The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-01-04

many Injured by the collapse or n floor
In the city hall tonight. Tonight
closed the municipal campaign and the
hall was crowded to hear the addresses
OF the successful candidates.
At midnight the bodies OF the following
had been taken from the wrecked build
ing and identified: /. Heaman. C. Beck
ett, E. Leuxton, N, carothers, r. Leigh,
- Harrison. L. Burke. John Smith, -
Talbot, A. Phillips, John Turner. Ben
Nash, J.W. Boriand. - Hllburn. Frank
Robinson, James Mclean John Bar
ridge, Oswald Bruce, B. Jacques. unlden-
tilted nan.
The injured, as far as can be learned,
include the following: DR.. Wilson, mayor
elect, leg broken; Alderman carrothers,
slightly injured; Edward Morkln; -
Burgess; William Gray, leg broken: -
Fleming. both arms broken: William
Jones, water commissioner-eiec badly
bruised; Joshua Barch, John Blancha,
Alderman Neil Cooper. ----V Van Wycls.
George w. Yates. city editor OF the
News; Harry Passmore, reporter on the
Advertiser stan.
How many were injured will never be
known, as those who suffered but slight
~ at once made for their homes. or were
cared for by friends. Thoae who were
more seriously injured were carried to
,neighboring drug stores, whence they
were taken to the hospital or to their
homes after their injuries had been at.
tended to.
The dead were taken to the committee
rooms Of Alderman Parnsll, the defeated
candidate for mayor, leifectly across the
street.
At the close OF the polls a crowd gath
cred in the city hall, where Il has been
the custom for years past for the sue
cessful candidates to address the cleo
tors.
The building was crowded to the very
doors, probably 2 900 people being. jams
med in Its narrow space. There was a
lull in the proceedings when the audience
called for several Of the newly elected al
dcrmen at once, and there was some de-
lay in securing a speaker to address
them. Alderman Carrothers Joined the
mayor in an effort to secure quiet. In
response to numerous calls R. NJ. Toothe
was pushed forward to the platform on
which the speakers stood. AS he reached
1t there was an ominous cracking. and
the raised platform on which the mayor
and newly elected aldermen were seated
seemed to pitch forward to the floor
There was 4 aagglnS Of timbcrs and
the next moment $50 people were hurled
twenty feet TO the floor below. A beam
running twenty feet along the centre OF
the hall had given way and the crowded
mass standing above that section Of the
floor was thrown In a heap to the bot
tom. A large safe stood in one corner OF
the hall, and with huge steam coll
Weighing half ton came crashing down
on the heads Of the victims.
Following the crash there was wild
rush for the doors. At the south door,
:.
"He ~ '""'s' " ,.'s e.o"u -au s
tered' there was 'eFrioic panic. Ihose
In front were thrown down by the on
coming rush, shrieilng and fighting for
thn donr and eofatv on,v an. a,o,r ~
va eN 80 ~
the rear uoor' space prooaoiy 1hree
feet, was open, and in the mad rush no
one thought to omen the door In It's en-
tiratv and 5oo nron,e struggled throurh
49, u.s. ,..s.,e
.ne iiifio" spaee' 'Ae s''o's neat11's '"'1t'"'s
down the weaker.
Within q moment after the floor had
fallen there were not more than three
persons in the hall on that portion OF the
floor which had not fallen.
r,.s.t ~ ho 5ro ~oa,1 ~ ~ 49, 80, -