The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1902-04-12
TNEN1Y-ONE PEOPLE KILLED
HUNDREDS WERE INJURED.
Daring Football Game mt Glasgow
Part of the Grandstand Collapsed
People Fell 90 Feet-Piled SIX
Feet Deep-.5,OO People Saw the
Game.

Glasgow, April 6.-The struggle Of
the crowds at hex park Saturday to
witness the last international associa-
from England and Scotland. caused the
collapse of portion of one of the
spectators terraces, resulting in the
death of Ave persons and the injury
of 1876 others, 20 of whom will prob
ably die.
When the game began $4,000 specta-
tors were on the ground, and the i'm.
mense crowd had gathered outside.
Being unable to obtain admittance,
barriers and swarmed upon the field
whereupon the police charged and
drove the intruders back upon the ter
races and seats, with the result that
the ratings dividing the crowds were
broken and people were thrown over
each other.
In the frantic struggle toward the
exits. the pressure toward the upper
portion of the westerly terrace was so
great that hundred feet of the high
est Of the structures collapsed under
the weight of the crowd driven upon
it, precipitating the mass of people to
the ground, 60 feet below. The in
jured were piled in heaps, wedged in
with broken wood.
The onlookers hesitated to approach
| the dangling structure at first, but
finally began to utilize portions of the
broken barriers as stretchers. A hun
dred of the more seriously injured
were carried to the pavilion and to
spaces clear Of the stands.
A majority of the victims are suffer
ing from broken ribs and fractured
limbs, while some sustained internal
injuries. Those most severely hurt
were later removed in ambulances to
infirmaries, and the lesser sufferers
were sent in cabs to surgeries.
| A few persons were trampled upon
in trying to escape from the crush
when the police charged. But most
of the victims sustained their injuries
in the fall of the stand.
UP to midnight five deaths had been
reported as a result of the accident
while in the case of 20 of the other
victims all hope of recovery has been
abandoned.
An investigation into the causes OF
the disaster shows that the breakdown
of the structure had begun before II
was subjected to it's severest strain
and it is now believed that the final
collapse was caused more directly by
the efforts of those nearest the first
break to escape than by the additional
weight of those who rushed upon the
stand from below. The terrace, al
though supported by iron girders
swayed and cracked ominously under
the movements of it's frantic occu
pants.
The fallen portion is 100 feet long
30 feet wide and contained IL tiers O
seats. The injured, in many cases
were lying five or six deep. and it Il
considered marvellous that there were
not more fatalities. One man hung b!
his boot, which had caught in splint
cred beam, head downward, about 81
feet from the ground. Finally his boo
gave way and the man dropped into
sheet held below.
The strangest feature of the affai
is that the crowd in the other part o
the grounds failed entirely to realiz
: the extent of the disaster, and tn
] game was played to a finish, resultin
2 in a draw. Even the management ar
; peared to be unaware Of the serious
ness of the accident until 1t was ar
s nounced after the conclusion of tn
0 game.
The disaster has resulted in tn
death of 81 persons and the injury G
25O. Nearly 200 of the latter are s
> seriously hurt that they were take
to infirmaries for operation and trea
ment. One hundred and fifty OF thel
still remain in the infirmaries.
. large proportion of the injured ha
e. limbs broken, bodies crushed an
& mangled and heads will undoubtedl
l. result from the critical cases of fra
= tured skulls.
Il, Today the infirmaries were besiege
% by friends and relatives of the victim
is of the disaster, and heartrendin
n- scenes were witnessed when tt
names of those who died today wei
r. posted outside the buildings. TT
actions of the authorities at Ibre
park in averting panic by permittir
the game to proceed while they e
couraged the impression OF the crow
). within the enclosure that the accidel
: was not SO direful is now general
~ commended.
;. The incongruity Of the yells of
~ plause mingling with the groans OF Il
- :, struggling sufferers will never be fe
y :" gotten by those who witnessed u
& n,o,,o o+ tho roar of the terrace