The daily union., 1856-11-01
THRILLING sCENE-ALMosT A TERRIBLE
TRAGEDY.

4 THRILLING SCENE-ALMOST A TERRIBLE
TRAGEDY.
We have already briefly alluded to the great speech de-
vered Lowell Tuesday evening last BY Hon Rufus
Choate correspondent OF the Boston Courier who
present aud heard the speech gives the following graphic
particulars Of what may be truly termed awfuy thrill
ing scene:
LOWELL, Tuesday night October IS.
The meeting was convened in Huntington Hail. over the
railway station Ladies admitted TO the galleries and
these hronged, the doors opened to the multitude.
TIE hall IS hundred and twenty By eighty feet At
o'clock it filed repletiou- Men stood packed
gether in the closest possible manner and it estimated
that there FIVE thousand persons within the walls
The crowd outside amounted 10 high numbers
The orator was hailed as man in Massachusetts, had
been hailed since Webster and everything promised
hour Of intellectual enjoyment and instruction rarely s
foEded and 4 satisfactory termination The meeting
TO order; organized the president Mr. Whipple
introduced and gracefully saying that be would not
deAn that this audience was here TO bear another and
while thus agreeably engaged q sound if from a
at distance filed ali ears and felt the floor yield
ing There Was general panic and movement toward
the platform and great deal Of excitement
Mr. Choae sitting the rostrum, calm, conempla
tive, and apparently Indifferent that be uncou-
cious of the shock He inquired Of gentemAn seated
him his characteristic way, Are sinking 70 the
earth ?? and being informed that the hall used for
dancing purposes and that il the sprng floor only
that had given way he observed Very we'll let 20
then But the crowd alarmed and il necessary
to aT that There danger and 70 that
Mr. Joseph Il. Rand, member Of the city government
and experienced architect, would go below and exam
Inc lhe building
anticipated the greeting with some tear lest it should
be the gna for destruction but passed with
any renewal OF the forewarning and the memory OF
the first shock efaced By the attractive elo-
quence and subde reasoning Of the All thought Of
danger Mr.. RAnds return everything selfish had given
place the pleasure Of the hour Mr. Choae had spoken
fully thirty minutes and bad reached that point Of his ad
tress-"What Ls II 10 you or what Is il TO the vast
innocent and quiet body Of couutrymen North and
South whose folly whose violence whose distrusL whose
for slavery against slavery Whoss ambition
low high responsible for the past present. when
smother dismal sound heard-ore sinking Of the floor
eIserienced there was a panic again and rush. Mr.
ChOats paused Nr. butler shouted that There no
danger Others gave similar assurances but the men
restive, The ladies alone were composed
Mr. Whippe attempted make himself heard but eout
not and Mr. Choate TO his assistance He urged
grnteen be calm and hrm that inspection Of the
budIng-thorough and satstActory-Would be made and
the place deemed safe orderly adournmeni
would be had
Mr. Batter stated that be would 20 below and endeAvoS
10 ascertain the true state Of things
Notwithstanding the threatening aspect of ars-the
hoor settled inches the Of the hall
than thousand men withdrew such WA the de-
sire enjoy fu the feast ot reason There
eommOtion IN tbe ladies gallery and a movement; but
confidence restored and for ten minutes general quiet
observed the part Of all
Bot Nr Butler returned and said Gentlemen although
have fall confidence 10 the strength Of this foOr although
an persuaded there danger ret such the or
feeling here think had better ADJOURN But let there
be no stAmpede-ruure in order
In les than i've minutes the hall empty, and al
escaped accident and harm.
And let say there WA danger-imminent and
awful Mr. Buter though be disguised his fears entered
the hall expecting TO leave il alive, and 10 bis
hrmuess and inrePdy credit should Be given FOR the
Of that great ooucourse Of and women
he discovered with Mr. Rand that the floor bad yielded
peruspthy that the noise which alarmed all the
swapping OF the stsnings and support that II the
audese removed the floor and the roof and
perhaps the sds walls, would come down. He dis
covered that certain tmbers and ois upon which The
floor rested had given add that the ceiling q The de-
pot beneath was opening and Threatening
Bat the audience retired IN order And without accident
The gentlemen the platform Of the last 70 leave
Ar CboAts while passing % he door for the hrst time
seemed indicate BY expression realization Of the dan
ger which en- nviroued The floor actually sunk under
hin two or three inches and be was beard TO remark
This gong but be retained bis sePnssession and
walked
think never beard him speak with sueh voice and
with such effect shall attempt description, however
suppose that Nr ChOats eo~f hardly have felt himself
cNled upon before f the ull Of his great
Intellectual resources Bot he has in this performance fer
3rr than usually alsO thrown his whole hsart and sou
he contemplation n great Euhc, before him and
'Le vrech marked with The aow and gush q true and
earnest feeling well cleaning with the FIRE Of genius
sun inevitably happens hs' the reader loses that ne
rrahls impression made by the the expression
tr the gesture Of speaker like Mr. Choats indeed
ser peculiar and original in the long sIs
n modern oratorE
CovwUxcArIou RETwErS CmcAso ArD QUEuEc.-We
says the Montreal Transcript that CON-
rany Of formation establish line of prope
sr between Chicago and Qusbec in conne1ion with our
lines The capital necessary 70 work the
csrn flOOOOo The Montreal merchants likely 70
have The line in their hauss those Of Quebec having
declined contribute towards il m importance must Be
clear 70 all Flour from Chicago win be brought to Mon
treal Vsry cheap rate and being shipped beard the
steamers viii be transported Europe At less
pense and in shorter period than BY the New York route
The prOpsller w in fact be the best feeders Of our
trade We have doubt the shares win Be taken up
and the boats built and ready for starting By the opening
n the navigation next spring.
VRgIuA EGRICULTURLL FAm-This exhibition (says the |
Baltimore Sum visited At Richmond, Wednesday
By immense oOucourse Of persons In the absence o
Professor McGuA Of the University, who was to deliver
he opening address, Governor Wise IN compliance with
he call Of many members Of the society, delivered brief
.xsmpors address 10 tho Arg, apart for that pur
2Ose The piokpookst gsairy 70 Be largely repre-
tpd A tha fair