The Republican journal., 1881-03-24

liability, with whom the major had been
conversing for some time previous to the
panic, had one of his shoes forced down
to the heel; he stopped to put it in its
place, when sway or rolling of the
crowd occurred, pushing him from his
balance and overwhelming the unhappy
man. In one minute over a hundred
persons had been forced over his body,
pounding it into mass Of blood and dirt
\ woman with an infant at her breast
sank under the feet of the mob from
sheer exhaustion; as she fell she put her
babe into the arms Of man who stood
beside her. He threw it over the heads
OF the crowd, aware that he was unable
to save it where he stood. The infant
was again tossed torward-and again
until person received it near the edge
OF the crowd, and he placed it under a
cart till the mob dispersed. The child
was taken away alive"
GLOW many persons lost their lives on
that occasion ,"
Il do not know The major declared
tnat when the crowd separated, which
was not until the bodies Of the criminals
were removed from the platform, that
upwards Of 100 We're found senseless in
the street; but many were doubtless re-
stored to life"
II am not superstitious, gentlemen"
said the captain.
Not more so than captains generally
are | suppose.
but | do believe that that fearful
panic was infused into the minds of the
mob as punishment for making holiday
in tho daofb hOl1r of thnir fallop-
lures"
81 have heard of story somewhere of a
merchant who collected a party together
to give eclat to one of those little family
festivals which brighten the dark track of
life and cheer the human heart in every
cline. 1t was his daughters wedding
day; crowds Of her young acquaintances
circled around her, and, as the father
gazed proudly on the face of the young
bride, he wished as bright prospect
might open for his other children, who
were gamboling merrily among the crowd
Passing along the passage connecting
the lower rooms he met the servant maid
an ignorant country wench, who was car
rying a lighted tallow candle in her hand,
without a candlestick. He blamed her
for this dirty conduct, and went into the
kitchen to make some arrangements with
his wife about the supper table. The
girl shortly returned from the cellar with
her hands full of ale bottles, but without
the candle. The merchant Immediately
recollected that several barrels Of gunpow-
der had been placed in the cellar during
the day, and that his foreman had opened
one OF the barrels to select sample for
a customer.
"'Where is your candle 2 be inquired,
in excessive agitation.
81 could not bring it up with me, for
my hands were full, said the girl.
- Where did you leave it ?
"'Well, Id no candlestick, SO | stuck
it into some black sand that's there in one
of the tubs.
The merchant dashed down the cellar
steps the passage was long and dark,
and as he groped his way, his knees
threatened to give way under him, his
breath was choked, and his flesh seemed
suddenly to become dry and parched. as
if he already felt the sutfocating blast of
death, At the extremity of the passage,
in the front cellar, under the very room
in which his children and Their friends
We're reveling in felicity, he discerned the
open powder barrel full almost to the
top, the candle stuck lightly in the loose
grains, with a long and burnt'out snuff
OF red wick topping the small and burnt.
out flame. The sight seemed to Wither
all his powers. and the merry laugh Of
the youngsters above struck upon his
heart like the knell Of death.
"With unequaled presence Of mind he
placed a hand on each side of the candle,
with the palms upward and the distended
fingers pointing toward the object Of his
care-which as they gradually met, was
secured in the clasp or locking OF his fin
gers, and safely removed the head of the
barrel. AS he lifted the candle from its
bed in the powder, the eXuberance Of the
the hollow Of his hands. He cared not
for the burning smart; he carried it
steadily along the passage to the head of
the cellar stairs. The excitement was
then over-he could smile at the danger
he had conquered but the reaction was
too powerful, and he fell into fits Of the
most violent and dreadful laughter. He
was conveyed senseless to bed, and many
weeks elapsed ere bis nerves recovered
sufficient tone to allow him to resume his
habits of every day life
II confess that you have evidenced a
stronger instance of cause Of terror than
/ did when produced the fisherman of
the Orkneys. Yes, sir, your merchant
had not only his own life in forfeit, but
the consideration of the almost certain
death Of the whole of his family. | can
thoroughly understand that mans feelings
while gazing upon the candle of death"
''The merchants chance, said the cap
tain, "was tritle worse than my nevvy's,
as far as feelings and all that goes: but
still he did not get the duckings in a
January sea. You haven't capped the
climax yet, though, and you can't do it
on any land-you must take your mishaps
at sea if YOU want horrible situations in
perfection"
"Can you instance one OF two, captain?"
"Half q dozen, if you like. I'll men
ton one that, in my opinion, combines
the most awful point of all your stories :
and | know my portion of it to be fact.
4 small schooner was chartered in New
York in ~ to take company of players
to Texas. | forget the managers name,
but he was with his troupe and contem-
plated a junction with Corr, who is of
some standing as a public caterer in the
young republic. Among the company
were Mr.. and Mrs, Barry, Mr.. and Mrs.
Gibson, Mr. Page, AIr. Dougherty, Mr.
Williams and the manager and several
Others. The little craft was caught in a
gale off Cape llatteras; a heavy sea
struck her stern and forced her mead into
the wind; her bows were seized by the
gale, and she went down stern first
being light freighted, she soon rose
to the surface, keel upward. The captain,
with all his little crew and some of the
passengers who were on the deck, were
swept away like so much chatf; but the
suddenness Of their destruction was mercy
compared to the sutferings endured by
the untortunates in the cabin. The com
panionway had been left open, and the
rushing water soon engulfed the inmates,
oil ~,