The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-16
$4,000 BATTLE
POLICE TO SEE
GIANT GAMES
Polo Ground Gates Swept
Away by Greatest Jam in
Sports History.
SCORE HURT, ONE MAY DIE
Steel Shutter Collapses and
Fans Are Hurled to Sec
tiOn Below.
SCORE HURT, ONE MAY DIE

New York went baseball mad yes
terday afternoon. Lured by the at
traction of two games for one admis-
sion fee between the New York and
Cincinnati clubs, which are engaged in
a tense struggle for the National
League pennant, more than $4,000
persons attempted to jam, wedge or
hurl themselves into the Polo Grounds.
Forty thousand finally did manage to
gain entry into the stadium. The rest
were forced to retreat downcast, but
not before two gates had been broken
down and the crowd had been charged
time and again by the police. To
make matters worse New York was
dc feated twice.
1t was the biggest crowd that yet
has attempted to see a major league
game in this or any other city. Very
likely it was the biggest gathering
that ever saw a professional contest In
the United States.
The day was not without its casualty
list In the second inning Of the first
game a report which sounded like the
bursting Of big shell resoundcd through
the grand stand. 1t was caused by the
collapse OF a steel shutter under the im-
pact Of determined charge OF fans at the
Speedway entrance. In trice writhing
human mass went hurtling from the
runway to the upper stand down to the
| lower section, carrying the frail rail
with It. Twenty-Five persons we're in
! jured In the accident-the first that has
+, occurred at the Polo Grounds.
Five Taken to Hospital.
Five of the most seriously hurt were
removed 20 the st. Lawrence and Har-
/ lem hospitals. n. II. Hertzberger OF 2S0
Fifth avenue was the most badly In
jured. He suffered n fractured skull
and internal INJURIES which very likely
will cause his death. Henry Freaericks,
1888 Richardson avenue, The Bronx, SUI
fered a fractured knee and internal in
iuries: Louis Goldstein. Westfield. n. j.,
fractured hips, and Frank Solomon, 1895
Clinton avenue, Bronx, and Herman
lyn, internal injuries.
Gates Closed Early.
| The Speedway entrance was closed long
before game time, and not even those
who held tickets emitting them TO re-
! served seats could get hearing from
! the special police. who had been or
dered not to permit even President Will
son himself to pass the gate. The park
had become too jammed for safety. The
Cincinnati club proposed that the fans
be permitted to overflow onto the field
and that ground rules be established, but
this proposition was turned down by
Charles Stoneham, president Of the New
York club. He felt that because OF the
! tensity OF the pennant fight and the hard
feeling engendered thereby 1t would be
unsafe Ito place the fans so near the
Cincinnati players.
Previous to the accident the gates at
the main entrance in Eighth avenue had
been rushed several times. Turnstiles
were carried away like so much card
board. City police, detailed to the Polo
Grounds for the first time in many years
ioined with the specials in an effort tc
stem the tide. but they had only small
success.
BIescher Gates Locked.
At . 80 P. NJ. fifty minutes after the
first game had been started, the bleachel
gates were ordered locked. No sooner
had this been done than a new STAN
pede was organized and more wood and
turnstiles were demolished. One stsm
pede sent more tnan oVV nBnunB ram
into the bleachers before the leak was
stopped.
After a while the police succeeded II
clearing all the entrances and sending
the would be onlookers away from thu
nelghborhood Of the grounds. But thil
did not stop the most venturesome. They
made their way to the centre feld
bleacher fence and over they came II
droves.
Half an hour before the FIRST game
the entire lower stand was damned. bu'
the crowd kept on coming in droves
Elevated trains, winding slowly Vi
Eighth avenue, skipped stations, so dens'
were the mobs that tried to get on board