The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-01-08
Twenty Grand Opera Singers
Injured in carmen"
WERE STANDING ON BRIDGE
Remainder of Chorus Heroically
SINGS on to Quiet the Audience
Until the Curtain Is
Lowered.

New York. January 7-More than
twenty members of the chorus of the
Metropolitan grand opera company were
seriously injured tonight by the collapse
of the bridge In the street scene in the
opening act of Carmen" None of the
principals was on the stage at the time
of the accident, and the uninjured mem-
bers of the chorus heroically massed at
the front of the stage and sang on in an
attempt to prevent the public from learn
ing what had happened.
The curtain was rung down as soon as
possible and Heinrich Conreid, the i'm
pressario, prevented a panic by urging
the great audience to remain seated and
not be frightener.
The injured were removed to the hos
pitfalls. In addition TO these, twenty or
thirty members of the chorus were pain
fully hurt.
Exits Immediately Opened.
All of the exits of the theatre werc
opened Immediately after the accident,
but scarcely half a dozen of the hand
somely dressed audience left their seats.
Within fifteen minutes after the crash
the performance was resumed, and few
persons In the big theatre realized how
serious the accident had been. The bridge
fell ten minutes after the first curtain
was ran up, and while people were still
crowding down the aisles to their seats.
Many even were stan9 &.
Nine. Arnaud was . sing Carmen
with a cast including Madame Ackte,
Nine. Jacobi Dippet, Journet and Duff
richie. The opera had attracted the usual
big Saturday night crowd. Vigna was
conducting The opera had opened
promptly The chorus was on the stage,
the scene representing a street In Seville,
with a bridge stretching from the guard
house and the cigarette-maker's house
at the right of the stage, over to the
stairs leading up to the castle at the lett.
This ( 10 had done service many
times. 1t was a massive affair, built OF
huge timbers reinforced with steel beams.
Most of the 120 members of the chorus
were off the bridge at the time 1t coll
lapsed, but there were twenty or thirty
men and women dancing up and down the
structure awaiting the entree of Car
men.
Gave Way Without Warning.
Without the slightest warning the
bridge at the center of the arch gave
way. and the grinding and crunching OF
timbers being torn asunder with the
shrieks of the women, drowned out the
clad song of the chorus and the accom-
ranimcnt of the orchestra.
Women in the audience jumped to their
feet screaming and endeavorins 10 MAKE
their way out of their seats. The mem
hers of the chorus not on the bridge at
the time of the accident did not lose their
heads and Immediately came closer to-
gether to screen the scene from the
frightened audience.
Yet the cries of the stricken women
and the groans of the men buried IN the
debries of the bridge and almost smoth-
cred by the bodies of their fellows who
had been thrown on top of them were
heard throughout the house
Quick Curtain Is Ordered.
Then Mr.. Conreid and his stage direc-
tors ordered a quick curtain. Whiie n
was descending the men and women ct
the chorus turned their backs on the
audience and plunged into the wrec@age
To rescue thu. friends. Some had sung
together for years, and many OF them
were relaty es. For the ten or h',fen
second necessary for the descent of the
crrtan the artdience had opo ,rt in'ty to
see something of what had neppe;ed.
The entire house was In an uproar.
fishers made every effort to reassure
the people In the floor and balcony seats
Scarcely had the curtain reached the
stage than Mr.. Conreid went to the front
of the stage, and raising his hand. begged
the audience to keep their places.
Mr.. Conreid remained at the front of
the stage until he was convinced that
the ushers and the police had the audi
ence in hand.
Although many members of the chorus
sustained bruises and cuts which had to
be dressed, they pluckily determined to
continue and the second act went through
without any other hitch.
Master Mechanic Arrested.
At the close of the performance, mas
ter mechanic of the Metropolitan, was
arrested and locked up in the West Thir-
tieth street station, charged with criminal
negligence. Palmer. who refused to make
any statement, will be arraigned in court