The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-04

! London, Ont, Jan. 3.--Twenty per-
! sons are known to have been killed and
many injured by the collapse of 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 mid
night the bodies of the following had
| been taken out and identified:
| +. HEAMAN.
| c. BECKETT
| . II. LU%T0N.
L. n. CAROTHERS.
X. LEIGH.
| - HARRIS.
| T. w. BURKE,
JOHN SMITH
- TALBOT
A PHILLIPS.
JOHN TURNER.
BEN NASH.
J. w. PORTLAND.
~ HILBURN.
FRANK ROBINSON.
JAMES M'LEAN.
OSWALD BRUCE.
! II. JACQUE.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN
The injured. as near as can be
learned. include the following:
DIR. Wilson. the mayor-eleet. leg
| injured Edward Mopin, Burgess.
William Gray. leg broken = Fleming.
both arms broken: William Jones.
water commissioner. badly injured;
Joshua Darehu, John Blanch. Alderman
Neil Cooper. - Van Wyck. George
| Yates. city editor of the News. Harry
Passmore, reporter on the Advertiser
staff. Those more seriously injured
We're taken to neighboring drug stores.
while others were taken to hospitals
and their homes. after their injuries
had been attended to. The dead were
taken to the committee rooms of Alder
man Hernell. the defeated candidate for
mayor, directly across the street.
At the close of the polls a crowd had
gathered in the city hall. where ii had
been the custom in years past Tor the
successful candidates to address The
people. The hall was crowded to the
very doors, probably 1000 people being
damned in its narrow space. There was
lull in the proceedings, when the au-
dence called for several of the newly
elected aldermen at once and there was
some delay in securing a speaker TO adj
dress them. Doorman Carrothers Joined
the speaker in an effort to gain quiet
After numerous calls II. NJ Teoots was
pushed forward to the platform on
which the speakers stood. When he
reached it there was an ominous crack
ing and the raised platform on which
the mayor and newly elected aldermen
We're seated seemed to pitch forward To
the floor.
There was a sagging of tinbers and
the next moment $50 people were hurled
20 feet 10 the floor below. \ beam run
ming along the center of the hall had
given away and the crowded mass
standing above that section of the floor
was thrown in a heap to the bottom.
large safe stood in one corner of the
hall. and, with huge steam coil weigh
ing half ton, came crashing down on
the heads of the victims Following the
crash there was a wild rush for the
doors. At the south door, where the
majority of the crowd had entered.
there was a terrible panic. Those in
front We're thrown down by the out
coming rush. over the rear door a
space of probably three feet was opened
and in the mad rush no one thought To
open the door and 500 people struggled
through the narrow space. the stronger
bearing down the weaker.
Alderman Neil Cooper was among the
first TO be dragged out of the mass of
broken beams. He was quickly carried
to an adjoining room and in a moment
half dozen more We're keeping him
COMPANY
Several men lowered ropes and en-
deavored to haul the wounded oGt of
the pit From under the massed weight
of the broken beams came many cries
for help. The windows on the Sound
floor We're broken in and the living aud
the dead We're tenderly passed TO IL
waiting ambulances. An investigation
Of the wreck after the catastrophe had
happened disclosed the fact that a
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 old one. having
been erected in the early sos. and of
late years additional stories had been
placed on the old walls.
In the Grand opera house. which Joins
thH wrecked building, the first act OF
The 1lrl from Paris. had just been
completed. y hen word was Whispered
through the theater Of the disaster. A
panic was imminent but was axerted
hE the actors ana ushers and the peo-
PIE quietly leaving the building
Al A. m. the deaths resulting from
the wreck of the city hall number 30.
and IL Is said that the list is likely 10
be- even larger. many injured being in
serious condition. Owing TO the fact
that many ot the injured were carried
~ their homes. il is difficult TO gather
names
Al "a. IA. u known dead is the list