The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-27 00:00:00

Fearful Accident.

Last evening a fearful accident occurred at the Catholic
Free Schoolrooms, St. Peter's-street, attached to the Church
of St. Mary's, Horseferry-road, Westminster. The build-
ing adjoined the model lodging-houses in St. Peter's-
street, and was a somewhat ornamental structure. The
basement floor was used in part as a playroom for the
children after school hours, and the upper floor as the
schoolroom. It was about 60 feet long and 30 feet wide.
The church to which the school is attached being in debt,
those in authority established a lottery to clear it off, and
tickets were sold among the congregation and others in
the district, entitling the winners to certain prizes. The
invitation was as follows :—" A. M. D. C. No. . A
grand drawing of prizes in aid of the Church of St. Mary's,
Horseferry-road, Westminster, will take place in West-
minster on Thursday, the 26th of January, 1865." The
list of prizes included a handsome ormolu Paris clock, an
ivory crucifix, a very handsome cabinet, a handsome tea
service, a lady's silver watch, a very handsome missal
register, lace (church pattern), a musical snuffbox, a port-
folio desk, besides many other valuable prizes, . including
gold brooches, gold rings, writing desks, travelling cases,
ladies' workboxes, dolls, statuary, vases, pictures in
frames, purses, stereoscopes, photographic albums, &c.
The tickets were sold at 6d. each, and were to be bad
of the Rev. G. Lambert, Rev. W. Cardwell, and Rev. V.
Zanetti, 12, Earl-street, Westminster ; also the Rev. P.
Gallwey and fathers of Farm-street Church, at 9, Hill-
street, Berkeley-square. The meeting took place, and
at a quarter past 8 the distribution of the prizes had be-
gun, when suddenly and without any notice whatever a
portion of the flooring gave way. There were at the time
nearly 500 persons—men, women, and children—in the
schoolroom. Without the slightest warning one of the
beams which crossed from the eastern to the western side
gave way, and upwards of 100 persons were thrown down
to the floor beneath, amid the frightful screams and ago-
nising cries of those who were injured. It was at first
supposed that a fire had burst out, and to a certain extent
such an impression was a fortunate one, for the alarm being
given the Fire Brigade men hastened to the spot, foremost
among whom was Conductor James Cottrell, of the
Escape Brigade. He rendered most invaluable assistance
in rescuing men, women, and children from the windows
of the building. In their agony and fright they tore down
the window sashes, and would have leapt to the ground
beneath had they not been restrained by the police. A
large number of the wounded were conveyed to the West-
minster Hospital, where they were at once attended to.
Thirty persons remain there, of whom several are not ex-
pected to survive. Nearly 50 were attended to and enabled
to leave, while a great many were conveyed to the resi-
dences of their friends without receiving hospital treat-
men'. Among the severely injured, wo regret to state that
.Miss Adelaide Fallen, the matron of the Penitentiary,
remains in Westminster Hospital. Up to the time of this
report being written no dead bodies had been discovered.