The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-08-09
Walk at Philadelphia Grounds
Colldpses.
DRUNKEN ROW WAS
CAUSE OF CATASTROPHE
Crowds Thronged to See What Was
Reason Of Excitement and Bur.
dened BY tho Overweight
the Walk Gave Way Pro.
ecipitatlng to the
Ground.
(By Associated Press, J

PHILADELPHIA, PA, August s.-Four
persons are dead. at least twelve are
thought to be fatally injured and fully
$50 others hurt seriously. as the result of
an accident. which occurred to-day at
the Philadelphia National League Base.
ball Park. A boardwalk. which overhung
the left field bleachers fell to the street
carrying 200 spectators with it.
The identified dead are:
EDWARD GRAHAM.
ALFRED RODGERS.
EDWARD WILLIAMSON, aged sixty
years.
Nearly one hundred persons received
fractures OF the limbs, lasEsxtlons OF the
head, broken noses. confusion OF head and
body, but their conditions are not serious.
Two games were scheduled between Bos-
ton and Philadelphia this afternoon, and
tho attraction drew over ten thousand
persons to the ball park. The accident oc-
Cured al $40 o'clock while the Boston
team was at the bat In its hal& OF the
fourth inning OF the second game, and
was indirectly due to a quarrel between
two drunken men in the street The Ma
brick. the brick wall extending entirely
around the grounds. at the top OF the
left field seats. and extending from the
grnndstand to the end Of the bleachers
there was a walk about three feet wide,
which overhung the street. It was this
walk that gave way under the heavy
weight.
Men. who were standing on the walk
were attracted by disturbance In the
ThaS- Ian = 4
what was the trouble. and this drew the
attention of other spectators. who rush
ed on to the walk
FELL WITHOUT WARNING.
The walk became overcrowded and with
out moments warning two hundred feet
OF 1t fell to tn esidewalk twenty feet be-
low, carrying all who We're on 1t. There
were probably three thousand persons sit
ting in the left-field bleachers, and the
roar made by the falling timber created a
panic. Instantly. the spectators rose en-
masse and made rush down the stand
into the playlnf, field Not knowing what
had occurred. the ball players and others
tried to stop the mad rush. but they
We're swept aside, and several persons
were badly hurt in the crush.
Outside the grounds, the scene was ono
OF horror. For an entire block on Fit
teenth Street, from Huntington to Lehigh
Avenue, men and Toys were lying writh-
Ing in agony. Some were buried UNI
der wrechage. others were In the
cutters, and dozens we're stretched out
In Fifteenth Street on the car tracks. The
10000 persons within the grounds left the
place and crowded about the injured, OF
whom, there were moro than hundred.
Indescribala confusion reigned for time
because of the great crowd.
HOUSES THROWN OPEN.
While waiting for conveyances to car
~ the. victims to hospitals. thousands OF
willing hands looked after the injured.
They were carried from the street and
laid on the sidewalk and some were taken
into nearby private houses, All houses
In the vicinity were thrown open to the
victims. One of the largest street-oar
barns in the city Is situated across the
street from the ball park and all tho
wrecking cars and teams were gotten
ready to transport the injured to hospi-
tails.
There were many good samartans In
the great crush OF people. but one who
stood out conspicuously for valuable as
sistance, rendered was the Rev. Father
John A. Tracy, Of st, Louis. Mo. He
was spectator at the game. and the
moment the crash came he went to the
rescue, He assisted In eXtrcAting many
OF the injured from under the wreck
age. An express wagon was standing
nearby In which, were three trunks. He
mounted the wagon. throw out the bag.
gage directed the loading of seven In.
jured men into the vehicle and ordered
a prominent politician of the city 70
mount the drivers box and drive to tlis
nearest hospital. The politician promptly
oheyed,
More than half OF the injured We're ON
the way to hospitals when police pa-
troll wagons and hospital ambulances be-
gan to arrive,
1t is estimated that fully hundred
persons were Injured who went directly
to their homes,
SUPPORTS WERE ROTTEN,
An examination of the walk after the
accident showed many OF the wooden
supports, which extended three feet BIZ
yond the wall, 10 be rotten. They were
about two and halt inches thick and
about six inches wide, They broke OF
flush with the wall
President Potter. OF the Philadelphia
National League Basel Ball Club. was OUT
81 the city when the accident occurred,
William j. Shettsline, who Is In charge
81 affairs al tho grounds In Mr.. Potter's
absence. was overcome by the accident,
He had nothing 10 say except that thsfe
vas not the slightest susplcion that the