, 1860-02-15
ALnfOST A TRAGEDY.
GiStD. sray Of the Floor cf Public
HILL.

ANN AXEl4 H14J+J 20. 10. l
The exercises Of the annual exhibit on of tho
Junior class OF the University of A.chiEnn, M
nounced to take place at Union Iiati, in this
city, lust evening, we're suddenly interrupted BY
IN accident OF = serluus natnfe, that at first
promised to equal IN extent and horror the re-
cent calan'l'y IT Lawrence TIE satee ha'l,
~n'eh Is situated IN Tic third story the Union
Scl,. ol building, was G'lcd to its utmost capac-
ity, the being probably about oue thousand
Persons IN attendance, and the EXERCISES Of the
esenins were about to Eegin. when portion Of /
1hs aoor commenced settling. In moment a
scene Of excitement unl confusion presented |
itseli, that begsars description. frantic rush |
was made for The stairwayg leajiug from the |
hail. Fortunately the Steward of the Uniyersi- |
II, with the Mzrshals Of the eseaiDg, we're |
standirg at the head Of the stairs, who, with |
cummendab!e presence Of mind, ut once closed |
ana locked tte doors, seeing ut glance that
q. pIec'pitab'e rush down The narrow and |
winding stairways would be as terrible in its
consequences, 1t not more 50, than to abide
the result OF the settling uf the floors.
The panic was heightened by the fa!lluE Of
one OF the large iron co,,mns. Of which there
are sever, each ab nts*eny y ee:in length, sup
porting The Ceiling. Tie se..npg Of Tue hovr
north end Of the lail from its fastening at tie
top, and the cei[,uk abovc not settling 10 pro-
post1onate extent, il Was left Standing unsup-
ported, mud ~ the Nostling Of the crowd rus
thrown trom its perpendicular position, and te
over with its full weiShl upon those who were
unable to escape from beneHlh it Happily il
struck IN window. and thus found d Fest OH tue
Sill, 50 that those under it were saved from icing
crushed.
With the most perseyeripg efforts, partinl Or
der was Soon secured, sufficient 10 enable the
retuonstrunces Of the presiding othc.r to be
heard, when the duors were op-ned aud the as
semb'y permitted to qnistiy dispesse- 1t was
nut until larEe proportion Ut the audlence hud
retired, that tue result OF the accident Was fully
a>certatned, when it WAS found that fur per-
at once to the neighboring residences, and mcdi
CT "d summoned. The following are the
wounded:
|; J.uu chase, 10y shout fourteen years Of
age. sou Of Mr. J. 81. Chase, the former Treas
uler Of the University; skull! badly fractured;
10 hopes are entertained Of his recovery.
John Allen, another bog; some cuts and con"
fused wounds on the head; srserely but net
dangerously wounded.
| Hiss Wildt; hand and fingers crashed.
4 lady, whose name we did not learn, was
struck on tue shoulder She WAS taken out in
an insensible condition.
Several others, whose naues were not ascer-
tasned, are repuned to have been slightly in-
jured. .
Ibis affair has naturally produced a great,
sensation in our city. Tie Cniou Hall Is The
only place, aside ffonl churches, ut att adapt
~ c,;on thraa vssr. !yc - h's 5s. ~ nj G,r
commencement rverc;scs erhb;tinns nubt,c
| ,cc,ures conce1,s md iii .;,n;,nr nn+noses It
has frequently haI within it an equally 1arge
audience with that assembled there last vi. lit,
and vhy the floors should then settle is a mys.
:cry. no iudications of weakncs. having ever
betore manifested Themselves Tie half occn
pies the whole Of the third story, and is sup
ported beneath By number Of partitions run
unS both lengthwi,e and crosswise Of the
nrohuhiv In. lad nj once and. If any fanlt
shoulI be found tn crist in tie con,tru:t;on nt
| the building. the proner nersons will be cen.
sured. Tbs rlau Is sadlv defective in its nro.
vision for incress and eRress, which are effected
| only hy two stuirwavs nnrrnw anil crootad
| case of fire or othar danger thnt could not Il.
/ uy.,ted. these wnnId hc fn,n] IN h. n fr;vltfu
tran lint would ou,rirsf the danoar frorn
,hcir VICTIMS f},e
Great Hlen Who Rose from tho Ranks,
From the barber shop rose Sir Richard Ark
| wright, the inventor of the spinning Jenny, ant
| tue founder Of the cotton Manufacture Of Grea
| britain; Lord Tenderden, Que Of the most dis
| tinguished Of Lord Chief Justices, and Turner
| the very greatest nmung landscape painters
! No one knows to q ccrtantv what Shaksnear,
! was, but it is uuuues,ionable that he spEapt
from a very humble rank. The common elias
of day laborers has given us Brindley, the eu
glnecr; took, the Navigator; and Burns, tn
poet. Masons and brick layers can boast o
Ben Johnson, who worked at the building 0
L'ncoln's Inn, with tro'Sel in his hand and
engineers; nngh Miller, the geo!ogist, and Al
Ian Cunningham, the writer and sculptor; Will
among distinguished carpenters We find th
name Of lingo Jones, the architect; john Hun
ter, ply siolus1st; Rumney and Op;e. painters
Prof Lee, The oF'entalsst; and John Gibson. III
Il EFtJn hAH& &EFRtf nm
simpson, tue mafhemat'c'ao Bacon, the aculp
tor, The two sliners, Adam Walker, John Eos
ter. Wilson, the ornltho'ogist, Dr. Livingstone
the missionary traveller, and Ihnnatl!l, the poet
Sroen'aEers have given us Sturgeon, the tlcc
trician; Samuel Drew, the essayist; Clifford, III
poet, aud William CIrey the missionary: Will
Morrison. smother l4bot,ous missionary, was
maker OF slIoe lasts. y 1thin the lust year
profound naturalist has been d'scoyeFed IN th
person OF shnepakor 81 hauu, named Ihoma
Edwards, who, while maintaining himself by hi
{ trade, has devoted nls leisure 10 Tue study &
natu' al science 10 nll branches. his researce
in connection with tue smaller erustacca hayin
been Frwarded NJ the discovery q new spt
t cies. to which tl'p nan'er OF Psanlza Edcards
has beea slFen ~ haI4saatsts:
p Nor haTs 1he 1a'lors oten aaosether und'st'E
su1shea' JACKSON, tne Palatel' h1siog *ofke
y Ut 1uat tfane uhi'1 ne Feacnea mannood. Ill
shat is, perhaps. more remarkable, one Of til
I .sllautest oi British seanlep, adln,Frl l4obso
"ho broke the boom at VI Q. IN !'0:, or'glual[
belonged to 1hls calling. DC WAS wo' King rs
r tallors apprentice, near Bonchufch. IN tie IL
:. Of Wight, when the news flew through ii
VILLAGE that squadron OF men OF war wei
SAILING OF the Island Ae sprnng IRON tt
+ shop,bo4rd, and ran down vim MS courade4
+ the De1ch 10 saze upon &ne EloslouS klEh
8 rlIe t!ilor.boy was suddenly lnbamed with It
!. ambition to be slor' and spT'ng'ny into
: boat he rogcd of TO The squadron, galned It
/ Adnira'.s ship, and was accepted US volu1
:. tecr. Years after be returned to his naii1
= v;ltage, fall Of honors, aud d'ned OIL bacon at
- eggs in tue cottage where be had worked as
!; tallors apprentice. CARDINAL Wolsey, De Fo
!. Akens Dc aud knke White were the SONS
. butchers; B9nyan was tinker. and JOSEF
- Lancaster oasket-maser- Among the gre
- names identica! with the invention ol the etea
). engine are those u Ae"eomer; Watt aud St
: phtnson The ns:E . blacksmith, the second
- third IN ehelne"nftnlnn. pr- Luton, the gee
=, os1st, md Dt*'ck, the father oi wood engra
* laS, VI re- c1al~minefs. DodS!cy was lo"tuia
= amt liolcr"lt grooHa- bntnn, tue navigate
n vas eoniilot seaman, ana pr Cioaaesi5 oho
Il u cao'n ooy. iietschel pta}eu Tue OBOE IN
T. mlllaarE baha' ooaa'feS Jousneyman cafSe
! Ely 1"urneSman printer; anu olr Ihom'
= Lawrence the son Of q Tavern keeper.
:, sm,,h w,. in e,1}y life annrenticed to i'm
binder and u; that trade unit. be reacbt
H. his twenty second year; he now occupies IL
!" yerv frst rauk as philosopher, e1celliuC eys
: his tuaster. Sir Humphrey pavy, in the urt
u lttcidiy cxpoundfng the nost difficult md a
" struse points in natural science. Not long az
+ Sir Roderick Murchison discovered at THUR
iu the lar north Of Scctlapa, profound gcol