ACCIDENT AT CHIARINI'S CIRCUS IN MELBOURNE.

Evening Star, Issue 3185, 6 May 1873, Page 3

ACCIDENT AT CHIARINI'S CIRCUS IN MELBOURNE.

The Australasian of the I9th ult. gives the .following account of this accident, a few particulars of which we had already by telegraph During a performance at Chiarini’s Circus an accident occurred, which, if the audience had not exhibited more eclf-command than a crowd in a large building usually does, might have been attended with very disastrous consequences. As it happened, only three or four persons were injured. On the I4th the attendance at the place was very large, every available foot of ground being openpied, and there must have been over 3,00/) persons present. The performances had passed off very successfully, and the audience had not ctased laughing at the tricks of the two ponies Arleqqin and Mosca, when a crash was heard from the direction of the faiyily circle, and this was immediately followed by loud cries, and looking to the. place whence the noise proceeded, we could see a number of people disappearing through the floor. There was a general cry of “ Keep your seats,” and fortunately those who were unhurt made no attempt to get out of tie building. On a searcfi fyeiug iqade for those who had disappeared, it was discovered that some twenty w thirty persons had fallen to the ground. Of these but fqur, so far as could ho ascertained, were hurt-. A Mrs Stpith, who residps at the Earl of Zetland Hotel, Cojliiiewpod, bad hey head cut, and was bruisea about the shoulder j her daughter fainted from tbe fright, but otherwise sustained no damage j Mrs Campbell, wife of a gentleman in Fitzroy, received a shock to the system ; and a Mr Thomas Campbell, who had come from Qucenscliff with his family to spend tie holidays in Melbourne, received a cut on the head and some bruises on the side. Dr Motherwell, who was in the circus at the time, attended to the casualties ; and all the persons who were injured were sent to theif homes iu cabs provided by the proprietors of the circus. As to the cause of the accident, it seems that one of the “ stringers,” which is made of Baltic pine, was unable to bear the pressure, and broke in the middle, the result being, of course, that the planks that were resting on it fell to the ground. Just at the place of fracture there was a knot in the wood, but otherwise the timber seemed sound enough. The existence of the knot was no doubt the cause of the accident.