The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-01-05
TWENTY FOUR KILLED
The Number Of Lives Lost in an
Accident in Ontario.
MANY PERSONS INJURED,
Both the City Hospitals Are Fuii aud
Many Of the Wounded Taken 20
Their Homes city Hall Floor
Gives Way with a Crowd.

London, Jan. Moro than 90 per
ions are known to have been killed aud
many injured, By the collapse Of a noor
Ia the city hall last night al the Close Of
Inc municipal oompaign, and the hall
was crowded 20 hear the addresses Of
he state candidates
How many were injured win never b.
known, as those who suffered bat slight
Iy at once made for their homes or were
cared for BY friends Those who were
more seriously injured were carried 20
drugstores whence they 1
were taken 70 the ho7piials or TO their
homes after injuries had been attended
to.
Tho dead were taken 20 the committee
rooms Of Alderman parncll. the defeat.
ed candidate for mayor directly across
the street
At the close Of the polls a crowd gath. /
cred at the city hall, whcro it has been /
the custom for yoars, for the successful /
candidates o. address the electors.
Tho building was crowded 10 the /
doors, probably 1000 people being
jammod In its narrow space. There
was q lun IN the proceedings when the
audience called for several Of the newly
elected aldermen at once and there was
some delay In securing a speaker % adj
drcss them. Alderman Caroihors joined
the mayor IN an effort 20 secure quiet.
In response 20 numerous calls x N
Tooihe wns pushed forward 20 the plat
form on which the speakers stood As
be- reached 10 there was an ominous
cracking aud the raised platform on
which the mayor aud newly elected al
dcmon were seated seemed topiich for.
ward 20 che floor There was "a agging
OF umbers and the next moment 100
people were hurled 90 feet % the foor
below a beam running 90 feet along
the center 90 the hall lad given way
and the crowded mass standing above
that section 81 the floor was thrown IN
a heap Co che bottom a largo safe
stood n one corner OF the hall and with
a huge steam coil, weighing half a ton
came crushing down on the heads Of the
victims
Following the crash there was Wild
rush for tho door. 80 the s1lth dolr
who're the majority n the crowd had
entered. thcrr was a terrible panic
Tho.e in frontweu thrown down by Che
on coming rush. shrickiug and fighting
for che door and safety Only no.hali
Of che rrar door. a space Of probably
/ thrc feet was open, aud in che mad
/ rush no one ought CO. opcn tho door in
its entirety, and a0l people struggled
through tho narrow smcc. the strong
BEARING down the weaker
Within % moment after thc floor bad
fallen bon thcD wen NOT more than thiDl
persons in tho BAH on that portion of OBJ,
ilomwhich had noe fallen
several men lowered ropes and en-
dclvorod % haul The wounded oat Of Oh,
pit From under the masscd weight %.
brokOn beams came many cries Tor help
The windows ON the ground floor wen
broken in and the living and The dolt
wore tondorly pissed 90 the waiting am
huhncc.
An investigation ~ the wrock aftC
the catastrophe disclosod the fact that
whole section Of che flor had dropped
The ioisis having hcon a. neatly cut oi
as though the work bad been done will
saw. Thc building was an old one
} having hocn orccicd tn the early 50's
and Of late years additional stories bal
been placed on the old walls
In the grand opera house, which Join
the wrockcd buildinr. the hrst act q
"Tho Girl Prom Paris" had just bCc
concluded, when word was whispcrc
through the thcater Of the calamity.
panic was imminent, but was avorio
by the actors and ushcrs, and the pcopl
unwlicdy left the huildiug.
Ate O'Clock this morning an the doa
wen removed frum the wrrok. Tl
dead number e.
\ Il b. believed some Of tho iniurCd wi
die. Both tho city hospitals aro foil ,
injured people, ana many were caui,
60 their homes
Many Of thosc carried down hy q
falling flour worc boys - 20 l6yoars oil
Some 81 thom managed 20 squim fro
under heavy bCams whcrc mon con
not move. Despite this, however.
number of them were killed. their hv
hoing crushed out by the hoams whit
gradually SETTLED ON Thorn, horuo dow
hy the hoyv iron saiv and she aCa
soil that had fallen on top OF tlc wrcc