The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-28
PICTURE SHOW LOBBY DROPS
AND WAITING PATRONS FAIL
INTO BASEMENT.

s@Nemteem Prraons Hora N Aeceo@nt "
t,sseH street Plaee- Doogs Closed 80
mat Nest ss These inside Coulnn't
Oct out 60 TSmbss into Hole Tee.
FOurteen peESOns were hurt by the
collapse Of the noor % a moving picture
theatre lobby az I3s Essex street last
night. The collapse was followed by
scrimmage among the go persons in the
body Of the theatre 90 get out En-
ployees 81 the house closed the front door
and opened a rear exit 30 that those In
the theatre didn't rush into the hole made
by the falling % the floor.
The theatre IL on the east side Of Essex
s,rss; just north Of RivingtOn street.
II occupies the first two floors Of hve
story building. The theatre was com
plstsd and opened last Friday. Its pro-
prstors are Joseph Fnedland Of 1891
NJ. Johns place. Brooklyn. and Michael
Tenzer % IsI Broome street. forming the
firm % Friedland a Tenzer
Al the lime OF the opening Capt William
= Day OF the EldridRe street station was
notified through the usual Ofsicial channels
that n license had been issued for the
theatre. which was to combine vaudeville
with moving pictures.
The lobby extended back into the house
for few feet. Al one side OG the entrance
was the ticket sellers box. The floor
Of the entrance was made Of small tiles.
About G:as o'clock last night. when there
were several persons in this lobby. the
floor at the right side gave way suddenly
aud dropped 10 the basement The left
side tilted down and those who were on
the Hoor at the time slid down the incline
into the basement The crash brought
a few oG the audience inside to the lobby
before the doors had besn shut, and these
too slid into the hole
There IL a small gallery in the theatre.
which at the time contained about twenty
persons. Philip Ornstein. a special officer
attached to the house. was in the front
81 the house and had the exit doors there
open for PURPOSES % ventilation when
he says he heard a scream and turning
saw a woman with a child In her arms
jump from the balcony down ON To the
heads oG the persons down stairs.
There immediately was q rush for the
doors Abraham SiGel. a special officer
in the lobby. who happened to escape
by sliding down into th. pit slammed the
front doors shut and Ornstein. holding
the other eNit doors wide open. shouted
in Yiddi-h. This way out
The piano hanged along loud and
steadily and the drop was lowered. There
was a good deal Of excitement. but most
~ the people kept their heads enough 10
e. the way they were hidden.
Out in the lobby Eva and samuel Ten
zer. children Of one Of the proprie,ors.
selling tickets we're lett isolated Ia the
ticket cage. which had q hoor of it, Own.
They were rescued later. tine man who
was buying tickets at the time and had his
chang. IN his hand was one ~ Those who
vent down With the wr~ckaR~.
-Four ambulance. and the reserves from
the EIdridge MULBERRY and Delarcey
- rect stations came to the place. tn. /
task - getting the injured out 10 the
basement was uad. simple by ~ airway |
which runs from The stree, down to the
basement THIS stairway hal i.'e1 left /
mta"'
The mos, seriously hurt was Morris !
Rein..Ck ~ years old. "f Isl Attorney |
-tr,.., who received pInctur' ~ the
p~lviS ~. WAS taken ~ b-ll"vU" Hos
pual
others who went to hospitals were Mrs
Kate ScLriuSky. "a years cid. 81 ~ Land I
Low street. contusions of the leg. Ia Gou-
verneur Hospital. David kruger. ~ years
odd ~ We Third street Jersey city. to
Gouvsrneur Hospi;al. suffering from
shock: Joseph Hglpin - wears old. a
painter. 10 - K,vhgtun street. to COVE
nelr Hospital with cont,Ision= - the leg.
Samuel Ar,iuf. ~ years old. ~ ops SiSth
street. an operator. TO Bellevue H,s-piisl
with bruised right leg nd Philip SolIel.
% years old. of 10 Pitt street. to Bellevue
Hospital with a bruised left ankle.
B.-sid.-- these the police got the names
~ others who were attended by ambu-
lance surgeons and We're abb. to- 90 home |
OF thea. one was q hvs-year-old hoy.
Herman Gibbs 81 ~ Avenue A. whose I
left leg was cut and bruised His father. |
Julius Gibbs. a painter. who was with
him. had a strained ankle. hut was able |
20 carry the boy home after he himself |
had been fxed mp nv the ambulance |
surgeons.
Friedland. one Of the proprietors.
was locked up in the EldridRe street |
station on a charge Of criminal negligence. |
A Are truck company looked through |
the wreckage. determined there was |
nobody left below and went away again. !
Building Inspector Patrick Dwyer after 1
q brief elimination said IL appeared that |
the floor. Of three OF four inches oG con- /
crete with the thing facing was too heavy |
for the wooden posts which tried to sup
port "a.
The escape from more serious injury !
Of those who fell seemed to he due to |
the fact that the floor for the most part |
remained intact and the people all fell
on top 81 ". No one got under the wreck
age