1926-Fire causes 2 deaths at Yankee Stadium
Dec 30, 2023 15:48:15 GMT -5
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Post by fwclipper51 on Dec 30, 2023 15:48:15 GMT -5
Two Deaths at Yankee Stadium
May 19,1926-During the 5th inning of the 1st game of a scheduled doubleheader between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium, a sudden heavy rain-storm causes the crowd of 9,000 bleacher fans in Right-Field known as “Ruthville” stampede to the bleacher exits to get out of the rainstorm. The fan stampede to the stadium exits results in 2 deaths along with 62 people injured. A 59-year-old truck driver named Joseph T. Carter and a 17-year-old Hunter College student named Eleanor Price were the 2 fatal victims of the bleacher fans stampede to the exits. Joseph T. Carter had gone to the game at Yankee Stadium, hoping to see Babe Ruth hit No. 477 of his eventual 714 career HRs and watch Lou Gehrig add to his seemingly endless string of consecutively played ballgames. The Yankees were playing the Boston Red Sox. Joseph took his seat in that section of the right field bleachers known as “Ruthville” because where Babe Ruth had hit so many of his homeruns. It was a fateful decision.
The May 20,1929 edition of the New York Times describes the tragic event.
“Ruthville,” yesterday afternoon, was filled. The Stadium altogether held about 50,00 persons, the bleachers more than 9,000 and more than half of the latter in the desirable location. They wore straw hats and summer clothes, for the beginning of the 1st game of the scheduled New York Yankee-Boston doubleheader the sun was out.”
Bronx Bomber Sluggers Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig would hit back-to-back HRs in the 3rd inning off of Boston’s Jack Russell. Ruth’s ball went to the stop where, Joseph T. Carter sat, while Gehrig’s ball went to the left. The skies would begin to darken. Before the start of the 5th inning, the umpires decided to continue playing the game in spite of the threatening weather. After Ruth grounded out to the 1st base man making the 2nd out of the inning, Lou Gehrig started from the dugout to the plate. At that moment a tremendous deluge began and the patrons of Ruthville” ran for the exit. After this incident, the Yankees Team Owner Jacob Ruppert would announce that never again will the Yankees sell more tickets than seats.
May 19,1926-During the 5th inning of the 1st game of a scheduled doubleheader between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium, a sudden heavy rain-storm causes the crowd of 9,000 bleacher fans in Right-Field known as “Ruthville” stampede to the bleacher exits to get out of the rainstorm. The fan stampede to the stadium exits results in 2 deaths along with 62 people injured. A 59-year-old truck driver named Joseph T. Carter and a 17-year-old Hunter College student named Eleanor Price were the 2 fatal victims of the bleacher fans stampede to the exits. Joseph T. Carter had gone to the game at Yankee Stadium, hoping to see Babe Ruth hit No. 477 of his eventual 714 career HRs and watch Lou Gehrig add to his seemingly endless string of consecutively played ballgames. The Yankees were playing the Boston Red Sox. Joseph took his seat in that section of the right field bleachers known as “Ruthville” because where Babe Ruth had hit so many of his homeruns. It was a fateful decision.
The May 20,1929 edition of the New York Times describes the tragic event.
“Ruthville,” yesterday afternoon, was filled. The Stadium altogether held about 50,00 persons, the bleachers more than 9,000 and more than half of the latter in the desirable location. They wore straw hats and summer clothes, for the beginning of the 1st game of the scheduled New York Yankee-Boston doubleheader the sun was out.”
Bronx Bomber Sluggers Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig would hit back-to-back HRs in the 3rd inning off of Boston’s Jack Russell. Ruth’s ball went to the stop where, Joseph T. Carter sat, while Gehrig’s ball went to the left. The skies would begin to darken. Before the start of the 5th inning, the umpires decided to continue playing the game in spite of the threatening weather. After Ruth grounded out to the 1st base man making the 2nd out of the inning, Lou Gehrig started from the dugout to the plate. At that moment a tremendous deluge began and the patrons of Ruthville” ran for the exit. After this incident, the Yankees Team Owner Jacob Ruppert would announce that never again will the Yankees sell more tickets than seats.
