The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1850-05-23
MAY-DAY CALAMITY.

Ject OF annexation Of his llawaain majes;y's dom
inions to the United States"
MAY-DAY CALAMITY.
AZ our readers desire to learn the par
ticu'ars of The distressing occurrence a, ST.
Louis on the Is. Of May, we publish the
following article, written BY the editor Of
tho ln'eIIigenccr rs an eye witness and
over his own signature:
6npposing that the public would like 10 hear the
particulars ofthis terrible calamit, from an eye
witness, and az happened 10 be present and Wit
messed The whole Catastrophe, / have concluded
10 give description Of the scene over my own
signature, as being more convenient fern for The
narrative, than il were to publish il in the shape
Of an editorial.
On Wednesday evening, list May) the young
ladies' OF the school had prepared 10 celebrate the
occasion with music, tahleanx, chatades, &t /,
and had invited their parents and other friends 10
the exhibition The school-room is in the Sc
cond story Of the building. with straight stair
way leading up from Filth street. At the head
o. the stairs is door opening 10 the right into the
scoohl-room, where the exhibition was to take
place. Just 10 the left Of the door upon entering
stage had been erected across the ives. end Of the
room, being the end most remote from the street.
About eight o'c'ock the y.'ung ladies Of the
school-near a hundred in hnmber-had assem-.
bed and were ranged in seats in front OF ihe stage
IL front OF the pupils were the audience, consist
ing Of perhaps one hundred and fifty persons,
about one-half Of whom were ladies The exercises
had progressed for about one hour, and the yGung
ladies' we're enacting scene in charade, the an-
dience being chiefly standing, and having pressed
up asnear as possible TO the stage. when sndden-
~ there was sharp. crashing noise, rs il some
thing was civ ng way. My impression a. the mo-
ment was that the Stage was falling. Pn, in the
next moment there was terrible crashing noise
and Immediately in front Of where I was standing
with my wife, saw the the aoor crack and sink
within two feet of us; and instantly the whole
floor in fsoss Of as, including the stage, fell in
with dreadful ..rash and men, women, and chill
dren disappeared from onr sight, in the twinkling
OF an eye, mingled with the falling imbers, chairs,
book cases, and other furniture. | knew that
two oil m, chi 'dren, a daughter Of sixteen, and
. son Of abou: twelve years of age, were amongst
the fallen mass With what anguish my wife
and myself were overwhelmed in that terrible mo-
ment, may be imagined, but cannot be described.
Fortunately narrow strip Of H.. floor, leading
TO the door, remained firm, BY which we were
enabled 10 reach the stairway. We hurried dossh
10 the street, and was amongst the FIRST Nho wit
messed the terrible spectacle be.ow. On enter
ing the lower story, found that the falling mass
hat crushed in the floor below, ami that the whole
had been prrcipitated into the cellar, which
discovered was partly filled with water. There
saw, mingled With the fallen timbers, a mass Of
at least one hundred human beings, men, women
and children, shrieking, writing and struggling,
whilst at the same time the most appalling
scream. were heard from those outside The bull
diny-m others calling fer their chi dren-hns-
bands and brothers utering, in the most despair
ing accents the names OF their wives and sisters.
! pray j: may never be my fortune 10 witness q
gan such scene OF horror and anguish. I" my
great relief, however, one nf the first persons
whom recognized By the dim light on en'e ing,
was my daughter, who had ex,riea'ed herself aud
was endeayoring TO chamber over he fallen tim
bsrs She was soon taken oni. not seriously M
inred OFT the faie OF my son was wholly igne-
rant Tor more than an hour Il appeared after
wa,ds that he had fallen PARTIAL, into n. water,
with several persons lying across his boay, but
mracnI .,,sly escaped, without the slightest 'nju-
ry. refer 10 these details relating 10 my own
family, only as an illustration oi many simiiaf
eases.
Gradually, and by the aid Of our gallant lire
men, the dead the dying and III MANNED were re-
moved from the ruins, and then came the rec"ghi-
ton OF friends, the reunion OF families--Soine
Joyful and full Of consolation--others sad and
heart -rending beyond measure. In recurring to
the sc.ne, with all its attendent hsrrors, can
lives II seems indeed, almost miraculous, that
ont of one hundred who we're fhns buried a.
mongst the fallen timbers, 80 tew were ser,cmsiy
injured. J. .. CRoChhi1'
The 'CuBAN ExpEplrros."--Esery day
there is some new disclosure Of the move
mcn,s and design OF the peop.e who are
understood to be engaged in the scheme OF
making II revolution in Cuba, and para
graphs are circulated in the papers 10 the
effect that the Cuban invaders have issued
script which is Tor sale in the markets, thus
convey iug the idea that meH Of substance
are embarked ia this nefarious scheme
| All such iniimaiions are untrue, and orlgi-
nate 10 design 70 gull the public. we
happen TO know little about this great
proiecr, aud the men who are At the botsom
ol Il. There never was more bold, con-
temptible swindle, and most Of the movers
are mere triclss,ers and gamblers, nen who
havo lived upon their wits for years, halt
the time nearly starved on account o. the
smnlIness Of tho capital. il is true that
script has been hawked sbout in several oi
1.-The Atlantic cities; but it is knowHto have
no value whatever, md money enough has
no. been raised upon il, to pay for washing
the dirty linen Of the two or three adsen-
turers at the seat Of government, who
profess 10 have the matter in charge
There is no organized plan far meddIlng
with Cuba. A few diiapidatsd individuals
are continually making noise about the
thing, but il is nothing but = desperate
shift 10 raise the wind.-Bgf El7re's.