The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-01-08
5M Ian Mle'Itlr'opo'lita :'l. I
Grand Opera {: 9 ia Il 81
juredfi / I York !. 3, &.
BIG COMP AMY WAS, \.
AYlN G C ARM EN-
First Act$Had Just Begun " hen
Accident Threw H ouse Into,
Upro The g olness of Il q
Conreid Saved the Day 3ssSI
u Over Twenty Are W..
Hurt. 5333 sss;S5
tlsy A eiated E,re,ysss!

f1llT
by Assoc lated Press f$ 81
s Y Cfs 1lliary N t5re thnnsss
twenty members of 4 tile chorus Sof thai
metropolitan Grand Opcrils Company yveraIs3
seriously injured tonight II co.'s
lapse Of the bridge Ia the street enc IA
S5lti3 lie opening ac I, e,lrrne en-; one
or the principals was on the stage tlias
time Of the ucctden I. and q hoS uriti jurrd
members Of the cliorus lea setl
at tho front or Ties tag md san
fan at tempt to prevent the publ from
learning whn + rad iiappeneS
@tail WIS rling down soon Ms bio sis
and 1IeinrlchlSC onred. he i1nr, y, sS
prevented II panie{ Dysnrg ms he ssreat s2EE
Strudtenca remairl se;lte d
Enlightened. S ss;S S
The injured S5S54s
fre Injured arenoy dFt q hos nj u Us ~ s
SCiiorann$ Ross Wo I'd et,iretl .SS
SNaiidn4 Adansky frac cured RIB 40 lses s.
C!ornnols hothI gs urs litl1'illsss
Hahn leftShp&i jured and ribs
lila r obens tell terIal njll,les all{l
shock 1tallo Lung ogarf 4 iAocati g
right shoulder;; esa d. lts
lag frac tured yinceliz ~ II III
3tlred Iib ;S q ovannI sAanino, fracti
ribs. All }have resi- dences 81, this q
Sadditionsto those. N wont u more
) - theI chorus wero pui nfuliyt II
hurt.
al tho cxi III 81 theatre were q
$opened Immediate Al ter S. ccide mr.
but scarcely $ahalf m ozenS tho ha nd-s
ssoinel v dressed a1ld cnces air. seat
Within fifteen minute tte th crash,
the perforrIa noe lnlGt sFfey
persons the tetre x rea lied o,
serious tts del, lad q Sbse
G ollapse of' Bri dge. S3S3s III
sssSrhe bridg e fel ten minutes lie Il
SfIrsts8 curtain rtng ind
people were stil GroWd oN1 N he
atllsles their seats. M NJ any ell I'VE reS
stand ing Nine lNlllnu swas tn
non, II with d scilst inc ing NJ dame u
5Acklc, Madame cobb !, ippel Joprneslt sss
and Dufriche, opera fad staetratc3lt leg rs
tho usual big at,lld gll We croWdi
VIgnn was conc duet ing he "a peru nag s 81
opened reasonably pronlI q he chorus
WIS on tho 81 age. 2 he scene re ~ testSs
Sa street IN SaVille. III It az brio sire te f-
ing from tho guard house and the cigar
cite makers house at hes rg tle
stage over to tho stairs leading up ~ tit,
cas- II d 1t the left. Tlllss strt,ct
tonc service many times It vas y, III
EsIye affair, built OF heavy rnbers gre
forced nj tn tecl beams. Most q & he one
hundred and twenty member g 55:5s y Ss
chorus We're on The britl go u The y ms,
III collapsed, but here Yer tWeli tYs or5
thirty men and Wone n t'ancih aaltl 8
down Tho structure await Ing the ;s
of Carmen. $$ u s{
,tnyft
bridge Snt tho center OF thgE arch save
way and the tgrldlns and +crunching$ o. 8ff$s
3tlmbers being torn sunder. w 5aS
shricRs OF n lie women. drowned opti tllts $
g,lll song Of the chorus and 81 y colllll-sSf
paui,nent OF the orches trn, ~ @
yVnnen An the dlenceS j,iinped 70 @th l l5s
.reet screaming and end cay to9 INA Re
their way out of their sea ~
bers 8 Z tile chorus no on t8 9
tho time Of the accihet Z dia
heads, and imlnediat tel ca me close
thor to screen The seen from the frls !lt-SSs
cnnd audience. " Vet the cries IN 10 $giS
stricken Women and Tho groail ~ o. no Jss.
mar blrIod iii tho debris of. the shritlg &
and almost snot hered by ne bodies IS
their fellows. who had been : lro Wli ~ ,lls
top or them, were heard 'S5 5s
house, . IA G, IS, !.
Theu Mi. C,onreid and his sta SO dlre c-;
tors ordered Il quick eurtalh lie ~
wns descending the and women or IL
thn chorus turned their backs on the "a "
dence& and plunged into the wreckag go 70 VI,
rescue their friends. Some had lpns Fl
together for years, and lntny y :, slleil'
vera relatives. e II Il N i8t as9lggs
House in an Uproar.
For the ten or Ifteen seconds necessary
for the descent of tho curtain the y " .a
dience had opportunity TO see somethint' M
OF what had happened, " Tho entire mouse, "a
wns In an upronr. Usheis made ever 8Sgs
etfort to reassure tho speopleatn the floor S
ana balcony seats. Scarcely had ullo gu Isl
tain reached the stage lyef fore MI. Com
reid went to tho front OF tho stage nn'i
raising his hand, begged tha8uudience to .3s
keep their places. 81 ts{t III
I'VE have met with an acciden ". sa ~
tho impressarlo, With all the COZ! ness tlias
no could summon q THANK God, none Of i5
ia are severely injured. | beg of YOU 90 sls2
keen your seats. Everything Will be a. B
right ii, a minute, and the performance n
will be resumed. |" III 4. Isl ssl3
M., ConreId remained at the from
tho stage until he was convinced tii,
the ,lshers and police had the aud ieliecs
well in hand. Scores, however, iiha ING
their seats and crowded tho aisles, p'sst
Ing their way ont. l'hn POLICE, ushsts ALL 3Eg
the other attaches or the house sueec ftspd
IN calming thGiltN fears spnloMha q y pt. sSSS
most az them roturned. Al this tstnn
late corners wore Srowding INFO tha haIsy,sE u
and we're not to he rehptf eti lsys tiis rh- ~
port OF an Sacpl.tent s.; !ss
I While something approaching order VIII ts
bcing gotten out. of the chaos in pytst
chestra and gallery Far Iii ferent a.
we're happening behllld The curtain; WfsTn rs
he curtain was dronpad n ase insias.it =
OF the chorus who had d,splsyed sleh 5ES
splapdid control ON their nerves ~, ttse s.
OF trial gave way 70 trelr sfaei-s
lnRs and became as j ysserlfsl ~ thliS yes.
Dle who had besii injured hi, tho ran t,e W
tho scenery
Mr. Conried then topIs change ~ lies4 s3S
Snd directed thu army pt htaSs aat.dA III