The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-23 00:00:00

THE FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE SURREY

GA ItDENS.

ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.

From observations made on the spot it is now certain
that death in every case ensued upon the circular stone
staircase leading from the first gallery to the ground-
floor, in the north-western tower of the building. It is
also a fact that every one of the persons killed sat or
stood during the service until the alarm was given in
that first gallery ; and—what is perhaps more remark.
able than all else—the very individuals who came by
this violent end were precisely those nearest the place
of exit, and who were the first to run for safety at the
earliest manifestation of the panic. The man Samuel
Heard, the young woman named Johnson, Har-
riet Barlow, Mrs. Skepper, and probably Harriet
Matthews also, all stood immediately within the door-
way leading on to the fatal staircase, and were, therefore,
one would have thought, in the best possible position
fur effecting a safe retreat. They were likewise the first
to run. But, as the event unhappily proved, it was far
otherwise. They were all trodden to death en the stairs
—even the strong man, Samuel Heard, of all men the
most likely to be able to hold his own i❑ a crowd.
After the balustrade gave way to the pressure of the
crowd there was an example of female heroism and the
force of maternal love deserving a passing record.
Susannah Heard, a young married woman, her husband,
and their little boy, with many others, were jammed up
on the stairs and unable to make any progress one way
or the other. She stood nearest the balustrade, and to
save her little boy from suffocation she held him a con-
siderable time over the hand-rail by the neck above the
well of the stairs. At that time a man—probably Geo.
Lane, now in Guy's Hospital with a comminuted frac-
ture of the right arm—was wedged so forcibly against
an iron pillar which supported the stairs that she and
her husband could distinctly hear the bones of his arm
snap several times. When the balustrade gave way her
husband put his arm round her and kept her from
falling through the gap, she standing while he did so on
only one leg, with the other banging over the edge of
the stairs,. and still holding her little boy over the gulf.
By-and-by the pressure slackened, and she was relieved
from this perilous position. The husband at this moment
took hold of a woman standing near him in the crowd
to prevent her from falling, and he found she was dead.
It is remarkable, as showing how gregarious a crowd
is, that though the means of exit from the building are
so many, the greater part of the people in the first gal-
lery, where all the mischief was done, appear to have
made for one door, there being at least three others
equally convenient, and affording equal facilities of
escape.

The Hall on Tuesday remained as it appeared after
the accident, with one exception—most of the articles of
wearing apparel had been removed, but the broken
glass and fractured portions of the staircase remained
where they fell, in order that the coroner and jury might
view the Hall, to satisfy their minds as to the exact
cause of the numerous deaths.
A further inspection by the officials of the company
took place on Tuesday, several scientific gentlemen being
present, but nothing transpired to alter the decision
previously arrived at, that no cause for alarm existed
before the cry of "Fire !" was raised.
We regret to state that the police authorities on Tues-
day received information of several other cases of persons
being seriously if not fatally injured. In fact, the reporter
was informed by Serjeant Coppin that another death had
been reported to him. His statement is that a lady, the
wife of a City tradesmen, residing in Fenchurch-street,
was carried out of the dense crowd by some friends who
had accompanied her to the gardens, and was placed by
them in a cab. She was then insensible, and upon
arriving at home, medical aid was obtained, but her in-
juries were so extensive that she expired on Tuesday
morning.
Jame/ Clare, whose name has not until now transpired
as a sufferer, lies at 17, Stamford-street, Blackfriars, with
ribs broken on both sides and also a broken collar bone.
Superintendent Lund also gave the reporter the parti-
culars of another very serious case. A lady, residing in
the Dover road, bad been in conversation with Mrs.
Lund during the evening, and when the rush was made
she was carried away with it, but Mrs. Lund maintained
her position. The next that was seen of this poor woman
was her lying on the floor, bleeding most profusely from
the face. She was raised, and carried into Mr. Tyler's
room, where it was found that, in addition to other in-
juries, the right cheek had been cut right through, the
unfortunate individual having had her head thrust
against the broken glass in one of the windows. One of
the surgeons, who was rendering every assistance in his
power, sewed up the wound as quickly as possible, and,
having bound her head up in a towel, ordered her instant
removal to the hospital or her own residence. Yester-
day she was still in a very precarious condition, the
wound being of a fearful character.
Another case reported to the police is rather singular.
Mrs. Kelly, a nurse at Guy's Hospital, was seriously
injured in the confusion. No one present could identify
her, but when she was conveyed with the other sufferers
to Guy's Hospital she was soon recognised as a nurse
connected with that institution.

The mystery surrounding the little girl in Guy's Hos-
pital has been cleared up. Her name is Keston, and
she is the niece of the unfortunate Mrs. Mead, whose
name appeared amongst the killed. The deceased took
the child to the hall, and in the rush they got separated,
and while the chill escaped with her life her protector
perished. The child is not likely to die. She has sus-
tained only a slight scalp wound, but suffers considerably
from being so frightened. The death of her friend some-
what explains why she was not inquired for immediately
after the accident became known.