Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-11-05
FELL WITH A ROOF.
Hundreds Of People Watching
Circus Parade.
OVER FIVE SCORE PERSONS HURT.
Out OF a List of Sixty-Four Injured the
Women and Children Number Fifty
hve-A Structure Built for an Awning
Coiiapses with Hundreds on Top and
Beneath--Wall TumbIes on Firemen at
a Louisville Blaze with Fatal Results,

Louisville Blaze with Fatal Results.
TERRELL, Tex, Nov. 5.-As the result
OF the collapse of an awning under which
was crowd of people assembled to wit
ness circus parade several persons We're
fatally crushed and 100 others more or
less seriously injured. The rema, kable
thlng about the list of injured is the large
proportion of women and children, but
mostly women. Out of IA list of sixty-four
OF those injured from fatally to severely
hfty-iivc are either women or children and
at least forty are women. 1t was Il mercy
that there was liot long list of lin
stantly killed. 10 report from the nature
of the accident and this was only averted
by the other accident that one set of sup
ports of the awning did not come loose
from their positions.
The Circus Was Coming to Town.
With the dawn OF the morning one of
the most enjoyable days for The citizens of
this community had been promised. Pco-
pie from miles around had gathered to at
tend Sells Brothers circus and witness
the parade. About half past 10 o clock the
parade entered Moore avenue, the prin-
cipal business street of the town. That
thoroughfare was crowded with people
and the awnings and windows of.the sec
ond stories of the business houses were
filled with spectators. On the awnings of
the Mississippi store and in front ofthe dry
goods hoase of Morris Brin an unusually
large number of people had congrcgated
to get ii good view of the parade, 800 or
more being on the awning and the side
walk beneath was jammed
How the Disaster Occurred.
The front of the circus parade had gone
up Moore avenue until il reached Il point
directly i'll front of the Mississippi store,
when the awnings mentioned collapsed
ana tu.nblcd to the sidewalk and on the
people beneath. The awnings gave way
near the building with an awful crash, the
iron columns falling inward and smash
| ing the large plate glass fronts of both
buildings. As will be seen from the fore
going the awnings" were really long
porticos or yerandas, with flat roofs, max
ing very desirable place from which to
view the procession. With the roofs of
these awnings crowded with humanity
and under them hundreds more the scene
when they fell, piling those on top into a
struggling mass and crushing those on
the pavement under the weight of the
roof and those thereon may be imagined,
and cannot be imagined too dreadfully
Rescue Oi the Sufferers.
\ rush to the rescue was made immedi-
atcly. The hundreds on both sides of the
street who Were not victims of the disas-
| ter sprang to work to liberate those
| caught in the wreck, while IA heartrend-
| ing element was added to the scene by the
relatives and friends of those in the strug-
ling, screaming and groaning pile of hui
man beings who rushed frantically for
| ward to learn their fate Allen Sells was
riding in his buggy at the head OF the pro
ccssion He ordered it to stop and got out
of his buggy and called those near him to
assist in removing the people from be-
meath the debris. Different members of
| the circus rendered valuable assistance
Thankful 1t Was no Worse.
| The work of rescue was quickly, done,
and when all the victims had been re-
moved the citizens had time to thank for
| tune that had as it was, what was almost
II miracle had prevented it from being in
! finitely worse. As the inner side of the
| roof fell to the ground the outer columns
supporting it had swung inward and held
the outer edge of the roof up. Had these
columns lost their hold on the roof it
would have fallen flat on the sidewalk
and probably scores under it would have
| been instantly killed. The injured were
| immediately carried to the various stores
in the city and medical aid summoned.
List of the Seriously Hurt.
The names of over ninety have been
obtained who suffered greater or less in
| Juries. The following are put down on the
fatal or serious list Mrs. Florence Hutton.
Mrs. John Barry, Josiah Barton, Mrs
Roberts, three girls and boy of L. ID.
Veach, Mrs. JEFF Scott and baby. Some
of these will die while the others may die.