Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-05-26
CITY FACES DAMAGE SUITS.
Prospective Claims Of 100000 or
More Worry City Officials.

thirty-three Saturday night, was added
to by the death Of Mrs. #. c. Bush. Of
Long Beach, who succumbed to, her
injuries Sunday afternoon, and Mrs.
Mcdonald. The list is expected to be
further increased by the death Of Miss
Marguerite Reed, Of Long Beach.
whose back was broken, and Of WILL
lam Cooper, Of Pasadena, veteran OF
the Crimean war.
Ernest @. Eales was the only man
Killed, and his body remained unidenti-
fed until late yesterday. as well as that
Of his wife. Both were dead when
taken from the death pile.
While City Attorney Stephen Long
was occupied with the legal phase OF
the disasters aftermath yesterday.
Mayor I. s. Hatch. members of the city
council and Of the board of public
works conferred with District Attorney
John d. Fredericks with reference to
the grand Jury inquiry Tuesday. The
object Of the inquiry is to fix RESPONSE
bility for the condition of the pier,
section of which, in front Of the NUM-
cipal auditorium, went down under a
weight Of human beings which has
been estimated at less than $50 tons.
Weakness Due 60 Decay.
The weakness Of the pier. which was
built eight years ago and never re-
paired in that particular portion, is be-
lieved to have been due to decay
caused by the action Of salt air on
wood and it's iron fasteners and sup
ports. However it was declared that a
much stronger structure might have
been wrecked in the same circum-
stances, as the participants in the big
parade marched upon the pier in step.
The grand jury investigation was
demanded by the officers of the united
visitors. whose celebration Of Queen
Victoria's birthday anniversary was in
terrupted by the tragedy.
All but the most seriously injured
were removed to their homes in Los
Angeles and neighboring cities.
About sixty-dve were seriously hurt,
most OF them still being in hospitals
here and in Los Angeles.
The accident occurred q few minutes
before II o'clock. The empire day
parade, the principal feature Of the
|oeIebration in honor OF the late Queen
victoria's birthday anniversary, had
just ended and the participants, with
thousands of other visitors, were
crowding up the steps of the pier and
surging toward the auditorium when
the pier floor sagged An instant later
the supports gave way and the crack
and groan of breaking timbers mingled
with the shrieks and cries Of the VIC
Tins, as all went down into mass OF
broken wood and writhing human
forms on the sand.
Virtually the entire landing Of the
pier was wrecked and a portion OF the
auditorium front fell.
Pier ovsrburdsnsd.
The cause Of the accident was the
overburdening Of the pier. This. ac-
cording to an official statement last
night, was due to the delay in unlock
ing the doors. Had the doors been un-
locked at the proper time, 1t was as
serted, the crowds would have got
into the auditorium, instead Of massing
at the doors where the weight over
whelmed the pier supports.
Scottish bagpipers had just entered
the portal of the auditorium and were
still marking time, when the timbers
sundered.
Mayor Hatch, Of Long Beach. who
was to have been one of the principal
speakers at the celebration, was in
the midst Of the throng on the pier and
at first was reported to be among the
dead or injured. He escaped unhurt,
however, and aided by Mayor George
down at the head Of that city's public
police helped direct the work Of rescue.
Practically No Warning.
In addition to the thousands gath
cred on the pier and it's approach, the
strand was thronged by a crowd of
probably $4,000 persons. There was
but little warning. A resounding crack
alarmed them and panic spread from
end to end Of the beach. while women
began to shrek. Then occurred a
desperate rush for the srairways as the
flooring gave way and the victims slid
into the gaping hole az int a huge fun
mel.
Soon the pile of wreckage marking
the spot where the dead and injured lay
was surrounded by q dense throng,
which overwhelmed the comparatively
few policemen on the strand and for
some time rendered futile every effort
at rescue.
The police could not get thru the
crowd even when Chief Of Police Austin
gathered his entire force on the scene.
An appeal was sent 10 Los Angeles.
twenty four miles away, forsreinforce-
ments. These came in automobiles and
after helping drive back the thousands
Of intensely curious and overwraught
people, they assisted Nm, succoring the
injured and removinefthe bodies of the
dead.
The tide was out when the crash
occurred. else the collapse would have
thrown hundreds Of persons into the
sea and many drownings would have
been added to the list of fatalities.
Piled Hish 40 Pier.
The crowd massed about the audi
torium doors was composed mostly of
women and children2who had gathered
there before the Smpire day parade
ended. When the section about the
doors sank they went In with It and
q half dozen policemen who had been
vainly striving TO- ilob0 lne tilrOns ii'
check went with them. Only q com
paratively small number Of men were