Barbara Walters Event Evacuated; Balcony Support Beam Shifts
POSTED: 9:02 pm EDT May 23, 2008
UPDATED: 7:29 pm EDT May 25, 2008
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PORTSMOUTH, N.H. -- An event at the Portsmouth Music Hall featuring journalist and ABC news anchor Barbara Walters was abruptly stopped on Friday night when audience members sitting in the balcony felt the building shift.
Portsmouth Music Hall Evacuated After Support Beam ShiftsThe Building Inspector, Richard Hopley, said a weld supporting one of the nine columns cracked causing the column to shift three quarters of an inch. The shift experienced by some of the patrons in the balcony was caused by this broken weld.Witnesses said that they heard a loud crack in the balcony area. People sitting in the balcony moved to another location and the event continued.The building was later evacuated and the show was stopped as fire officials arrived to inspect the building.Nobody was hurt, and the event will not be rescheduled. Portsmouth music hall will give refunds if customers request them. The box office will be open on Saturday to handle those requests.Walters was speaking to a sold out crowd in Portsmouth promoting her new book "Audition" which details her personal life and career in television.
Portsmouth Music Hall Evacuated After Support Beam ShiftsThe Building Inspector, Richard Hopley, said a weld supporting one of the nine columns cracked causing the column to shift three quarters of an inch. The shift experienced by some of the patrons in the balcony was caused by this broken weld.Witnesses said that they heard a loud crack in the balcony area. People sitting in the balcony moved to another location and the event continued.The building was later evacuated and the show was stopped as fire officials arrived to inspect the building.Nobody was hurt, and the event will not be rescheduled. Portsmouth music hall will give refunds if customers request them. The box office will be open on Saturday to handle those requests.Walters was speaking to a sold out crowd in Portsmouth promoting her new book "Audition" which details her personal life and career in television.Copyright 2008 by TheBostonChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
