New-York tribune., 1918-05-25
Man Is Injured and Panic
Is Almost Caused in
Washington Square
Police Rescue Babies
Pushing and Lurching of the
Crowd Frequently Inter-
rupts Programme

came so emotional in their enthusiasm
for Italy and their hatred for Germany
that the pretty outdoor fete became
almost a panic before the evening was
over.
The climax to the crowding and push
ing of a throng that was far too pig for
the space in which it was penned came
when the south end of the grandstand
crashed to the ground, pinning one man
under it and throwing dozens of women
and children from their chairs. For a
few moments it looked as though the
excited crowd might end the celeAra-
tion with riot, but the police rescued
the babies from the arms of their
mothers, emptied that end of the stand
of it's frightened occupants and piloted
them out of the surglng, bowling mass.
Electrician Caught in Crowd.
Fred Ackerman of Lyndhurst, N. j.,
an electrician of the Edison Com
pany, who was under the grand
stand connecting electric wires, was
rescued from under the wreckage
while Policemen Malone and Cohen of
the Macdougal street station held up
the end Of the stand. He was taken
to st. Vincent's Hospital for examina-
ton.
Six Red Cross nurses who were sit
ting on grand piano were hurled
from their seats when the. stand fell.
The crash of the grandstand came
mounted the stand waving the tri-color
end the Italian banner. With spirited
"Vivas" and "Bravos" the crowd
pressed forward toward the platform
finally colliding with it with such
force that it broke under the strain. J
Grafton Mcmahon, Mayor Hylan's rep
rcsentative, and Nicholas Murray But
ler, president of Columbia University
continued the programme with ad-
dresses in spite of the uproar.
The programme was not carried out
as originally intended, however. The
music which the Four Minute Men
were to have provided was eliminated
Time after time the speakers were in
terrupted by the sudden pushing and
lurching of the crowd. The 200 police
had been completely overwhelmed, and
it was not until several hundred re-
comparative order was restored. The
crowd was packed from University
place on the cast to Washington Park
West and from Fourth street to Eighth
street.
Parade in Afternoon.
Captain Andre Gardino finally got
the attention of the audience. Captain
Gardino has seen service in the war
zone for three years, and his eloquent
Italian recital of war conditions and
the necessity for ltaly's success did
more to bring the crowd TO poise than
the police did
The celebration was preceded in
the afternoon by a parade that was
scheduled to arrive at the square for
the opening Of the ceremonies at 1880
o'clock. Long before that time the
merrymakers had gathered under the
trio lights to look at the decorated
platform at the west end of the
square and to wait for the parade.
Early in the evening the affair was a
real fete where the flags, the lights
and the playing fountain made a
picturesque background for pictur.
esque crowd.
Other speakers were Professo,
Oreste Ferrari ex-president of the
Italian Chamber of Deputies; Major
Carlo Cattaparni, E. Paul Yaselli anc
j. Jalongi.
Colonel Roosevelts Letter
Colonel Roosevelt sent the following
letter of regret:
81 wish it were possible for me tt
be at the meeting tonight. AS that i:
not possible, l send my greeting:
through you, and l take this opportu
nifty to pay homage to the high valol
and lofty idealism that Italy has showr
in this great struggle for humanity
and civilization against Germany ant
her vassal confederate states, Austria
Bulgaria and Turkey. l most earnestly
hope that Italy will be able to roune
out the great work of Victor Emanuel
Cavour, Mazzini and Garibaldi. ane
that the Italian speaking provinces o.
Austria will take their natural places
in the Italian Kingdom.
"When Italy went into this war Rus
sia was reeling backwards from tht
great blow delivered at her by tn.
Germans, Austrians and Turks three
years ago. Italy joined at time whei
her adhesion was of the highest valu,
to the Allied cause. Since then sh'
has fought with the utmost gallantr!
and efficiency. Her one great disaster
was due to treacherous German in
trigue of kind against which thi
as Italy herself. Her army and he
people rallied from this disaster will
the finest courage.
"Our country owes a deep debt o.
gratitude to Italy for what she has
done, and l earnestly hope that we
shall pay this debt as generously a.
possible, and in as fine a spirit as Italy
herself has shown. OF course, the best
way to pay it is to make our fighting
force in Europe as large and as eff
ficient $ it can be made. and to dc
this in the shortest possible time"
II Evan Williams