The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-26

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ing over the gallery upon the door below. The
main body. however, made rush for the door.
Immediately called out to those in the opposite
gallery TO keep their seats as feared that they
would also rush headlong for the door and thereby
cause O greater loss OF lie. ! consider my own
escape miraculous affair.""
SCENES AT swRENy's HOTEL
member or the HERALD stan was sitting last
evening in the parlor on the ground moor OF
Sweeny's Hotel, between eight and nine O'Clock,
when suddenly cry raised by the female
domestic servants In the laundry. which adjoms
the parlor that the "house was coming down"
The servants, with
TERROR AND CONSERVATION
depicted In their iaces. rushed into the parlor,
which at the moment was filed with
guests, some Of them reading and others
engaged In conversation. The guests, start
ing to their feet with the utmost alacrity,
ran toward the laundry TO ascertain what was
the cause OF the commOrion. There was heard
rushing OF water. as II 1t came from an overflow
ing tank or from burst ing pines.
The reporter heard the noise which produced
the CONSERVATION. IL was like q rush OF wind ol-
lowed by distant peal OF thunder. The guests
looked al each other In amazement The servants
were mute with fear aud everybody seemed to
think that
SOMETHING TERRIBLE
had occurred. And, indeed, the result shows that
one OF the most awful calamities that has ever
happened In this city had just taken place.
In lew minutes Mr.. Daniel Sweeny, tile pro.
prietor Of the hotel entered the parlor ana stated
that he knew what had occurred, that the wall,
or portion OF the wall OF the crockery store, be-
longing to Mr.. Shaw and adjoining the hotel, had
fallen down, and that this was the cause OF the
noise which had so much frightened the servants
and dismayed the guests This cr0cKery store
was burned about the 18th OF last mouth. The
roof was nearly all destroyed and several Of the
lofts were completely Quilted. MIR. Shaw,
within the past week, has had men employed
repairing his store, and they had put In or were
about to put in large joists TO replace those
that had been destroyed by the fire. To make
those repairs 1t necessary to lasten the olsts
In the side walls OF the store.
While the guests and the servants OF the hotel
were all mingled toge sher in the greatest possible
confusion CRY was uttered IN the street that the
western wall OF the crockery store had fallen on
the roof OF the Catholic Church OF st. Andrew,
which adjoins the store In question, and that,
smashing IN the roof the debris came down on
the gallery OF the church,
KILLING AND wOUNDING.
several persons who had assembled there to al
tend to their Lenten devotions.
AulS Sou CIy pIONcu W W tOO tEuc. luStdutiy
the space in front OF the hotel became filed with
EXCITED PEOPLE
As yet they had not realized the full extent OF the
deplorable accident; but when they saw police
men coming from the doors Of the church and
bearing IN their arms
WOUNDED MEN AND WOMEN,
| they became convinced that calamity OF no
ordinary character had happened. Two women,
with their faces covered with blood and bruised
about the body and arms, were taken
into the hotel and placed ON seats.
Mr.. Sweeny with great consideration and
kindness, despatched q messenger to the Park
| Hospital for doctor, and then ordered brandy
| and water restoratives for the wounded wO.
men. While the bystanders were wondering what
might possibly DO the extent or the deplorable &C.
cident, two other women were brought by the
police to the parlor Of the hotel. II was quite evil
dent that their wounds were Of severe, u no,
fatal nature, Tor they spoke not a wordS they
uttered not sigh; In fact, they were almost dead
! when they were removed from the church. They
we're placed on chairs In the hotel parlor, and ex-
pred In about three minutes after.
! solemn. DREADFUL SILENCE
sasued. 1t was n moment OF crushing anguish. o.
excruciating pain. Strong men looked sadly al
each other shed copious tears, and exclaimed
ooh God. this is dreadful" One of the poor crea
lures vi hose life had been 50 suddenly terminated
wore o marriage ring. she was rather good
looking woman, probably the vile OF some homes
laborer or mechanic, the mother OF anectionate
children. who had gone to ner place OF worship tt
pray for her husband and her little ones-to beg
of GOD that their lives and her own might be long
preserved from trials and danger. Alas she little
knew how soon her own end was to come-now
soon her
| LAMP OF LIFE
was to be extingulshed amid the crush and confu
sion Of most disastrous and deplorable accident
The palor Of death soon 0verspread her lace. Shs
| lay on the moor OF the room, and close near hel
was young woman who did not appear to have
suffered much. She was quite dead. There were
no wounds apparent on her face or hands. In al
probability sne was
TRAMPLED TO DEATH
In her efforts to escape from the church at tn.
moment when terror, consequent upon the crash
ing OF timbers and the falling OF bricks into the
gallery caused the people TO rush peli-mell to the
doors Tor safety.
Every moment the crowds In the street and II
the hotel began to increase. Alter the lapse o
about five minutes another woman was fetched
into the hotel by three policemen, VINO laid he
gently down on the noor. She was not able t(
speak, vet she showed signs Of lie, but they
weak ana nickering and In o few moments sht
drew her last breath. She was poorly dressed
and was evidently q person VINO had lived in the
humber walks OF life. All this time the spectators
looked on awe-stricken and Mortified They coulc
hardly speak word, for they did not know Il
what an extent the calamity had gone. and were
uncertain as 10 the moment when the next pool
victim might be brought into their presence.
Another rush 10 the door, and in are brought
two more women, cut badly about the head, bu
they are not fatally injured. Restoratives are ap
piled and they soon recover, Then the scene II
changed, and young man Is borne into the room
He is cut much about the face and neck. h
wounds are fatal, and he expires almost as soor
as he is laid down. He was dressed In dark, plalr
| clothes, somewhat worn.
BY directions OF Mr.. Sweeny, sheets were pro
cured and placed over the bodies OF the dead per
sons, which were removed to one corner OF tn
room, where they lay lor some time before beini
removed by the police.