The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-04
CITY HALL COLLAPSES
THE ROOI PACKED WITH 1905
PEOPLE.
CRUSHED MASS FALL TO THE PIT BELOW
A Ratification Political Meeting After the May
orally Contest to Hear the Successful
Candidates--Bui'diog Very Cid and
Overweio bted With Addi.iops.
0yerweighted With Additions.

London, Ont, Jan. 3-During a poll
tical meeting in the City Hall tonight,
the galleries and floor collapsed, burying
over a hundred of the audience in the
ruins. At night twenty bodies had
been taken from the wrecked building.
How many were injured will never
be known, as those who suffered but
slightly at once went to their homes or
were taken care of by their friends
Ihose who We're more seriously injured
were carried to neighboring drug stores,
whence they were taken to the hospital
or 10 their homes.
The dead We're taken across the street
to the committee rooms of Alderman
Parnell, the defeated candidate for
mayor
At the close of the polls a crowd gath
cred in the city hall, where it 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 1000 people being
jamIned in its narrow space. There
was Iull in the proceedings, the au-
dience called for several of the newly
elected aldermen at once and there was
some delay in securing a speaker to ad-
dress them. Alderman Carrothers join
ed the mayor in an effort to secure
quiet. In response to numerous calls,
K. NJ. Toothe, was pushed forward to
the platform on which the speakers
stood. As he reached it there was an
Ominous cracking and the raised plat
form on which the mayor and newly
IL i I -,
pitch forward to the floor.
There was a sagging of timbers and
the next moment one hundred and fifty
people were hurled twenty feet to the
floor below. A large safe stood in one
corner of the hall, and a huge steam
coil, weighing half a ton came crashing s
down on the heads of the victims.
Following the crash there was a wild
where the majority of the crowd had en-
tered there was a terrible panic Those
in front were thrown down by the on
coming rush, shrieking and fighting for
the door and safety. Only one-half Of
the rear door, a space of probably three
feet, was open, and in the mad rush no
one thought to open the door in it's en-
tirety, and 500 people struggled through
the narrow space, the strong bearing
down the weaker.
Alderman Neil Cooper was among the
first to be dragged out of the turmoil
of broken beams and bowling humanity.
He was quickly carried to an adjoining
room and in a moment half q dozen more
were keeping him company.
Several men lowered ropes and en-
deavored to haul the wounded out of
thespit. rom under them assed weight
of the broken beams came many cries
for help. The windows on the ground
floor were broken in and the living and
dead were tenderly passed to the wait
ing ambulances.
A glance at the wreck after the cataS-
trophe disclosed the fact that whole
section of the floor had dropped, the
joists having been as neatly cut off as
though the work had been done with a
saw.
The building was an old one, having
been erected in the early fifties and of
late years additional stories had been
placed on the old walls.
In the Grand Opera House, which
adjoins the wrecked building the first
act of the "Girl from Paris" had lust
been concluded when word was whisper
ed through the threatre Of the calamity.
A panic was imminent, bat was ayerted
by the actors and ushers, and the people
quietly left the building.
London, Ont, Jan. Al q. m.-The
deaths resulting from the wreck of the
City Hall number thirty, and it is said
that the list is likely to be even larger
many of the injured being in serious
condition. Owing to the fact that many
of the injured were carried to their
homes. it IS difficult to gather names.
London, Ont, Jan. A a. m.-Twen.
ty-four known dead is the list at this
hour. Both of the city hospitals are
full and many of the injured are at their
own homes.
Further search in the building has
been abandoned for the night.