Delaware journal. [volume] (Wilmington [Del.]) 1827-1832, 1828-05-13
NARRATIVE OF JOHN WILLIAMS,
One Of the persons avho buried alive the ruins
Of the Brunswick London) Theatre.


Of the Brunswick (London) Theatre. l.,
TAKEN DOWN FROM HIS CONVERSATION IN THE q
HOSPITAL.
The theatre was at length opened although the |
internal work was not all finished. was in atten-
dance at the fatal rehearsal of the 18th February,
in the course of my duty. As was passing across
the stage was arrested by the voice of new Is
actress voice that had fingered in my ear In {
spite of every thng.-Th earnestness of my gaze
was observed by one of my fellow workmen, who Is
informed me the lady whom seemed to admire so '
much was Mrs. -, Mrs.-! She was married |
forgot a the moment, my situation, my dress, the
prophecies OF time and place, and rushed for
ward to demand from her own lips confirmation
or denial Vt the truth of what had heard. That
motion SAVED my life. There was heard at the in
slant sound which cannot describe by crash, or
roar, or any other initiative word in the language J;
1 it was not loud--nor shrill--nor hollow perhaps
| its associations in my memory with what followed
may have fixed Its peculiar character in mymnd-l
| but can only describe it to the imagination by
kening it ones conception of the harsh, grating,
sullen yetabrupt noise of the grave stone when 1t
shall be suddenly raised from its sandy, cammy bed
at the sounding of the last trumpet. One OF the
actors rushed across the stage, and darted out by
the door, Of the rest, those who were speaking
stopped in the middle of a word the hand raised
lin passion not dropped the moving crowd OIL
human beings stood still, if by one impulse 81
There was a pause of two OF three seconds. Some,
whose mind more present, raised their eyes to
the roof; but the rest were motlonless, in the
vagrant organs Of vision, and stood mute and still
like gallery of statues. cannot attempt to des-
cribe the sound which awoke the scene from this
appearance of death, only to give it the reality
would liken it to thunder if you could mlngle the
idea Of the explosion with that of its efectsor to
the rush ola mighty torrent you could fancy ANAL
gamaed it We're, in its roar the typical voices OF
PAIN and sorrow, and confusion and struggling, and
death. staggered back, and nearly fell into an
Iabyss that was cloven into the floor by fragment
ofthe iron roof on the very spot where had stood
|but a moment before. While rushing up the side
of the newly formed precipce to regain my footing
lby the single terrific glance had time and light to
cast behind, saw that the iron and wood were wet
with blood and brains and the other horrible mys
lteries of aman's inner body and that the !" living
aoul'' had just talked to was not to be recognized
lby the sight, as ever having borne the external char
acterstics Ct human being
The light was suddenly shut out-and yet so slow.
ly as to nfic upon my sight that which will ever
Island between it and the sum- Fragment after frag
ment rushed furousy from the roof, butyet so thick
lily intermingled that cannot at this moment sa,
whether or not the of the roof was disuntet
at all in its descent. Then the bursting ofthe walls
the grating of the stones and bricks as they wer
wooden partitions-the kissing sound of the lamp
and brass work--the damp crush of human bodies
the yells of mortal agony from hundred hearts
which seemed wilder and stronger even than tn
inanimate sounds that had called them into being
to choke, conquer, ands silence them forever
All was dark. A weight was upon my shoul
der which an Atlas could not have moved /; my lei
leg was fixed between two planks, and, as discoy
cred by feeling with my hand before the pain ar
nounced it, it was broken and distorted; the sid
outline of the narrow chamber in which sat woul
have nearly described right anged Triangle, tn
hypothenuse leaning on my back /; above, coul
extended my arm at full length without an obst
Gle, but the aperture could not have admitted an
thing thicker than the arm before me was wa
apparently of solid iron, and below and at the side
the surface consisting OF iron, brick, stones, ar
:. wood, was broken into narrow interstces.
OF When the united sounds | have described he
the subsidized into distant hum, single voice ros
the upon my ear was the voice Of the lady mento
ed above; ii was one wild, shrl, unbroken screar
unc do not know how long it lasted; do not eve
4 Vi know whether it was human voice at all it d
not stop for breath its way was not impeded III
= that of the rest, by the Intervention OF the rum
uee' minute after minute it continued and every mnu
it became wilder and shriller, piercing, like an a
row through my head and heart, till my tortu
). ed senses found temporary relief in insensibilit
this NV faining.ft probably lasted a considerab
, at time for, when recovered it was long before
be could understand my situation, OF recall any thi
that had happened to my memory. Atlength, pie
by piece, the truth came before me, and ! cou
r. feel the cold sweet trckling down my brow. Il
- voice had heard existed probably only in imas
nation, for it was now silent. low deep SOU
with was hummng in my ears, which could at leng
nrs distinguish to be the simultaneous groans of hum
are beings, separated from me either by distance
re- some thick and impenetrable barrier.-My ear e
rter deavoured in vain to divide II INTO lis comPohe
narts and to recognize the voices of those kne,
ter, NV Senses believe, began to totter for cor
ella. planed aloud of my lonely fate knew that W
behaving absurdly. but could not helpit; be