The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-03-13
FALLING o THE FLOOR or ST MARFS
CHURCH

From the oswego IN. " Palladium of the othl
The most awful calamity occurred last evening about
fifteen minutes after seven o'clock at st. Mary's (Catho-
lic) Church that has ever transpired in this city.
A mission was opened at the Church on Sunday last by
Missioners belonging to the order of Redemptorists, and
the congregations have been immense every evening
since, every seat being crowded and the aisles also, with
interested listeners of all classes of citizens. Last evening
suother overwhelming audience had assembled to listen
to q discourse on the subject Of ''The Last Judgment
The church was literally packed with people. The ex-
ercises of the evening had just commenced, or we're
about to commence, when about one third of the floor,
Immediately in front of the altar, gave way, from the
immense weight, and fell to the basement, precipitating
about one third of the audience in an indisoriminate mass
into the abyss below.
The scene that ensued is beyond the power of language
to describe. The groans, shrieks, prayers, and supplica-
tions of the mass of human beings thus thrown into a
confused heap into the chasm below, as well as the hor-
ror-stricken mass beside, in the other part OF the house,
was awful beyond description. Those who were upper
most in the precipiiated mass struggled to escape by
climbing up and over each other, ~trampling under those
beneath. 9..# .. rr.
A universal panic seized the whole of the assemblage
instantly. A terrific rush was made by those on that
part of the floor not fallen, to escape from the house,
lmid the shrieks and groans of those being trampled I'M
der foot. p"
The alarm was soon spread by the shouts and lamenta-
tons of the frantic crowd, and the bells were rung, sup
posing il to be fire, and the fremen all turned out.
AS soon as the mass of people had left the church, a
number OF men, together with Mr.. Guardot and the Re
IelnptOrist priests, joel H. warn aUu oilcl usltu w
the relief of the unfortunate people who were lying dying
aud even dead. Many women were taken out OF the
church i~nsensible, some with broken limbs, some dead.
How many were actually dead or died subsequently,, or
how many were seriously injured, it was impossible to
tell last evening, as numbers were carried away by friends
and acquaintances, of whom nothing in particular could
be learned, except that several were known to be in an
unconscious state and many were seriously injured. One
man, Lawrence hurry, brother-in-iaw OF Luke Ratigan,
member of the Oswego Guard, was taken out dead also
Mrs. Mary Carlin and Mrs. Bridget %Langdon, who were
conveyed to the house of r. II. Martin, esq, opposite,
where both soon expired. Another woman, Mrs, Marga-
ret Henncssey. was taken to the residence of MIR. Rance,
where she also expired in u short time. 4"
Inquests were held upon the bodies. The verdict In
each case was that they were trampled to death.
The jury made a personal and careful examination OF
the locality and origin of the calamity. 1t was found
that o portion of the large cross beam near the altar was
very much decayed in the centre by dry rot, but to- all
appearances, externally, was perfectly sound. This beam
broke off under the excessive weight, thus causing the
disaster.