The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-06-25
A Sad Ending to a Church Festival.

oEse NCflhWpltlceF q Main and MOnroO sts-
| n, N@-=issss.l.ssllIE== y
A sad Ending to a Church Festival.
SYRACUSE, N. z, June 2s,-An appall.
Ing tastrophe occurred here tonight.
A strawberry festival was being held at
the parlcrs Of the Central Baptist Church,
when without any premonition the aoor
gave way, precipltatipg the room full into
the story below. The pArlor was on the
second floor and the room underneath
was also full. A Gre alarm was given and
the firemen hurried 10 the scene. Soon
ten thousand people were there and ire.
mendous excitement prevailed. II 10 i'm.
possible to give the particulars Of this
hour. Five dead bodies were taken out
and the work has hardly commenced.
Probably a,hundred persons are more
or lees injured, many very seriously.
SECOND DISPATCH Tho following
were taken out dead: DR.. o. Vain.
wright, Mrs. g. Austin Barns, Mrs james
n. Grow. Mrs. ]. 3. Katr, Miss Gussie
Carpenter, Mrs. Abijah Veedey, Of Utica;
Miss Oracle Holmes Miss Winnie Collins,
aged thirteen; Hattie Leonard, five or SIX
years old; John Austin 0strander, Q boy
about nine years old; Miss Minnie Thomas,
Frank Collins, aged fourteen; Lulu Hor-
ton, aged twelve. Ex, Alderman Austin
Barnes is very Beriously Injured. Rev.
DR.. 81. ]. Eddy is slightly injured
The bodies are supposed to be all;re-
covered now. Il ID impossible, to get the
names Of the injured tonight. The city
is filled with lamentations. The scene
lu,the street around :he. church battles
description. Thousands are gathered
there asking after friends, waiting for
dead and attending to the injured. The
entire police and flte departments OF the
city were called out and took charge oi
the work OF recovering the dead and
wounded. The broken timbers were
h0Isted up with difficulty The walls oi
the church did not TALL 10 but are serious.
| ly damaged. The church Is COM
paratively q new one. A few min
utes before the floor gave way It
trembled 80 that many persons lett the
room, fearing an accident, which had been
predicted by many. The'ascident was
caused by the giving way of the joist that
supported the floor. The Joist ran from
both sides OF the room to q cross slringer,
she middle Of which was supported by
iron rods from the roof The striuger
gave way, pulling the ceiling and root
upon the people, and precipitating them
into the room below. The work Of recov
cry was exceedingly slow as It had to be
done in tho dark, and It was feared every
moment that the walls would fall In.
The Syracuse Disaster.
Syracuse, N. Y, June 24-Fourteen
dead bodies have been recovered from the
ruins Of the Central Baptist Church, the
floors OF which fell last night during a
festival. OF the injured two died 10 day
Bud others are not expected to live, while
several will be crippled for, life. The
number OF minor cSsulties is nearly or
quite 100, among them lbout - persons
with broken limbs and ribs.% The cause
oil the disaster was the detective con-
struction OF the building; the supporting
truss was composed Of planks spiked to
gether. The excitement In the commu.
nifty continues very great.
FURTHER PARTICULARS OF THE SYRACUSE
DISASTER.
sYRACUsR, June PA further search
this morning 10 the ruins OF the Central
Baptist Church failed 10 find any more
bodies. The list Of the killed numbers
thirteen. The list 10 correct, except in
the case Of the reported death OF boy
named 0strander. The number Of
wounded loots up one hundred, OF whom
twenty arc seriously injured. There have
been no deaths to. day. A squad of ofpolice
have possession oil the building, pending
the coroner's inquest. The occasion ot
the gathering last night was 9 festival
given by the ladies OF the church and q
concert given by the little folks. At the
rear Of tho church are the Sunday school
rooms, occupying the ftst floor, and the
church parlors, occupying the second
floor. This part oithe edihce was In use
lor the festival and concert. siai.t
r. At the time Of the accident supper was
being served In the central paflor, which
had been prepared stot the occasion with
tables, 60. This room, which was forty
feet square, was filed with people, the
session room below being deserted, save
BY few persons. The numbeR,ein the
supper room is variouSly estimated at
iron, $50 to 500, mostly grown persons
AT the time the floor gave way the chill.
dren ol the congregation were In ono Of
| the ,Rnti-rooms being prepared for tho
"Ancient. Concert" But Tor this fact the
Ilist Of dead, must have been very much
larger, as many of the helpless little
II ones would have been crushed TO death
lima mass Of humanity crowded into Y
shaped vortex, formed by the falling tim
bers, AT the moment Of the falling oi the
floor the scene within was one Of happy
enjoyment. While all were pleasantly
engaged and without single sign Of
warning the floor suddenly sank beneath
them, and In an instant all were buried In
q mas Of struggling humanity, intermix..
ed with falling ttmbsrs, furniture, etc.,
and In utter darkness, the gas Ehaylng
been extinguished BY the break.
ling Of the gas pipes. In an instant
latter tho fearful deacent had been made,
all was as silent IS The grave, but imme.
diately after heart rendlng appeals tor
help were TO DO heard from hundreds oi
those who were in agony. Immediately
alter persons were seen issuing from the
doorsahtl windows which wefeSniAshed
out BY the. frightened people, and an
alarm was sounded. The uniDjured within
the church, who were able 70 tree them
selves from the mass, -beganNto assist In
rescuing othera 1.-The .iiremen and police
Il -.SS = efaI,I.,, X. to IA ~ lshnead nohIxy