The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-08
SMASH ON THE OPERA STAGE,
BRIDGE ~ "CiRMEN" COLLAPSES
VINE or THE CHORU : HURT.
one Man with Roth Legs BROKEN Woman
Win Fractured skull and Ribs She
Wa, Die Bridge Fell on Them as the
solder Gus rd Passed 0yer-No Panic,
Opera Goes carpenter Arrested.

NbtulNT eu"Eu wv
Opera Goes On--Carpenter Arrested
Ten mlnlte after the curtain wont up
on the hrst act Of Carmen" at the Metro
politan opera House last night. and white
the red and yellow uniformed Spanish sol
diers we're flirting with the flower girls
! in the public square of Seville the wooden
bridge running from one building to another
in the Stage back ground collapsed.
The fourteen soldiers Of the day guard
were Just then marching over the bridge
1t broke in two at the centre and dropped
them on the heads OF a hundred or more OF
the chorus men and women underneath
To the audience large Saturday night
attendance it looked "a if half Of those
who were piled together on the stage were
killed or injured Then the curtain was
rung down and hid the scene
The accident seemed 10 have sort OF
hypnotic effect on the audience Verv
+ few parsons LEFT their seats Here and there
/ women screamed or tainted. But there
was no panic little confusion and almost
silence save the groans and cries chat came
I from the njured on the stage.
The greatest excitement in the box
occupied by the young women of the opera
and ran about screaming. The ushers
Gained them when the curtain went down
1t was not subscription night at the
Metropolitan, and there we're few well
known persons in tho audience. Some OF
/ those in the boxes were Mr.. and Mrs. John
/ Z Parsons, Mrs Jules de Neufville. Mr.. and
Mrs Lewis lsein and Mr.. and Mrs. Langdon
Schroeder. The audience was estimated
. At lNn,, - ..,tk a lov onar a
Mr. Conried wac sitting in a box awaiting
the appearance Of the new Carmen Mms
/ Anna Arnaud, instructor in the opera
school. who had taken the place OF Olive
Fremstad When the bridge fell the
I impresario with face white as paper
I rushed downstairs. leaving his hat behind
| him He hurried through stage door.
| quickly discovered that no one had been
, killed, and none fatally hurt, and then
came TO the footlights and made speech
/ to the audience.
Thank God he said, the accident
ladies and gentlemen. We are more frght-
ened than hurt. beg your kind indulgence
until we are able to go on
While Mr. Conried was talking. the en-
ployees of the house, Eugene Dufrche.
NAC 9Nhtsp Nh'NNbI AAbOf NLN SNoS'
manager; Andreas Dippel, the tenor, and
others were calming the frantic ohorls
men and chorus women and taking away
the injured. Mr.. Conried, returning, d.
rected tho work. The audience did not
rec this, because the curtain was still down.
Three ambulanoes came to the stage
doors in 1'hirty-ninth and Fortieth streets.
and tho injured suffering mostly from
| no taa
10 Roosevelt. New York and Bellevue
! hospitals They were nine in number.
Many others were slightly hurt but did
not need serious attention.
/ When the accident occurred there were
on the stage Nine. Aino Aclde (Michaeidl
/ Mr. Dippel Don Jos6). Mr. Parvis, tho barry
tone lNoraicS), and Mr. Begu6 Llmig9l.
The day guard was marching away over
the bridge, and the relief was saluting
the flag Of Spain Mr.. Begle was sing
ing The caEalleros. flower girls and
Sevillians. some 20 chorus men and women,
were laughing and flirting and singing
Nine Ackte vas standing on the right
Of the stage. al the side OF the stair
Lending TO the bridge. Mr.. DIPPED, in
command Of the relieving guard. was on
the other side OF tho stage Mr. B6gue
SUI lOuUufh Nv VIVA 'i' anu TNiNbNiNt
WIS in front
Whether it was the vibration caused by
tramping Of the guard marching off or
whether the bridge was so old a. 70 be-
insecure that caused IL to fall is not known
At any rate in the midst Of the scene. while
the audience was bending forward, listening
to MIR Bagu2 and waiting for Carmen to
trip down the stairs, the bridge sagged 20
the floor. throwing every one on 1t in heap
The break came 50 suddenly that those on
il we're thrown with great force and those
underneath had 10 time 10 escape. The
audience heard the crash. and saw instantly
a mass Of gayiy dressed men aud women
piled together and writhing in pain Those
who we're moi caught in the wreckage or
pinned down by the bodies Of others rushed
frandcally across the stage. screaming their
alarm.
stage Director Dufrichc who saw the
accident from the wings rang the curtain
down in a nay Perhaps his quick action
and presence Of mind had good deal 70
10 with the GOODNESS and -elf-posseesion
Of the audience Save for one terrifying
glimp'o that the people in the house caught.
they hei u1 fire 20 become panicstncken.
Tom Boil the head usher signalled his
mon ~ iliIN6 Ni.fl TIC VAN iiNb - anu lli-
was done with precision and speed There
was really little need for he exits because
the audience kept it, nerve and made no
attempt to rush on Rouudsman FogaTy.
in command Of tho theatre squad. who vas
in tho house Jaw quickly that he had no
panic 10 deal with and rushed to call the
ambulances An immediate response came
from he three hospitals notified
The audience remained quietly in thsir
SEATS after Mr. Conriei'' speech whils
the work Of caring for the injured and
removing the wr-cSage won on behind
the curtain Nr Dippcl, working like
Trojan had'alreldy pulled several person.
ont OF the ilng.e Of bodies and was quoting
tho frightened women. Nine. Ackte. whose
toe was tramplod on and who missed being
-rriously hurt by a few feet only, assisted
Mr. DIPPED The other principals did their
share in he fr-i relief work
There vas only about twenty minutes
delay Ia the resumption Of the opera Those
who had been hurt were carried into dress
ing rooms wherc ambulance surgeons from
Il 4 - ~