Bronx, NY Claremont Park Porch Collapse, Jul 1909

100 PLUNGE INTO PIT AS PORCH COLLAPSES

Storm-bound Men, Women, and Children in Claremont Park Dropped Into a Cellar.

TWENTY-SIX ARE INJURED

Panicstricken, Those on the Porch Fight Desperately, and Thousands Clamor About the Scene.

Twenty-six persons were injured, most of them not seriously, yesterday afternoon at 5:40 o'clock, when the flooring of a porch at the old Zabriskie house in Claremont Park, Webster Avenue and 170th Street, the Bronx, suddenly caved in, dropping more than 100 people fifteen feet to a cellar below. They had fled to the porch to gain protection from the rainstorm.

There were 5,000 other people in the park at the time of the accident, and these rushed to the park house when they heard the screams. Reports of the accident spread quickly, and 5,000 more came storming up to look for relatives. Standing at the brow of the hill that looks down five or six blocks to Wendover and Third Avenues, the police reserves of four stations fought the fight of their lives to hold back the 10,000 screaming, scratching supposed relatives of supposedly injured people. They were only partly successful.

The panic, the excitement, and loss of clothing were the most serious incidents of the crash. After it was all over the police transferred to the Tremont Avenue Station a wagon load of wigs, hair combs, baby carriages, torn hats, purses, cravats, luncheon baskets, pillows, and one copy of "The Wandering Jew." There was a constant stream of identifying owners to the station last night.

The Injured List.

ABRAMWITZ, DOROTHY, 22, 1,712 Livingston Avenue, shock; sent home.
ABRAHAM, ADOLPH, address unknown, contusions of the face; home.
ADELSTEIN, IDA, 19, 493 Wendover Avenue, contusions of the face and back; home.
ADELSTEIN, SARAH, 40, 493 Wendover Avenue, abrasions of right leg; home.
BRACKMAN, ISIDOR, 29, 99 Seventh Street, contusions of left leg; home.
BERKOSKY, SOPHIE, 35, 174 Bathgate Avenue, left leg and collarbone broken; Lebanon Hospital.
BENDER, FRANCIS, 20, 1472 Washington Avenue; left leg broken; home.
COPPERWITZ, DAVID, 16, 4058 Third Avenue; bruises of the head and face; Lebanon Hospital.

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