Seattle first gay bar leg

Parade organizers instead wanted a fire truck, which a local named Morris Hart, who operated an antique shop in Pioneer Square, supplied. For some reason, Hart opted to include a confetti cannon, and he attached it to the rear of the truck. The cannon possessed a three-foot barrel, and inside its interior tube, called a bore, Hart and his son stuffed two ounces of black powder and shredded paper.

The fire truck pulled the cannon through the streets of Pioneer Square, a spectacle that drew a crowd. Among the spectators was a transplant from Florida named Shelly Bauman. Sometime after pm, excited parade-goers climbed atop the cannon where they lit fireworks.

Perhaps because of the weight of those gathered on top, the barrel, which had been pointed skyward, descended until it aimed into the crowd. The cannon fired. For reasons that remain unclear, the confetti paper inside had wadded together.

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The wad struck Bauman in the abdomen and knocked her onto Occidental Street. Her wounds were grave. Near death, she was transported to a hospital, where surgeons cut into her pelvic bone and amputated her left leg. She underwent subsequent operations, resulting in a nine-month recovery. Bauman, who would require a wheelchair for the rest of her life, sued Hart, parade organizers, and the City of Seattle, whose police officers she alleged ignored a loaded weapon at a public event.

Before the accident, Bauman had befriended several gay men who shared a house. One of them was Pat Nesser, who wanted to open a bar. Before the disco had opened, owners had proposed several names, many of which state licensers deemed too sexual. Inside the tanker was 3, gallons of gasoline, and an attached trailer carried 4, gallons more.

The driver lost control, the truck hit a guardrail, and the trailer unhitched. It exploded. Flaming gas rained on a passing train below and cars parked near the Leg. The train cars contained potash and paper products, absorbing the flames. It turned out to be the start of last call. Even though the Leg reopened, it never recovered.

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