St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-03-05
Terrible Accident.


Boston J0uInaI. Wednesday,.
Terrible Accident.
During il lecture in st. Andrew :
church. New York, corner of Duane
street and City Hall. Thursday evening.
the wall of the adjoining building was
blown down by the high wind and fell
on the roof of the church. cauSiu" part
of it to cave III instantly. Several per
SONS were killed and between twenty
and thirty injured. The killed and in
iured were Immediately removed. some
Ia Park Hospital and some to the hotel
adjoining the church. The accident
occurred at 30 o'clock. The Rev.
Father Carroll of st. Stephens church
was preaching on "Salvatinm." and WAS
about half through his sermon when
the ceiling over the right gallery WIS
forced in. The church WAS crowded.
The tircmrn and police soon arrived
and succeeded in allaying the excite
mcmt. Four persons were crushed Ia
death during the rush for the doors.
aud their bodies were found at the foot
Of the gallery stairs.
DETAILS OF THE CALAMITY.
FL. l;..-,,..I ,,L;.J, ,L. ..,,,,,,,..,,,
t;,,,, p,,,,.,,, t,,I,.,Ii,. ,.I,,,,,L i'm
Wv. N,,L .,t,n',.d .Thnrsd,, waning
was th,. r,>uI, uf =, ,.rimin,II r,rcl,Ss-
No.. .,,,L Il. harm, ,,.,. o,,..,tI, ,,,Iti-
piled lay IN unrcaSoning panic which
arose \ high brick block on Duane
street WAS burned ont. six weeks ago.
the water freezing as it WAS thrown
lead I,,,, IN uuSur,unrt,d. .nyc hy
some h,it-hurnrd beams. and the HIGH
m:lc from the east that prevailed
Thur.da, evening. striking the west
wall lrn,,I,i,Ie. blew il down mon the
rnni ut' - Andrews church. in which
,nu, .,uni n,r.nu> were, crowded to
take mart in one of the services of
Lent. Father Carroll of St Stcphcn'>
MS preaching upon the nee, o>ity of
being prpaicd for death at ANY mo
mrut. and Was closing II stem rchukr
to the. ,irrlt>>nrS> of men with regard
to- their spiritual welfare. when they
know not whether they can look ton
ward to she morrow. when the TIE
mcnd"u- crash "t TIA" tumhllu% wall
came a. il tn emphasize his words. In
an instant. almost before amy one could
stir. tii, r..>trIu wall fell crI>hIu" in.
and mass al bricks camc tumhliug
til"u.h the ceiling. carrNin" with il
the beams and roof upon the east gal
lrIl. which sustained the" burden. and
Il cloud OF dust AROSE. which hid the
scene. But few of the audience. no"
ever. SAW what had happened. he
priest observed ii from his desk. and Il
policeman in the body at the church,
and Il few Others. hut upon most i sud
den madness Ia escape seized. and then
cn>ued Il trimplIng. mrrcll'>S. selfish
crush tor the doors of tn" church.
Those III the east gallery who had not
been injured Climbed over the gallery
front. fifty al m"Ir of them. and hung
10y then hands. >hlickinG for help.
Those in the Wr>t gallery. VIII" were
III no danger at all. were H. pauic->trick
en- It, he others. and rushed ont 10y the
narrow doorway To the >tairwaNS. which
were even more narrow. and after de
>cenring about half dozen steps
turned sharply To the lett. Before
those who had started down first could
reach this turn. the m;IS~ that crowded
after threw them from their feet. and
in Il few minutes the hole pa>SagrwaN
from the foot of the stairs t" the main
doorway was blocked up with men
and women. lying i'll heaps, while Il
struggling mass of people were shout
ing from the stairway for cgrc>s. Only
one of the double doors of the main
entrance wa> open. and the crowd
which ianmcd this. Ill their efforts To
escape, prevented those vino had fallen
from rising again To their feet. Those
in the east gallery who happened to
he near the door also made Il rush down
Il similar narrow stairway hut before
they could reach the bend the partition,
which acted in the place of balu>tIadc.
gave way. and precipiiatcd them into
the paSsarr-WaN below. Before they
could rise to their feet. those who fol
lowed fell upon them. Those in the
and If w,s ,nI, Law in. most strenuous
nynrtinns that the nricst and noIirer.u
.,I,,,o r,.f,.,,.d tn Kent .,nv lack fran,
th. r,,ro.,.,uinr rusI, az couIJ Iift mn,
.,n, nf tL. f,il.u Tho fail nf The
Lricks and rnnt killed six neonIe and
mined o,ber inmates of tbe eirht nrw.