Show SEETHING MASS MISS OF OFF FIGHT IGHT FANS CRASHES THROUGH SALTAIR COLISEUM FLOOR INTO WATER OF LAKE BARELY MISSING DEATH CRUSHED c RUSH D into a seething mass upon a stairway that from front the fight arena arelia at the Coliseum at Saltair at 11 il last night four score of persons were sent crashing with the stairs through the floor and into five feet of water in a weirdly spectacular acci accident accident dent in broken bones bruises strangulations in salty water w ter and a miraculous miraC ous es escape escape escape cape from death THE INJURED X z V f fWILLIAM WILLIAM B COVEY of Covey flats leg broken br ken r r W WC i iC C POWELL M South State street leg broken 5 j jDAVID DAVID B HEMPSTEAD attorney strangled and bruised b ed c cJ J 3 U IT ELDREDGE JR United States assayer in charge bruised and strangled j jW W E WALSH W stock broker cut by flying timbers CON GALLAGHER chief of Murray fire department bruised about body V C MRS LILUE GALLAGHER Murray injured about head and body EMMA CLARK strangled and bruised A score or more of f others were slightly injured or rendered nearly unconscious by the i drenching in the lake The accident was followed by a panic in ip which a major portion por ion of the fight fans were brought to the precipice in the floor caused by oy the falling stairway s ay Recovering their composure scores rushed to the rescue and ind nd dragged from the water those who had been caught on the stairway When Pete Sullivan had been counted out following a punch from Cyclone Thompson the crowd started to leave the coliseum The arena had been ar or arranged ranged on the old hippodrome stage and the audience aud ence consisted of about 2500 persons most or of whom made a rush for the main maln exit as soon as the referee counted Sullivan out The main stairway leading up over oyer the bicycle track was instantly packed p with 1 pea ea I pie eager ea er to catch the first train from fromI the lake lakeI I Stairs Stair Weaken and Give Way Wiy I With a crowd on the stairway and nd a 1 surging mass behind converging at atthe atthe atthe the exit the stairs were weakened and with the tremendous weight at atthe t the foot on the coliseum floor floo the supports ned the timbers Umbers gave way and the first warning the crowd had was when the crack of timbers rose above the laugher laughter and talk of or the ex excited excited excited cited throng At the foot of the stairs the timbers broke and opened a gaping hole through which the th waters of the lake could be seen een Scores of persons were hurled into the water and on top of them in increasing Increasing increasing creasing the hole bole in the floor and add adding adding adding ing to the horror of the accident came the stairs toppling on those who had bad gone before The miracle of the whole affair was that when the me stairs stars came cameon cameon cameon on the very heads of those who had first been drenched no one was killed The panic spread to the farthermost parts of the Coliseum and about the hole in the floor terror reigned Para Paralyzed by the sight of the falling stair stairway stairway way wa the bursting of timbers and the disappearance of scores ot or persons the crowd behind became unruly for a short period fearing that the whole building was sinking into the lake The weakness however did not extend beyond the structure near the main exit and as there was no other exit the crowd became curious and crashed against those who had already begun the work of rescue Temperate minds were set active at once in the work of rescue and while those nearest the floor were extricated and sent scurrying through the crowd others ethers went for ropes fire hose and andI I other paraphernalia that was assem assembled assembled assembled bled at the hole in the floor Down in the water there was waa as a seething scrambling mass muis choking in inthe inthe the water groping a way out or striving Striving striving ing against the jumble of f timbers that added to the confusion Statement by bf Manager Langford I 1 have no reason to believe that the storm of several weeks ago which dam damaged damaged aged ag considerable property at Saltair had anything to do with the accident of last night said J T E Langford manager of the Saltair Beach company compau last night The repairs since the storm have haye been extensive and the car carpenters carpenters carpenters penters have frequently found It necessary necessary necessary essary to spend much time about the Coliseum However after the storm we made a very thorough investigation of the piling supporting the coliseum and found that It was Intact We did not find occasion to recommend repairs of any of ot the Coliseum supports They seemed as good as when they were first put in inThe InThe The best explanation for the acci accident accident accident dent that I can possibly offer is that a great mass of people rushed up the stairway leading over the saucer track and when it slid sUd backward it hit the t e platform with such concerted force that something had to give away awa In the instance of a bridge the tramp of sev several several eral cral horses in unison can make it sway dangerously dangerous I and sometimes break it Ithen When hen the fight was as over the great mass of people made a rush to get out and the scuffling of the hundreds Inthe in inthe Inthe the direction of the stairway must have caused a that was tremendous tremendous tremendous dous The floor withstood the strain until the stairway gave away acting as asa asa asa a battering ram to break the camels back which had already been put under undera a tremendous strain The best way to put it Is to say sa that the platform or floor was put un under under under der a tremendous strain with the th re result result sult suit that It gave away And very un unfortunately unfortunately unfortunately fortunately several people were in injured injured Injured and others had the unpleasant experience of ot being drenched In the water which Is still sUll very cola cold and un uncomfortable uncomfortable uncomfortable comfortable We will be able to go into the case casein casein casein in greater detail today when we will have an opportunity at carefully ex examining examining examining the piling and supports I be believe believe behove lieve hove that my m reasons for the accident as I 1 have put them will require but Continued on Page Three SEETHING MASS OF FIGHT FANS CRASHES THROUGH COLISEUM Continued From Page One slight night alteration tomorrow when the investigation will be conducted Great crowds last summer at the Hippo Hippodrome Hippodrome drome tested the tho stability of the structure structure ture and it seemed safe sate I feel teel that t the Saltair management is Ia not at all responsible r for the accident nL nt Retort Attaches Commended Attaches of oZ the resort were first to adopt methods of ot systematic rescue and their apparent nt coolness was con cod volunteers enlisting their services servIces servIces ices until outstretched hands awaited every victim of the accident nt Deputy Sheriff J C Corliss who was one of the first to be ducked in the cold briny water was waa likewise one of ot the first to the rescue of his fel tel fellows fellows lows in misfortune Deputy Sheriff Claude Y T Russell who was also pre precipitated precipitated precipitated into the intangible mass be below below below low every effort to help others around him leaving thought of his own safety to the last The work of rescue by the deputy sheriffs was ably supplemented by the efforts of Dr Charles G Plummer who with George Hoffman threw off his clothes and aided others to safety safet Arthur Rose an of the resort Arthur Brazee night watchman and Ernest Larsen a workman at the re resort resort resort sort stripped md nd swam about in the chilly water seeking bodies of per persons persons sons who were reported to be drowned Joseph was also instrumental Instrumental instrumental mental in the th work of rescue Three women were precipitated into the water One was Mrs Lillie Gal Gallagher Gallagher Gallagher who was caught in a wedge of timbers and arid Injured Miss Emma Clark who was also drenched was res rescued rescued i cued after being slightly bruised and badly scared scare Another woman was res from the water So s far faras as obtainable the list of those who fell through the trap Is as fol follows follows follows lows M C Jacksch Larry Kilkenny Charles Jones Tones T B Jenkins T rvin Lynn John Dusan Dugan Carl Eddington lV v J Eve Kirk Jackson Charles Jones Tones JonesE E P Janney Janne Jake Take Snyder George Austin Paul Hagerty L 1 W Allen B A Hamlin J 1 G Scott C N Powell Dr C G Plummer M 31 Heiner Helner Joe Strang A P Greene Gus Ling Peter Hendricksen Claude Y 1 Russell George Makris J 1 U ldredge Jr Mike Pappas J C Corliss J Golen Con Gallagher D B Hempstead Lynn Doolan Officer Hilton Harry HarI Whitehead Emma Clark George Hoffman Unknown woman H F Schott Mrs Lillie LillieA A A S 5 Brown Gallagher Federal Official Injured J 1 U Eldredge Jr assayer In charge of the United d States assay office was thrown into the water with his two sons Bons Wayne Wane aged 13 and Vernon aged 11 He had gone t t the lake with the two boys bOs and Dudley and Lynn The party was wa on the stairs when the break came and all five tive were thrown Into the water Mr Eldredge was badly ba h bruised In the fall and later strangled In his efforts effort to save the two wo boys bOs both of whom behaved manfully and came through without injury Mr Eldredge was overcome and was taken to the train on a stretcher After a ride in a bag baggage baggage baggage gage coa he was taken to his home Second East street in an ambulance ambula lance la ce Cap Bridge and Joe were taxed to their utmost strength In n retrieving a negro Harry Jenkins Jenkin weighing nearly 50 pounds who was the last to be taken from the water although the rescuing party varty remained In the for some time looking for persons who might have been een caught beneath falling timbers rs and drowned The bar b r at nt the lake was waa opened and free whisky was served as a stimulant to those Iho cho had suffered a drench drenchIng ins Ing although others whose nerves re required required something of the same stimulant stimulant stimulant lant were denied and no liquor was sold The Tie injured were placed In cars can and brought to Salt Lake where all kinds of f conveyances were procured to take tak tak them th ni to their homes or hotels lUg Ills Crowd at Fight I fht n It Is estimated that fully tully 2500 per persons persons perSons sons attended the fight among the number being about fifty women Two special trains left the Saltair depot in this city one of fourteen cars and the other consisting of eight cars There wars wate also a a special train from Ogden All 11 of af the trains were crowded to the guards After the news of af the th accident reached the city groups of excited men and women gathered around the Salt Saltair Saltair Saltair air depot and nd discussed the probable extent of af the accident Among the number were many man who had friends friend a and relatives at the scene and there was much anxiety regarding their safe safet ty The first trains from tram the beach reached this city at midnight and the I crowd was soon g off the cars carsin carsIn carsIn in a mad rush to get et home and as far faras faras faras as possible from the scene of at the ac Ambulances were in waiting walting rt to convey the Injured to the hos hosP hospitals hospitals P In the baggage car were eight wounded men and these were quickly placed in ambulances and carriages and removed moved r to the hospitals or their homes Among the seriously injured was C M L Powell who sustained a broken leg He was removed to his home at 39 South State street Dr DrS S of Bingham who was on the train attended him William Edward Walsh former man manager manager manager ager of the Central stock exchange al also also also so sustained injuries which were sa said d to be slight The second train reached Salt Lake at 12 1245 45 this morning me tle crowd on this was not sa so great gr L Sher Sheriff iff Joseph C Sharp who had attended the fight tight was on the second train tram Ifo J declared that the work of af rescue had hadeen been een finished and that every even person had bad teen been taken taic n from the water Crater One On Onman O Oman man who would not give his name said that one of jf his sons s who had attended the fight Ead d not nat returned d home up p to toa toa toa a late hour and te feared the boy oy was drowned A Hero of the he Hour Hoar Some of ot those who had gone into Int nt the water when the crash c h came carne described upon their return to the city ome some of the scenes that tb followed A A haro lI ro of the hour was wag Arthur Atthur Rose according to these witnesses This plucky man mn was not among those who were pre precipitated precIpitated precipitated into the water when the crash came but he be aided largely in inthe inthe inthe the work of oi rescue r As soon as he ho could realize the situation he be forced his way y through the crowd that sur surrounded surrounded surrounded rounded the gaping cavity in the floor of the Coliseum and quickly divesting himself of f every article of clothing he leaped into the water and aided the work of rescue He H gave his attention first to the women of whom about three were struggling in the water Rose seized a woman around the waist and with a mighty effort lifted lUte her up to the rescuers above He re repeated repe repeated pe t d his action with the second and third woman Among the number who owe their safety to Mr Rose are Mrs Mr Lilly Gallagher and Emma Clark the Panic Charles Peters of at 5 South Fifth Eat East street in describing the panic that followed the accident said it was the worst he had ever witnessed Thompson had knocked Sullivan S out in the ninth round said sald he and when the referee counted nine over the pros prostrate prostrate man manthe the people rose to leave the building knowing that Sullivan was down and out The crowd made a rush for the entrance and the first thing I knew I 1 felt the floor giving way be beneath beneath beneath neath my feet teet Fortunately I was able to move backward in time to escape the plunge into the water but it was only by a hairsbreadth for tor after atter the crash I found myself standing at the edge of the opening I 1 looked down and could see nothing but mens and hats bobbing up and down There must have been over five feet of ot water there for a great number of those who went down were in the water over their heads The stairway which collapsed added to the danger and many people were pinned under this and how they managed to escape is a miracle I joined with the others In the work of at rescue and as far tar as I 1 know we got all of the people |