New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-21
20 Injured When
Theatre Elevator
Falls Six Stories
New York Roof Garden Wis
itors Sent to Hospital;
Operator Arrested

Something went wrong with an ele-
vator which. carries patrons to and
from the roof garden on top of the
New York Theatre last night. The car,
iammed full of men and women, shot
down from the sixth floor to the bot
tom of the shaft, shattering walls and
sides when it hit and injuring twenty
persons, eight so severely that they
were taken to the hospital,
The cause of the accident has not yet
been determined, although Assistant
District Attorney Sullivan is now con-
ducting an investigation to fix the re-
sponsibility. Eugene Johnson, the ele-
vator man, who is now locked up at
the West Forty-seventh Street police
state, insists that he was carrying only
fifteen passengers, the legal limit for
the car. He is unable to explain how
twenty we're injured by the fall.
Says He Counted Fifteen
When one of the performances was
over at the roof garden, shortly before
midnight, Johnson began TO carry the
departing patrons down. He says that
he counted carefully and had only fif-
teen on board. As he pulled the cable
TO start the car on its downward jour
nev. the elevator began TO drop at its
usual rate, but gained speed rapidly.
Johnson says that he gripped the
cable to stop its fight, but. was carried
ND 20 the top of the car before ne
could let go. Screams began before
the elevator had passed the fifth story
and increased in vigor as it fell further
continuing to gain momentum.
There was a terrific crash when the
basement was reached, and the frantic
Messengers we're thrown into a heap
uron the shattered floor. Men in q
billiard hall in the basement of the
building rushed to their aid ana
dragged them out.
Police Hold Back Cro~d
The noise of the fall and the clang
of the ambulances which appeared a
few moments later brought swarm OF
neonle 10 the doors of the theatre. Re
soryes from the West Forty-seventh
Street nolice station we're called out TO
boId the crowd back. Two Catholic
nriests ran into the billiard room, which
had beeu turned into an emergency
bosnital. but no one was severely
enough injured to need their ard
List of the Injured
Those taken to the hospital were:
CRESENZO, Artillio D., tenor, Of 2Ol
West Forty-fourth Street; fractured
left foot.
BRINDEL. Matthew, engineer OF 4Vo
West I15th Street; possible fracture
Of right foot
GOLDBERG. Louis. of 1856 Clymer
Street, Brooklyn; possible fracture
Of left foot.
EISEMAN. Joseph, of 175 East Seventy
ninth Street; injury to foot
FEINMAN. Morris, of 523 West l4oth
Street; injury to foot.
CIIOMO. Francis, of l08 West Forty
ninth Street; ankle sprained.
BUSONI. Mrs. S., of 254 West Forty,
fourth Street; possible fracture OF
both legs.
MARTINEZ, Mrs. S. E., Of II tourtn
Street. Weehawken, n. j.; both an
kles injured.
Those who received medical atten-
tion and went home were: ~
Mr.. and Mrs. Thornton Motley, BIT.
more Hotel, shock; j. A. Munyon, OF
1910 Broadway, sprained back; Morris
Snitzer. of 92l Market Street, Phila-
delnhia. shock; Mrs. Morris Splitter.
snrsined ankle; Clarence II: Wenn, OF
81 William Street, shock; NJ. busohi'
Of 254 West Forty-fourth street,
shock: Joseph Eisler, Of 2loO tifth
shock; Louis Williams, OF ool
Madison Avenue, shock; NJ. Bernheim-
er. of l04 West Sixty..ninth Street
shock and sprained ankle; Miss May
Archer. OF S6 Eighth Avenue, shock
and sprained ankle; Emile Schoenberg,
Of Ss West Fifty-fourth Street,
,nraipad ankle