Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-05-03
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS OF THE MONITOR
New YORK, April &c, 1880.

Especial CORRESPONDENCE OF THE MoNIToRl
NEW YORK, April 26, 1880.
1t is 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
check the community by their unexpect-
ed suddenness, and the sharp reminder
which they furnish that we are all de-
fenceless against class of unforeseeable
catastrophes, one of which may at any
moment fall upon the community like
thunderbolt from cloudless sky, sweep
ing its unsuspecting victims from busy
life into eternity.
On Wednesday evening last the great
Hahnemann Hospital Fair was at its
height at Gilmore's Garden, which had
been sumptuously decorated for the &C.
casion, and as.filled with gay colored
booths offering for sale an endless vari-
ETY. of glittering trihes, flooded with
light and music, and thronged with la
dies and gentlemen whom the brilliancy
of the scene, as we'll as the noble OBJ
ject for which it had been evoked, had
attracted to the building. With regard
to the horrible Transformation of this
gay picture, l quote the next DAYS ;,
pers without apology. as tney tell the
otorv mrcb better than could do.
.A4 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 its resistless power.
On the western or Madison avenue end
of the Garden. in the restaurant, in the
art gallery and in the tiny ball room
we're 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 WISH
tors warned to leave ust barely in time.
In the ball room the tones of grand
piano were heard in an enlivening
Strauss waltz. and joyous couples were
whirling around thoughtless of every
thing but the pleasure of the moment
There was an ominous noise proceeding
from the direction of the art gallery
and then came a deafening crash. A
choking cloud of dust rolled out from
the fatal spot into the Garden. TIL,
, northwestern portion of the roof, will
all the additions that had been mad
last Winter to supply ball accommoda
tions, had fallen, and had carried dealt
and ruin with it. 1t was the work of
moment. The great fair, which an in
slant before was carnival of pleasur
and enjoyment, was suddenly change
: into scene of death and destruction.
e Instantly scene of the widest COZ
e fusion ensued. Frail women fell faint
t ing to the floor, and brave men turne
: sick at heart as the full force of tn
s awful calamity drove itself home wit
J. an all-impelling force. This lasted bu
IS a moment, and was succeeded by will
rush for the Fourth avenue and Invent,
$ sixth street entrances. Strong me
l. trampled and struggled with weak w
s. men, and in that mad rush for the sire
If all thought was submerged in the OF
y overwhelming one of personal safety.
IS While this scene of terrible strugg
/. for life was being enacted within til
J. building. brave men had rushed towal
a the scene of the awful disaster. II
to sight that met their gaze no pen can d
o. scribe. The entire northwestern porto
n of the building at the corner of Madist
lie avenue and Twenty street b;
er fallen, and buried beneath the timbe
r. and brick were the mangled forms Of h
s, man beings who, but the moment pr
e, vious, had been in full enjoyment
Sc health and strength. The walls had ia
Of en- outward and across the sidewalk, al
ne this fact doubtless saved many live
The loan exhibition of painting, or as
is was called in the fair, the picture ga
ed cry. was located at this point, as W
also the ball room and supper roo
be About three-quarters of an hour befo
. the accident occurred, the attention
Mr.. Albert Mckay, the Superintende
of the Fair, was called by Detective Ii
:" ey to the fact that the floor of the A