St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-04-30
Our New York Letter.
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT IN THE METROPO-
Lisa PORTION OF GILMORE's GAR

COUNT OF THE CONFERENCE.-THE
WEST POINT MYSTERY.
NEW YORK, APRIL 23d, 1880.
To the Editor of the CaledOnidn:
1t is IA painful subject that has fur
nished town talk here for the past few
DAYS, one of the saddest of the whole
sale calamities which from time to time
shock the community by their unex
pected suddenness, and the sharp re-
minder which they furnish that we are
all defenceless against class of unfOre
seeable catastrophes, one of which may
at any moment fall upon the commu
nifty like a thunderbolt from clOudless
sky, sweeping its unsuspecting victims
from busy life into eternity.
On Wednesday evening last the great
Hanneman Hospital Fair was at it:
height at Gilmere's Garden, which had
been sumptuOusly decorated for the
occasion, and was filed with gay
colored booths offering for sale an
endless variety of glittering trifles
flooded with light and music, and
thronged with ladies and gentlemen
whom the brilliancy of the scene,
as well as the noble object for which
it had been evoked, had attracted
to the building. With regard to the
horrible transformation of this gay pic
ture, l quote the next days papers
without apology, as they tell the story
much better than | could do.
cat nine o'clock last night there were
over 1000 persons in the Garden. The
ladies were in their booths, pleading
the cause of charity and the excellence
of the tempting articles spread forth
upon their tables with that elOQuence
that is Demosthenian in it's resistless
power. On the western or Madison av-
enue end of the Garden, in the restaur
ant, in the art gallery and in the tiny
ball room were groups of fair visitors,
with their attendant cavaliers. A few
minutes later and the art gallery WAS
deserted, the gas being turned down
and the visitors warned to leave Just
in time. In the ball room the tones of
IL grand piano were heard in an enliven-
ing Strauss waltz, and joyous couples
were whirling around thOughtless of
everything but the pleasure of the mo-
L
proceeding from the direction of the
art gallery, and then came deafening
crash. A choking cloud of dust rolled
out from the fatal spot into the Garden.
The northwestern portion of the roof,
with all the additions that had been
made last Winter to supply ball accom-
modations, had fallen, and had carried
death and ruin with it. 1t was the
work of moment. The great fair,
which an instant before was carnival
of pleasure and enjoyment, was sudden
ly changed into Il scene OF death and
destruction.
Instantly a scene of the widest con-
fusion ensued. Frail women fell faint
ing to the floor, and brave men turned
sick at heart as the full force of the aw-
full calamity drove itself home with an
all-impelling force. This lasted but Il
moment, and was succeeded by wild
rush for the Fourth avenue and Twen
ty-sixth street entrances. Strong men
trampled and struggled with weak
women, and in that mad rush for the
street all thought was submerged in the
one overwhelming one of personal safe
ty.
While this scene of terrible struggle
for life was being enacted within the
building, brave men had rushed toward
the scene of awful disaster. The sight
that met their gaze no pen can de-
scribe. The entire northwestern pOr-
ton of the building mt the corner of
Madison avenue and Twenty-seventh
street had fallen, and buried beneath
the timbers and brick were the mangled
e hai hn In
moment previous, had been i'll full Gu
joyment of health and strength. The
walls had fallen outward and across the
sidewalk, and this fact doubtless saved
many lives. The loan exhibition of
paintings, or as it was called in the fair,
the picture gallery, was located at this
point, as was also the ball room and
supper room. About three-Quarters of
an hour before the accident occurred,
the attention of Mr.. Albert Nc Kay, the
Superintendent of the Fair, was. called
| by Detective Tilley to the fact that the
| floor of the Art Gallery was creaking,
and a lady and gentleman present also
reported that the outside wall appeared
to be bullying. Mr.. Nc Kay at once Or
dered all the people out of the gallery,
and had the gas turned off. MIR. Nc
Kav's manner of speaking caused the
guests to hurry out of the gallery to the
long balcony running all the way across
and above the entrance, and overlook
ing the main part of the Garden. The
dancing hall on the same floor was still
full of people. Before they could be
warned of the approaching danger, a
succession of loud reports was heard, q
thrill went through the building, and
the front wall suddenly fell out into the
street.
i A large part of the roof which had
been supported by the wall immediate
ly caved in upon the heads of the fright.
ened dancers, burying many of them
out of sight. Screams and groans were
heard on every side, and a panic among
those who had not been injured, fol.
lowed as matter of course. A mo-
ment after the accident the floor of the
dancing room settled, and there was {
general stampede out upon the landing
and down the staircase to the main par
of the Garden. Those who were out o
danger when the roof fell, rushed fol-
ward toward the front of the building
and seriously impeded those who were
trying to escape"
OUTSIDE OI the ouliuluS INC WllueS
excitement prevailed, and the stree
was soon filled with excited people ca
gerly inquiring the extent of the disas
t ter. 1t was some time before it coult
, be learned how many persons had beer
injured by the falling wall and roof. l
! was finally ascertained that there wer
, four persons killed and fourteen seri
1 ously injured, while the number sus
: tanning minor damages was too large t.
J be estimated. The pecuniary loss i
: also very considerable, large amour