hours of
the morning. One Elk from New York
was told that both of his legs were
broken and he Immediately asked for
a dose of prussic acid. declaring that
he did not want to live. 1t was sub
sequently learned that he was
not seriously injured. Another
went away in an ambulance
with his head badly cut, but
he was singing at the top of his voice
and declaring that he was unhurt
One little girl was shot through the
hole in the floor into the arms of a
young man below, and moment later
her mother, who was uninjured,
crawled through the hole, seized the
little one and made off along the board
walk. Grand Exalted Ruler Detwiler
who witnessed the collapse from the
platform, has not yet recovered from
the horror of the sight. He escaped
from the building by way of the roof.
MAY BE GEORGE H. FOOTE.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, July lids
paches on the falling last night of the
Atlantic City, N. j., Casino, placed
&C. NJ. FQote, Minneapolis, among
the list of the injured. 1t is believed
here that a mistake has been made in
the name of George H. Foote, passen-
ger agent here for the Chicago, Mil
tending the convention.