The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-01-10

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 the opening act Of Carmen"
None of the principals were on the
stage at the time of the accident, and
the uninjured members of the chorus
|heroically massed at the front of the
|stage and sang on, in an attempt to
prevent the public from learning what
had happened. The curtain was ruag
down as soon as possible and Heinrich
Conried, the impresario, prevented a
panic by urging the great audience to
lremain seated and not be frightened.
The injured removed to hospitals
were:
Giovanni Rossi, two fractured ribs:
Wanda Adamsky, fractured ribs; Nat
allie Cornnolis, both legs fractured;
Katharine Hahn, left hip injured and
ribs bruised; Ida Robenstein, internal
| Injuries and shocx; Italio Langogar,
Idislocation Of right shoulder; Desadoria
Paccetti, right leg fractured; Vincen-
20 Raggaro, fractured ribs; Giovanni.
fractured ribs.
ALI have residences in this city.
In addition to tfese twenty or thirty
more members of the chorus were pain
fully hurt.
All Of the exits of the theatre were
opened Immediately after the accident,
but scarcely half a Aozen 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
Iserious the accident had been.
The bridge fell ten minutes after the
first curtain was rung UP and while
the people were still crowding dow \
!ailes to their seats. Many, even, were
standing. Nine Arnaud was to sing
f'iCarmen," with a cast, including Mad
anne Ackle, Madame Jacob, Dippel,
Journet and Dufricne. The opera had
attracted the usual big Saturday night
crowd. Vigna was conducting. The
opera had opened reasonably promptly.
The chorus was ON the stage. The scene
represented a street in Seville, with a
bridge stretching from the guardhouse
and the cigarette makers house at the
right of the stage over to the stairs.
leading UP to the castle at the left. This
structure had done service many times.
It was a massive affair, built of heavy
timbers, reinforced with steel beams.
Most OF the one hundred and twenty
members of the chorus were off the
bridge at the center of the arch gave
there were twenty or thirty men and
women dancing UP and down the struc-
ture, awaiting the entree Of Carmen.
Without the slightest warning the
bridge at the cented of the arch gave
way and the gridling and crunching
of timbers being torn asunder, with
the shrieks of the women drowned out
the glad song of the chorus, and the
accompaniment of the orchestra.
Women in the audience jumped to
their feet screaming and endeavoring 6
to make their way out of their seats.
The members of the chorus not on the
bridge at the time of the accident did
not lose their heads and Immediately
came closer together to screen the scene
from the frightened audience.
Yet the cries of the stricken women
and the groans of the men buried IN
the debris of the bridge and almost
smothered by the bodies Of their fei-
lows who had been thrown on top OF
them were heard throughout the
house.
Then Mr. Conreid' and his stage
directors ordered quick curtain.
While it was descending the men and
women of the chorus turned their
backs on the audience and plunged
into the wreckage to rescue their
friends. Some had sung together Tor
years, and many of them were rela-
tives. For the ten or fifteen seconds
necessary for the descent Of the cur
tain the audience had opportunity to
see something of what had happtu-
ed. The entire house was In an up
roar. Ushers made every effort to re-
assure the people in the floor and the
balcony seats. Scarcely had the cur
tain reached the stage than Mr.. Com
reid went to the front OF the stage
and raising his hand, begged the au-
dience to keep their places.
I'VE have met with an accident
said the impresio with. all the cool