New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-06
FATAL CRUSH AT A GAME.
FIVE KILLED AND SCORES INJURED IN
GLASGOW. TWENTY FATALLY.
THROWN SIXTY FEET To THE GROUND 81
THE COLLAPSE OF A SPECTA
TORS STAND.

Glasgow. April I.-The struggle of the great
crowds which gathered at Ibrox Park to-day to
witness the last International association foot
hall contest between teams from England and
Scotland caused the collapse of portion of one
of the spectators terraces resulting in the death
of five persons ALREADY and the injury of I'd
others.
When the game began seventy thousand spec
tators were on the ground and immense
crowd had gathered outside. Being unable to
obtain admittance, this crowd broke down some
OF the barriers and swarmed upon the field
whereupon the police charged and drove the in
truders back upon the terraces and seats. with
the result that the ratings dividing the crowds
were broken. and the people were thrown over
each other. In the frantic struggle toward the
exits the pressure toward the upper portion OF
the westerly terrace so great that hum
dred feet Of the highest part Of the structure
collapsed under the weight of the crowd driven
upon It, precipitating the mass of people to the
ground sixty feet below. The injured were
piled in heaps wedged in with broken wood.
The onlookers hestated to approach the dang
ling structure a first hut finally began to util-
ize portions of the broken barriers stretchers-
A hundred of the most seriously injured were
carried into the pavilion and to spaces in the
rear Of the stand. a majority Of the victims
are SUFFERING from broken ribs and fractured
limbs while some sustained internal injuries
Those mos. severely nurt were later removed
in ambularces TO infirmaries. and the lesser
sufferers we're cent in cabs to surserfes.
4 few poreons were thrown down and
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 terrace.
Up to midnight five deaths had been reported
"a the result Of tho accident. while in the cases
OF twenty Of the other victims all hope of re-
covery has been abandoned
An investigation into the causes Of the dis
aster shows that the breakdown Of the terrace
had begun before the structure subjected to
its severest strain and it is now believed that
the final collapse was caused more directly by
the efforts of those nearest the first break 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 its
frantic occupants
The fallen portion Is one hundred feet long
thirty feet wide and contained twelve tiers Of
seats The in i1lred in many cases were lying
i've or six deep and II is considered marvellous
that there were not more fatalities. One man
hung by his boot, which caught in a spntered
beam head downward. fifty feet above the
ground Finally his boot was cut. and the man
dropped into a sheet held below.
The straneest feature Of the affair is the fact
that the crowd in the other parts OF the grounds
failed entirely 20 realize the extent OF the dis
aster. and the game was played to finish re-
sutins IN n draw. Even the management up
peared 70 be unaware of the seriousness of the
accident until It was announced after the con
clusion If the game