The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-02-13
A PIeasanls County Panic.
Editsrs of the Register:

Along with your records of panics
catastrophes, &C., please give your read
ers these facts sensational, of which, tn,
writer was and is living witness, ant
tcGs a participant in the unannouncet
programme, save that in the matter o
the panic, Of course plead mot guilty.
In the village of st. Mary's, a schoo
/ exhibition was on the boards for tn,
evening of the 9Th inst, whereat divers
and sundry tit-bits of youthful oratory
were to be Clipped off to hungry audi
ence, in true young American style
An unexpectedly large audience as
sembled at an early hour, and still the
eager natives elbOWed and crowded in
| till every inch of space, from the ros'
trum to the front door, was closely
packed, "a la Sardine," with men, wO.
men and children.
Behind the curtains were the exhibi-
tiOuers, with the teacher to win d them
up, start and stop them, as the pro-
gramme required. In due time the cur
tains were rent aside and revealed a
very fat Introduction, who, after work
ing himself To the front of the stage,
made very pre,ty plea for order and
attention; only he talked little too
long, thinking, perhaps, he ought to be
timed as to his hJt.
Well, we had music and singing, with
troops of happy little speeches from
bright-eyed boys and girls, and all were
becoming glad of nice and well sa'
yored feast, Judging from the courses
already served, not barring" the first
dish.
A little six year old German had
Just treated us to sprightly speech
| IN tongue we knew not of, which es
saying to cheer with hands and feet
crash! snap! bang! crash went One-hali
of the church floor, crushing its timbers
to the ground, three feet below. The
red hot stove tumbled with it, scattering
| in heaps its red Goals on the floor while
the tall pipe fell at length among the
ducked heads of women and children.
A moment of terrible silence followed
the sheck and only n mOment-fOr some
unlucky tongue cried Fire" aud in a
twinkling all was wild panic aud con-
sternation, threatening death and dam
age to many, where there should have
been danger to none.
Women tainted, screamed. cried and
prayed. The little ones yelled for
parents, and big men calling and hal
lOOing, rushed about, trampllng women
and children under foot. Dear darlings
seized and hugged their dearies, and
young chaps their sweethearts squeezed,
in desperate hopes of happy dissolution.
Every man was doing the most foolish
thing possible, and nothing at all rea-
sonable. Indeed, had it not been for a
few who were not frightened out oftheir
wits, the church would have burned up
and with it half the panic stricken
mass.
In moment the boys among whom
the stove had fallen were ierked ont of
the fire with little damage, and al
though the floor blazed in an instant.
yet the Goals were soon scattered and
tramped out, But it was not so easy
task TO convince the crowd of the fact
and get them quiet. In the first rush
for exit every window save one was bat
tered out, by laCerating the hands, and
by stout men too considerate to raise
them, hurting women and children
through glass, sash and all, doubtless
thinking it might be somewhat un-
pleasant for the first, but justified them
selves in the fact of making n speedy
opening for the next.
But must forbear-no one one will
ever know what panic is, till he or she
witnesses one. ln this one, fortu-
nately, or rather providentally, there
was no fatality; only numerous slight
wounds and losses of breastpins, bon.
nets, shawls, &c, &c; and more than
all, the loss of very creditable and
Praiseworthy exhibition, judging from
what we got of it.
If this, another witness of the folly Of
running wild in the hour of danger
will only cause us to be more composed
in any future crisis, the accident ha.
answered good purpose.
A SPECTATOR.