The sun., 1909-05-04
PIECES FALL OFF ANSONIA
BITs OF TERRA Gotta RAIN
on CARNIVAL CROWD.
FLAG swung Between Two Brackets IL
Floors Up Pulled Them Out--Poiicc
and Pedestrians Have an Amusing
Time, That Is, Amusing to Others.

ana He0eetrthuS huNc III AuluBtuB D
Time, That IL, Amusing to Others.
Two terra Gotta brackets. weighing
100 or 500 pounds each. were pulled out
yesterday afternoon from the front wall
Of the Hotel Ansonia. Broadway and
seyenty-third street. by the strain from
q wind whipped flag and went crashing
down into Broadway. thirteen stories
below.
The sidewalk. and in fact all OF Broad
WAY in the neighborhood. was packed at
the time with the crowd that had turned
out to see the automobile carnival parade.
The fall OF the big blocks was broken by
the heavy granite arch over the Broad
way entrance. The blocks were shattered
into thousands Of pieces. which descended
upon the Broadway crowd In a COM
psratively harmless shower,
For four hours after the accident the
police held possession Of the Broadway
sidewalk in front OF the hotel. refusing
to allow the guests to enter on that side
and shooing othek pedestrians across
the street. The police weren't telling
people what had happened because they
didn't want to alarm tho guests Of the
hotel Consequently the fellow who was
beating up. head down, against half q
gale and was suddenly halted by police
mans elbow in his stomach fer no ap-
parent reason was inclined to be cr.lsty.
And as for the women, they simply would
not cross the street uAtil they had got
tome reason. Beads Of sweat were stream
ine down the faces Of all four cops when
An Inspector from the Building Depart
ment notified them that there was no
danger and that they could knock Oh.
The two pieces Of terra Gotta we're
ornamental brackets under the balcony
nlnning around the hotel at the thir-
teenth story. Above the second story
there Is an air court extending back
from the Broadway side. Ono OF the
clerks In the hotel fastened rope TO the
bracket on the south eide Of the court
near the front Of the building and then
threw the other end aoroes the court.
where it was fastened to the correspond
ing piece OF terra Gotta on the north
wing Fastened to the rope was a big
American flag which tapped out over the
Broadway sidewalk. The wind strain
gradually loosened the big pieces OF ma
sonry and when particularly heavy
gust hit the flag at $50 o'clock the blocks
gave way. A small piece Of the balcony
coping on the thirteenth floor also was
pulled away by the brackets.
There were plenty OF policemen around
when the storm Of terra Gotta came down.
and they had little trouble in quietins the
crowd and clearing the sidewalk. To be
on the safe side. however. they called the
reserves. A good many people in the
hotel, especially those in the front dining
room, heard the crash and came running
cut.
Inspector Bucknall of the Department
Of Buildings told the management OF the
botel as soon as he bad examined the dam
age that there was nothing dangerous
about it, but somehow or other he ne
elected TO notify the police. The conse-
tucuCt was ttldt tlc lOuF piucCodtS WIZ
tinued to hold forth on the sidewalk.
much to the distaste Of the Ansonia peo-
rIe. 1t was 7:So o'clock before the in
spector finally called up the West Sixty
eighth street station and told them to call
On their men.
I, was betwe cen and o'c clock that the
cops had the most trouble. A young
gale WAS sweeping down Broadway then
and everybody was running low. Many
Il man who had the crown of his derby
pointed straight into the teeth Of the gale
was caught on guard as he Strengthened
up against a policeman and lost his hat
in the encounter. OF course he dashed
for the hat first. and then returnsd TO
know what in blankety blank the police
man was trying to do.
Other side Of the street. the cop would
shout, at the same time making a dash
TO head OF an inhabited skirt that was
ballooning up Broadway. An audience
Of rubbernecks standing in a sheltered
corner Of Seventy third street didn't
help to smooth ruffled tempers. Those
who were turned aside worked their way
by slow degrees out into the middle Of the
road, where. grasping their hats. they
gased skyward In humble imitation OF
those who had gone before.