Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-01-09
STAGE BRIDGE FELL
Ten Opera Singers Injured at
 New York.
PINNED UNDER WRECKED STRUCTURE
Members of Metropolitan Chorus and Audience In Panic at Saturday Night Performance-A WOm-
 ans Rpavc Conduct.

NEW, YORK, Jan. By the col lapse of bridge on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House on Saturday night during the first act of Carmen ten persons were badly injured and the entire company of more than hun dred and the audience were thrown in to a state of panic. Through the prompt action of Mir. Conred and those in charge of the stage and exits order was quickly restored in the audience. and after a lapse of quarter of an hour the curtain was lifted. and the opera went on.
 The injured are: Mime. Aina Ackte, Wanda Adamsky whose condition is critical: Natalie Corneglio. Catherine Haha, Attelio Langagani. Giovanni Marine, DcSidero PeZetti Nincenzio Reggadoni, Ida Robenstein and Giovan- nj Rossi.
 Within five minutes after the crash on the stage report was spread along Broadway that the ceiling had fallen, and excited crowds rushed to the opera house. The sudden rush of ambulances from Bellevue and Roosevelt hospitals strengthened this rumor. and hundreds who had friends in the place frantical- ly insisted upon being admitted.
 The stage setting in the first act of Carmen represented a square in Sc vile. To the left is a high bridge with sloping approaches. over which the principals cross to their entry to the stage and over which also passes the guard and the chorus. Andreas Dip pei. who sings Don Jose. and Mime. , Ackta. who takes the part of Micaela, were standing near the front of the stage. about to begin d duet.
 The guard had been relieved and was just returning to the wings over the stage. Mme Ackte was standing only ! few feet from it. She had just start cd to advance toward Mir. Dippe when there was sudden splitting sound, d ! scream from half a dozen women in the i wings. and then came crash. the heavy bridge collapsing in the middle, carrying with it the fourteen men and women who were crossing at the in [ Stant. First tho center collapsed. and i then the buttresSeS caved in upon the 1 debris.
 : Screams came from all parts of the stage. Those in the audirurc plainly 1 saw the confused mass of timbrrs and 1 bodies crashing to the floor. and many | thought it was 8 novel incident that 1 had been added to the scene. Tn, and punctuated with hySterical out cries. \ bolt had given away in tn, structure. The beams Saggcd. tlIs bridge swayeG and then fell with {, crash. crushing to the floor lhe unfor tunatc ones who happened to be stand ing under it. Those on the bridge wer' not injured.
 Scarcely had ihe bridge crashed dowl on the stage floor when a young wo man in evening dress left the side D her escort in one of the boxes an, darted through a door on the left sid' of the stage Throwing aside her oper. cloak she quickly passed from one t' another of rhe injured. siing instrnc lions to those about lirr what 10 do When il was learned S.at she was nurse and graduate of lhc New Iorl Postgraduate hospital q shout wen mp from those who had witnessed he brave conduct
 To all who asked she declined 10 giv
 her name. hut from those who kuev her it was learned that Shc was Mis-
 Edith Brownwell oi this city Fou physicians who chanced Ia he in tn
 audience quickly ran to inc stage. am before the surgeons arrived they ha
 set the broken legs of two of the men . using for splinlS surh pieces of WOO
 as they coud find on the stage and i
 the property r"on. Frank Palmel
 stagh manager. was arrested and take
 to the Thiriieth street police static
 after thc injured had heen cared for.