The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-07-23
THOUSANDS FRUSTRATED
DURING ELKS' PARADE
Spectators and Marchers Over
come in Philadelphia Streets.
BROAD STREET LIKE BATTLEFIELD
Hospitals Victims Laid
Out in Rows ON Lawns Wagons
and Stores Used For Temporary
HospitaIs-Rain Gives Relief.

Philadelphia heat and
crashing thunder and lightning.
which hit in many places, more than
1900 persons Frustrated in Broad
street, hospitals filled with the vic
tins of the suns rays and extraordi-
nary humidity for this city, marked
the great public demonstration of
the Benevolent Protective Order of
Elks in parade through the city.
There were 10000 Elks, representing
100 lodges in the parade, the line of
which was six miles in length.
There were 100000 persons crowd
ed into Broad street, between Hunt
ingdon and Reed streets, and stood
for hours waiting to view the great
street spectacle that closed the annu-
al convention of the order. The city
took a holiday and the numbers of
Philadelphiaus massed along the line
of march were augmented by crowds
that came in from Eastern Pennsyl-
vania, Delaware and New Jersey. 1t
was easily the hottest day of the
summer in this city, but through the
hours of suffering from the heat the
spectators stuck to their coigns of
vantage and sweltered.
The parade started shortly after / l.
o'clock, and it took four hours to
pass the reviewing stand at Broad
and Chestnut streets Both sides of
Broad street were packed from curb
to building line and the windows of
the houses were jammed. The in,
tense suffering of the spectators be-
gan to show its effect about noon,
when three women were Frustrated
from the heat. From that moment
the prostrations occurred every few
minutes. Men, women and children
dropped to the sidewalks in that
densely packed mob SO rapidly that
there was almost panic. One hum
dred collapsed in the first half hour,
and then the prostrations followed so
rapidly that no count was kept.
Broad street, along which the pa
rade passed. looked like battlefield.
Emergency hospitals were hastily i'm
provised under grandstands and in
side streets, while at the hospitals
the stricken ones were laid in rows
upon the grass outside.
Stores and wagons were converted
into wards. Automobiles, carriages
and every form of vehicle were
pressed into service to help out the
patrol wagons and ambulances.
Adulterated lemonade, which was
sold freely to the crowds, was partly
responsible for the many prostra-
tions. Mounted police and patrols
hurried along the route emptying in
to the cutters every vessel of lemon
ade they could find.
In the hour that victims were fall
ing thickest the music Of the bands
was almost drowned by the changing
bells of ambulances and patrols.
Scenes about Broad and Arch streets,
from which point the medical forces
were being directed by DR.. Patterson
and his staff, conveyed the impress
sion that some great disaster had
occurred.
Men and women were being carried
fainting from the crowds and from
the stands and were being laid out
in the street. Patrols and ambul-
dashing off again. Doctors with red
crosses on their arms were dashing
water on the stricken and administer
Iii oLlill uldHLS. MSA Will MSSd-
phones at telephone booths attached
to poles high above the street were
shouting out such messages as: Send
two wagons to Broad and Green
Streets" -Four people down at
Broad and Spruce" "Thirty-five
have just fallen in the crowd at
Berks street. Don't send any
more to the Pennsylvania Hospital,
it's being swamped."
And through all this bedlam with
bands playing lively music and the
flags gayly flying the paraders
marched on. Now and then an Elk
would topple over or stagger toward
the ropes. The gap would close up
and his comrades would go ahead.
At o'clock the Elks were drop
ping out of the lines by scores and
seeking refuge. At this time ter
rife thunderstorm came up, putting
an abrupt end to the parade and
sending the crowds to shelter.
Had this not happened and had
the heat continued an hour longer"
said former Director of Public Health
Copin, ''the victims would have
ranged into the tens of thousands
and the death list would have been
appalling