Thanksgiving Special: Big Game Disaster of 1900
The Disaster
On Thanksgiving Day, November 29, 1900, one of the biggest sport's disasters in American history took place in San Francisco, CA. On this day the entire city was excited for a football game between college rivals: Stanford and Cal Berkeley. A crowd of over 19,000 people came to Recreation Park in the mission. But men and boys who couldn't afford the price of a ticket or couldn't get in found another place to watch the game. It's estimated that 500-1000 people stood atop the Pacific Glass Works with a clear view of the football match. The roof of the Glass Works was not equipped to handle the weight and 20 minutes into the game it broke open from the middle. Beneath the victims of this terrible disaster was a roaring furnace and a 45 foot drop onto hard firebrick. In all 23 people would die horrible deaths and countless others would be hurt in a forgotten tragedy.
One of the firefighters on the scene, Captain C. J. Hogan described the scene: "I saw shocking sights during the war, but what I saw yesterday was the most heartrending I have ever witnessed. I have seen 100 men lying wounded on a battlefield, but it was nothing to the scene in the glass works."
Stanford vs. Cal Berkeley
San Francisco Examiner, November 29, 1900
The Big Game
On November 29, 1900, Thanksgiving Day, two rival teams met at San Francisco's Recreation Park to play. The Stanford Cardinals and the Cal Berkeley team had the entire city hyped for their appearance. Stores began to sell dark red and blue and gold items and the streets were filled with anticipation.
The two teams were considered a good matchup and everyone believed the game would be a good one. On the 29th those who bet were looking at 10-7 odds that Stanford would win but just earlier in the week those odds had been dead even.
Both teams held rallies at home before travelling to the city. Over 19,000 people would flood to see the game and many more would come down to find a way to see the game even without the $1 for a ticket.
Recreation Park
"Central Park"
Recreation Park was on 16th Street between Folsom and Harrison Street. It would be one of several Recreation Parks. In 1906, this one would be destroyed by the San Francisco Earthquake and would be rebuilt in another area of the mission.
In 1900, this area was an industrial area with factories all around. Many of the people working here also lived here and that included immigrants.
The Glassworks
The Pacific Glassworks was across the street from Recreation Park on 15th Street. It had gone through renovations and over the month of November the workers had been readying the furnace to be at peak performance the following Monday. The factory itself consisted of two buildings about 100 feet in length. Around the factory were two fences. One side was a 8 foot wood fence with two feet of barbed wire on top. On the other side was a 12 foot fence. Inside each building was a furnace.
San Francisco Examiner, November 30, 1900
San Francisco Examiner, November 30, 1900
The Furnace from Glassworks
On the day of November 29, 1900, one of the furnaces was on and employees were readying it for Monday. Twelve gallons of molten glass sat inside a furnace that ran much of the length of the building. Inside the furnace it was 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit and around the furnace where firebrick held it together it was 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Around the furnace were hot pipes where oil kept the fires going.
Outside the building workers tried to keep people from coming inside. Though several stories would surface of people being bribed or threatened to let people inside. The roof above the furnace was only strong enough to keep a ventilator in place and not to hold the weight of a crowd.
This is the area Charles Yots (aka Ignace Jocz) and Clarence Jeter were working when the roof caved in.
Newspaper Photos
The Inquest
During the week following the disaster over 200 people were interviewed to give a better picture of what had happened. On December 5, 1900 an inquiry was held and over 50 witnesses testified. Workers from the Glass Factory testified, as did members of various police stations. The room was filled with family and loved ones of victims. The jurors at one point became very angry with the lack of effort on behalf of police. At the end of the inquest it was ruled that only the victims carried any blame for the Thanksgiving Day disaster.
The Victims
Hector McNeill, 15
November 29, 1900Charles Monahan, 34
November 29, 1900Fred Lilly, 21
December 3, 1900Thomas Rippon,24
November 29, 1900Cornelius McMahon, 12
November 30, 1900Eben Pearson Tice, 39
December 1, 1900Robert Miller, 15
November 29, 1900Mekke Van Dyk, 46
November 29, 1900J.A. Mulroney, 38
November 29, 1900Charles Cummings, 15
December 1, 1900John Brough, 19
November 30, 1900Talleyrand Barnwell, 15
November 29, 1900Ellery Crandell, 13
December 1, 1900William Eckfeldt, 12
November 29, 1900Edgar Flahavan, 11
November 29, 1900William Valencia, 18
November 29, 1900Leon Girard, 16
November 30, 1900Robert Harrison, 15
Lawrence Miel, 9
November 30, 1900Dante Monaco, 16
November 30, 1900Virgil Newby, 15
November 30, 1900Moses Ottenstein, 15
November 30, 1900Thomas Pedler, 28
3 years after 1900Big Game Score
The Stanford/Berkeley Football game continued even as the Glass Works roof caved in and people were dying. In the game it was believed that the event was a way to draw attention from the players and maybe gain a game advantage. In the last five minutes Stanford won the game with a 5 pt field goal.
The Heroes
In all 23 people died after the roof caved in at the Pacific Glass Works and over 80 others were hurt. It was difficult to find exact figures on those who were hurt as it was difficult to find how many people helped the dead and wounded. By all accounts many people who were at the scene, came upon the scene, or even involved in the horrible disaster, work diligently to help others. Doctors and nurses around the city worked, often performing many surgeries, in an attempt to save the lives of the people who fell from the roof. The coroner spent considerable effort to respect the victims as well as identify them and make sure the bodies were sent home for services and burial. There are many people whose names we'll never know who helped but below are a few that were highlighted by the newspapers at the time.
Charles Yotz (aka Igance Jocz) & Clarence Jeter
Many of the people at the Pacific Glass Factory did everything they could to help the boys and men who fell from the roof. Charles Yotz and Clarence Jeter were mentioned over and over for their heroics. Jeter rushed to shut the oil valve off and then pulled 9 people from the furnace. Yotz pulled at least 20 burning his hands in the process. Both men went back to work that same day.
People in the area pulled victims onto anything they had and rushed them to hospitals or their homes.
A small boy, only called Reedy, helped man after man either home or to the hospital.
Firefighters were quickly on the scene and many risked their own lives saving men and boys from the rafters and the walls of the Pacific Glass Works. One fireman, John Blythe, who was off duty at the time, heard of the disaster, commandeered a nearby horse and went to the scene where he took victims to hospitals and homes as quickly as possible.
Another firefighter went to the scene and unexpectedly found his own son among the injured.
At the hospitals doctors and nurses sprung into action. They also sent out a call to anyone willing to come in and volunteer to help the injured. Citizens from all walks of life came to the aid of victims. Tax collector Harry Scott was one of the first volunteers and he was shown how to bandage and dress wounds. Many, many more volunteers would follow.