Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-05-08
Black yespers.

On Oct. 90, 1923, Blackfriars was the
scene of a calamity which has come
down to us under the name of the Black
Vespers or Dismal Evensong. Three
hundred persons, English, Scotch,
Welsh and Irish, chiefly Catholics with
a sprinkling OF Protestants, had as
sembled at the house of the French
Ambassador, Count de Tillier, in Black
friars, for sermon and service, not in
the chapel OF the embassy, but in the
chamber occupied by one Father Red
yate, a room sixty feet by twenty, on
the third floor from the ground, sub
stantially built of brick and mortar.
Father Drury member of good Nor
folk family, and, although a Jesuit,
much respected by uDprejudiced Pro-
testantS, was TO be the preacher. A
presentiment seems to have shadOwed
his mind. Although OF "A lively DISPOSE
ton, he had sat sad and silent all the
day before. To the last he had wished
to be excused, but was persuaded by his
friends TO keep his appointment. When
he reached the room, a gentlewoman
warned him that she did not think it
safe, but then it was too late to retract.
Clad, according to the custom of his
order, in a surplice with linen girdle,
and having on his head red cap with
white one under it, the father pro-
ceeded to a raised chair in the middle of
the room, crossed himself, offered silent
PRAYER, and then took his text from the
gospel of the day-Matthew xviii
emphasizing in particular the last part
of the passage he had selected-''l for
gave thee all that debt because thou de-
siredest me: shouldest not thou also
have had compassion on thy fellow-ser-
vant:" Professionalism he in some way
made out TO be the wicked servant. SO
he was proceeding, VIXEN, in the midst
of his sermon, at z. NJ, the floor gave
way, and crashed, with the bulk of the
congregation, through that of the room
beneath, down TO the ground. A few
persons, some twenty or thirty, remain
ed on fragments of the door which still
clung TO the walls. ''lifting up their
hands for help, and beating their breasts
for life" Eventually they cut their
way through the lath and plaster parti-
ton which divided them from another
room i'm the ambassadors house. AT
the sound of the crash crowd suddenly
assembled-as crowds do congregate, as
if they had sprung up from the earth,
in London,-some coming simply to
stare, others with spade and pickaxe to
assist. For the protection of the
French embassy, the recorder, Sergeant
Finch, placed guards at heads OF all the
passages. The scene within was awful.
All night, by the light of lanterns and
torches; and part of next day, the
work of exhumation went on. Ninety
five corpses were dug out; among
them those of Father Drury and his
friend Father Redyate. Having first
shut up Ludgate, and doubled the
guards to keep out the crowd, the re-
corder and the sheriffs met at the en-
bassy to view the place, and coroner's
inquest was held. The verdict they
brought in was accidental death" bat
rabid ROmanists attributed the catas-
trophe to Protestant conspirators, whilst
rabid Protestants again cried, Goods
Judgment on the idolatersl" For some
time afterwards the officiating priests
in Roman Catholic places OF worship in
England used. after the benedictiOn, TO
call for three Paternosters and three
Ave Marias "for those who died at
BlackIriars.7