The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-01-06
HORROR RENDSCAMPAIGN
Fatal Collapse at a Political Meet
ing in Canada.
THIRTY PERSONS MEET DEATH.
The Breaking OF Beam Precipitates
Over n Hundred People to the Floor
Below. and Then Fearful Rush For
Life Ensues.

Life Ensues.
London, Ont. Jan. 4.-One of the hottest
and most stubbornly contested munich
pal elections ever known in this city
was followed last night by fatal acci-
dent that has put the city in mourn
ing. Thirty persons were killed and
others injured by the collapse of a
crowded floor Of the city hall. At mid
night 20 bodies had been taken from
the wrecked building and identified.
List Of the known dead follows: F. Hea-
man, c. Beckett. L. LuXton, N. Caroth-
ers, r. Leigh. James Harris. l.. W..
Burke, John Smith. Henry Talbot. A..
Phillips, John Turner, Ben Nash. J. w.
. Borland. George Hilburn. Frank Rob-
ison. James Mclean. John Barridge,
Oswald Bruce, h. Jacques, w. H. Dell,
stephen Williams. John Fellows and
Allen Towe.
There were large number injured,
among them the following: DR.. Will
son, the mayor-elect, leg broken; AL
| derman Carothers. slightly injured;
William Gray, leg broken; George
Fleming, both arms broken: William
Jones, water commissioner-elect,b badly
bruised.
How many were injured will never
be known, as those who suffered but
| slightly at once made for their homes
or were taken care Of by their friends.
Those who were more seriously injured
were carried to neighboring drug stores
whence they were taken to the hos
pital or to their homes after their in
L Mt "a do
were taken to the committee rooms of
Alderman Parnell, the defeated candi-
date for mayor.
At the close of the polls a crowd
gathered In the city hail. where 1t has
been the custom for years past for the
successful candidates to address the
electors. The building was crowded
to the very doors, probably 1000 people
being jammcd In its narrow space
There was a lull in the proceedings, the
audience called for several of the
newly elected aldermen at ohce. and
there was some delay In securing a
speaker to address them. Alderman
Carothers Joined the mayor In an effor,
to secure quiet In response to numer.
GUS calls r. M. Toothe was pushed for.
ward to the platform on which the
speakers stood. A he reached 1t there
was an ominous cracking and the
raised platform on which the mayor
and newly elected aldermen were seat
ed seemed to pitch forward to the floor
There was sagging of timbers, ant
the next moment $50 people were hurried
20 feet to the floor below. A beam run
ming 20 feet along the center Of the hal
had given away, and the crowded mas,
standing above that section OF the fiool
was thrown in a heap at the bottom
A large safe stood in one corner Of tn,
hall. and a huge steam coil, weighing
half ton. crashed down on the head,
Of the victims.
Following the crash there was a wilt
rush for the doors. At the south door
where the majority Of the crowd hat
entered, there was a terrible panic
Those in front were thrown down b,
the oncoming rush. shrieking and fight
ing for tho door and safety. Only one
half Of the rear door, space Of prob
ably three feet. was open. and in tn
mad rush no one thought to open tn
door in its entirety, and 500 peopl
struggled through the narrow space
the strong bearing down the weaker.
| Within a moment after the floor col
lapsed there were not half a dozen per
sons on that portion which had no
fallen, and the work Of rescuing tn
Iinjured and the bodies of the dead wa
quickly proceeded with.
In the theater adjoining. where 9TH
Girl from Paris" was being performed
panic was narrowly averted.