Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-09-01
A SCENE or TERROR.
upsetting OF Coal on upon an Audi
ence-WOmen and Children In
Elsmes-SeyerHl Persons In jured.

upsetting Of Coal on upon an Audi
ence-wOuien and Children In
Elsmes-SeverRl Persons Injured.
The Elko, Mo-, Independent OF q recent
date SAYS: "a terrible accident occurred
at the Court House night before last, dur
ing the performance OF Prot G. A. Lewis
and troupe The Court room was filed
to overlooking, the greater portion OF the
seated audience being ladies and chill
dren The audience was delight.
ed and in high spirits until near the close,
when the janitor of the Court House essay
ed 10 turn the lights down, in order to
darken the room for the exhibition of
tableaux. The middle chandelier, con-
tanning six large coal oil lamps, with their
glooes and chimneys, was immediately
over the heads of a number Of ladies' and
WAS attached to Il pendant bar upon the
ceiling by spiral screw, OF the existence
of which, it appears, the lenitor was ignor-
ant, though he knew the chandelier could
easily be turned around In thus turning
il, as he had frequently done before,
in ordcr to reach all the lamps the whole
thing came down with crash, the lamps
rolling upon the floor under the feet Of the
audience, two Of them bursting and scat
tering their contents over the ladies, and
a great column of fame shooting up almost
instantly to the ceiling. The scene which
followed beggars description. Men, women
aud children rushed into the flames from
the rear, IN hopes of reaching the single
door OF the room, which offered the only
sure avenue Of escape. Getting into the
flames, and fading their further progress
shut off by the dense throng
crowding into the door, men leaped
over the balastrade into the bar, while
some of the ladies swooned and
others rent the air with their screams.
This heightened the confusion to panic,
and several children jumped from the
windows-the room being in the third sto-
ry of the bGilding-and others attempted
to do so, but were held back. Children
were tossed over the balustrade among the
tables, chairs, &c, or thrown among the
vacant seats In the other direction, while
ladies' we're seized and held by main
strength or knocked back with great but
necessary violence. In the hall leading to
the stairway several persons were knock
| ed down and run over; one infant,
| dropped in the hall, was run over
! by nearly the entire audience with
ont receiving the slightest injury. Deputy
Sheriff Craighead and Others made q bold
stand on the stairway, where the most i'm
! minent danger awaited the panic-stricken
crowd, and did noble service in checking
! the hes llong rush, and doubtless, saved
many lives and limbs thereby. few men
Ito their shame be it said) were so frantic
and terror stricken that even or the stair
way they attempted to climb over the heads
Of women and children, and were promptly
| seized cnd tossed over the balusters TO the
ground below by the gentlemen
who had taken the perilous position on the
stairs. Meantime, as soon as the balance
OF the audience got out OF the room, so
that the heroic men who stood their ground
could get at the flames, some OF them
drew their coats off and commenced smoth-
ering the fire on the floor, while others,
themselves wrapped IN flames, were busily
engaged in extinguishing the flames which
enveioped the clothes OF several ladies' and
others still were picking up and
| carrying out children and car
ing for the wounded Mrs. Smith,
! WHO VA ~ ~ A'illAbAA, NAAfs@AHN' oANLNAAttA
more severe external injuries than any one
else. She was sitting under the chanda.
! her when it fell, and the contents OF one
or more Of the LAMPS we're emptiad into
her lap, satura'ing her clothes, which im-
mediatcly took fire. Before the fumes
could lie extiuguishsd her lower limbs were
severely burned ia spots from the feet to
the body; her clothes, from the
knee downward, were entirely con-
spmed and badly charre& from that
point to the waist, while both
wrists were severely and both hands
slightly burned. Her wounds are severe
and painful, but not dangerous. Mrs.
Harry Earyille was knocked down in the
doorway and severely trampled before she
could be extricsted 1t is feared that she
received dangerous internal injuries. Mrs.
Richard Cameron, who sat vnder the chan
delier, received the contents OF a lamp in
her slippers, and had both feet badly
burned, but received no injury, We believe,
about the ankles.