The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-05-07
BALCONY BREAKS;
81 ARE INJURED
Spectators at Marathon Race Crowd
Forward and Panic Follow
Some May Be Fatally Injured.

BEATTLE. Wash. May THE list
OF injured In last nights accident at
the National Guard armory here Is 81.
and II is declared by the doctors at
the hospitals to which the victims were
rushed that Ave of them will die.
TheSdisaster followed the finish OF
the Marathon race. which was the fea.
ture OF the indoor track championships
OF the Pacific Northwest Association or
the Amateur Athletic union. The big
crowd had filed every point OF van
tage and was massed in the big spec
tatefs, gallery just above the finish
mark The race had been most excit-
ing throughout and despite the fact
that II was nearly morning the crowd
had held fast.
Finally in the last lap F. Jackson.
of the Seattle Athletic club, the favor
lite with the crowd. sprinted and went
into long lead. As he broke the tape
the crowd overhead began to cheer.
Those behind crowded forward on
those In front and there was an omin-
GUS cracking sound. Capt. Maurice
Thompson, of the Seattle guard, shout
ed to the crowd behind to fall back
but his signal apparently was not I'M
derstood and the pressure became
more and more intense.
There was another warning shout
and then the entire rail fronting of the
balcony gave way and the thousand or
more persons who were In front were
precipitated to the floor, q distance OF
II feet.
In an instant one of the worst pam
ics In the history OF Seattle occurred.
The uninjured persons started on a
rush for the exits. men and women
screaming wildly, while from the great
jumbled mass OF humanity piled on
the floor Of the armory came indescrib-
able means and screams of fright and
agony.
II was fully FIVE minutes before
those In charge got their heads and
started to relieve the tangle OF terri
bly, injured humanity. Men and wom-
en- were piled In a seemingly inextric-
able mass on the floor and many or
them had suffered broken limbs while
others were bleeding from scalp
wounds.
Hurry calls for ambulances were
sent In and soon doctors from every
institution in the city were on the
scene. In the meanwhile the ofhcers
OF the guard who were In the armory
had restored some semblance OF order
and all the police reserves were hur-
ried to the armory. A Gordon was
thrown about the building and no one
permitted to enter while the soldiers
and policemen carefully ranged the
injured in long rows around the drill
shed As fast as q doctor got through
with patient, he or she was carried
out to a waiting ambulance or patrol
wagon and taken to the hospital. Soon
from the hospitals came word that all
of the wards were filed and then the
authorities pressed into service other
city buildings to act as temporary asy-
lums for the wounded while those
whose hurts were not OF too serious
nature were conveyed to their home.
While this was going on an i'm
mense crowd gathered about the build
ing and soon were forcing the police
lines. Many had friends or relatives
among the hurt, and SO fierce was the
onslaught that the police at times
were compelled to resort to strenuous
methods to keep them back.
Finally the members of two fire
truck companies were called out and
they relieved the police and soldiers
who we're giving first aid inside.
II Is charged today that the officers
in charge of the armory were directly
responsible for the accident, as they
permitted the gallery to- become over
crowded. 1t Is declared that 1t was
never designed to hold a large crowd;
that its capacity was intended by the
architects to be limited only to those
who could be seated.