The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-09-25
DELUGE AT HYPERION.
Glass Water Tank Breaks and Floods
the Stage.

| Glass Water Tank Breaks and Floods
the Stage.
Lost River was not produced at
the Hyperion last evening, as was ex-
pected. and thereby hangs a tale y
Yesterday afternoon about half-past
four nearly all the company, stage
mechanics and accessory people were
putting the finishing touches on the lat
est realistic production of Joseph Ar
thur, Lost River" Everything had
been running smoothly and now came
the first part of the fourth act, in
which Is introduced a most striking
piece Of stage mechanism. In the dis
lance one sees the hills, down which
trichles a mountain stream, gradually
! growing larger and larger as it ap-
proaches, until finally one gazes at the
river itself, surging restlessly to and
fro, This scene shows the aqueduct
across the stage and also the arches,
while under the arches one sees the wa
ter In it's mad flight. 1t is real water,
and it is held back from flowing into
the orchestra by an arrangement of
plate glass ten feet wide, six inches
| high and over an inch In thickness.
| The glass is set and braced in a mas
sive frame, the entire apparatus weigh
| ing over two tons. 1t was fed by pipes
connected directly with the chief water
MAINS and every instant thirty Eight
gallons of water were flowing into this
glass tank
Herbert Gresham, the stage director,
was standing on platform some twelve
feet from the stage level, directly in
back of this glass tank, while on the
stage almost directly under him, look
ing up to him for suggestions in full
stage costume, We're William Court
leigh, the leading man; Miss Mary San
ders, the leading woman; Harry Ander-
son and many others, when suddenly
came a terrific crack and crash follow
ed almost instantly by miniature
Johnstown deluge. Mr. Gresham hap
PLY was grasping the railing on the
side Of his temporary platform and es-
capped with severe drenching. Mr..
COurtleigh, hearing the crash, immedi-
ately grasped Miss Sanders around the
waist and only dragged her away just
in time to save her life as huge piece
of glass weighing nearly one hundred
pounds struck upon the spot where she
had been standing Glass flew In all
directions, but happily piece of seen
cry representing hedge which was
composed of wood, stretching across the
entire stage, acted as a dam and kept
the flood In check, so that 1t quickly
ran through the various traps and holes
in the stage floor and was quickly abb
sorbed by the sandy bottom immediate
ly under that part of the stage where
the accident occurred. For a few mo-
ments the water was ankle-deep and
excitement intense, but luckily no one
was injured and nothing was badly
damaged by the water.
The company mistrusted that this |
tank would be inadequate to withhold
such a pressure and had it constructed /
by a reliable civil engineer, so that yes
terday afternoons mishap was not en-
tirely unexpected. This reservoir will .
not be duplicated, but another effect |
as good was telegraphed for i'm |
and will be here in time for
this evenings performance. The dam I
age is estimated at about one thousand /
dollars.