Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1867-09-13
Catastrophe at Burlington.


AT half past o'clock on Friday after
noon last, during the races at the Fair
grounds, and the exhibition Of the Chit
tenden County Agricultural Society, the
grand stand, erected for spectators, gave
way and precipitated some 1900 persons
to the ground, some of them falling nearly
thirty feet. Strange TO say no one was
killed outright, and it is hoped no one re-
ceived fatal injuries, but nearly one humid
red persons were wounded and some very
severely, by the breaking of their ribs and
limbs, &c. The Burlington Free Press
gives a list of IS persons injured, while
many Injured in less degree, doubtless
got off the ground to their homes and are
not reported. Thepersonswe were present at
tending the fair and races and are mainly
scattered over the country. The Free
Press says;
"The list of the sufferers by the fall Of
the Grand Stand, at the Fair Ground,
yesterday, continues TO increase. We
count now some ninety persons more or
less injured and as many injured persons
were at once taken to their homes in the
country round. the full number will prob
ably not be accurately ascertained.
The Stand was erected eleven years
ago, was 275 feet long by 20 feet wide,
and nearly twenty feet high in the rear.
We are informed that it was examined by
carpenters, previous to the Fair. some new
supports added by the officers of the Soci-
ETY.. and the structure pronounced safe.
A glance at the mass of rotten timber
which forms the wreck as it lies, will, how
ever, satisfy any one that the examination
must have been superficial one. The
only wonder is that the stand supported as
| long as it did, the enormous weight upon
| it. There were doubtless not less than
1000 persons on it when it fell. Some
little disturbance, a wagon overturned by
FESTIVE horse, quarrel between two
men, &C., had thrice called many Of the
multitude to their feet, who then sat down
about at once. The third repetition of this
process proved too much for the decayed
supports. These gave way first at the
north end, when, with a tremendous crash
the whole structure swayed to the south
and fell. Most of the people at the north
west end were thrown or plunged forward
on their faces; how it was at the other end
we could not see. The screams which rose
from the falling crowd and from the hor-
ror-stricken lockers on; the iumult of
frightened horses, in the large space filed
with carriages around the Judges stand
the surge of thousands TO rescue the in.
| iured, as soon as the first shock Of the ca.
tastrophe was over /; the bearing away Of
the insensible and helpless sufferers, mus
be imagined but cannot be described. The
only persons under the stand at the time
were O. ]. Walker, Amasa Drew, and
Henry Conger, who noticed the swayine
Of the structure and made their escape"
- Lowell Mason, the veteran musician,
will celebrate his golden wedding, next
week, at bis residence at South Orange,
New Jersey.
= The women of Nebraska will be al.
lowed to vote in the school district meet.
ings this year, according to law passed
last winter.
- Peach canning is very lively ia Del
eware and Jersey just now, and the
amount thus prepared viii be larger than
ever before. The "pearers get thirty.
five cents a bushel for their work..
= The New Orleans Bee estimates
from the fullest possible information re,
ceived, that, as compared with last years
crop, there will be a double sugar crop il
louisiana this season, or 10000 hogs.
heads.
A father of an interesting family
residing near Detroit, stopped the only
newspaper ever allowed to his family,
solely on account of the expense. This
man chews up fourteen dollars and sixty
cents worth of tobacco every year.
= Aroosiook (Aaine) County Demo
cratic Convention, held at Presque Isle,
last week, resolution nominating Gen.
Grant for the Presidency was received
with favor after some discussion. 1t was
considered not polite to adopt it.
- The receipts of peaches in New
York thus far have been much below what
was expected early in the season, and
prices are high in consequence. Apples
and pears are less plenty than last year
and inferior in quality.
The Chicago Times leading Cop.
perhead organ of the West-calls Gen
L 500.