The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-01-04
MANY LIVES
WERE LOST.
Ban Broke in City Hall
at London, Ont.
PANIC REIGNED in PLACE.
A Steam Coil Fell Upon the Vicl ms
on FlOO.' Below.
A SCORE AND A HALF KILLED.

LONDON, Ont, Jan. 4--The hottest and
most ssubbornly contested municipal
elections ever known in this city was
followed last night by a fatal accident
that has put the city in mourning. AZ
the close OF the polls a crowd gathered
I'm the city hall, where ii has been the
custom for years past for the successful
candidates TO address the electors. The
meeting had been conducted in the usual
manner and was about TO be closed
when the floor in the northeast corner of
the hall gave way and the people situ-
ated in that section were precipitated to
1.-THE floor below.
An alarm OF fire was sounded, and the
fire brigade soon responded and began
the work OF removing the debris and
taking from the ruins the bodies of the
dead and injured. The list of dead is as
follows. f. Heaman. G. Beckett, r.
Luxton. ". Carrithers. Il. Leigh, Mr..
Harris, l.. w Burke. John Smith, Mr..
Talbot. A Phillips. John Turner, Ben
Nash. j. w. Borland, Mr. HiOurn and
Frank Robinson.
How many were injured will never be
known, as those who suffered but slight
ly at once made for their homes. or were
taken care Of by their friends. Those
who were more seriously injured were
carried to dru cstores. whence they were
taken to the hospital or TO their homes
after their injuries had been attended
to. The dead were taken TO the commit
tee rooms of Alderman Parnell, the de-
feated candidate for mayor, across the
street.
The building was crowded to the very
doors. probably 2000 people being jammed
in its narrow space. There was lull in
the proceedings and the audience called
for several of the newly elected alder
men. Alderman CarrOthers joined the
mayor in an effort TO secure quiet In re-
sponse to numerous calls Il. VI. Toothe
was pushed forward 20 the platform on
which the speakers stood. AS he reached
il 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 a sagging Of timbers. and the
next moment $50 people were hurled 20
feet 10 the fnnr helnW.
A beam running 20 feet along the center
OF the hall had given way, and the crowd
ci masses standing above that section
OF the floor were thrown i'm a heap to the
bottom. A large safe stood in one corner
of the hall, and huge steam coil weigh
sng half a ton came crashing down on
the heads Of the victims. Following the
crash there was a wild rush for the doors.
At TIE south door. where the majority
Of the crowd entered. there was a ter
rible panic. Those In front were thrown
down by the oncomlng rush OF persons,
shrieking and fighting for the door and
safety Only one-half of the rear door.
spree OF probably threa feet, was open.
and in the mad rush no one thought ia
open the door in its entirety. and 500
persons struggled through the narrow
SPACE. the strong bearing down the
weaker
Within moment after the floor had
sallen in. there were not more than three
persons ia The hall on that portion of tho
floor which had not fallen. Alderman
Cooper was among the first to be dragged
out OF the mass OF broken beams and
shrieking humanity. lie was quickly
carried 90 an adjoining room. and i'm a
moment half dozen more were keon.
ing him company. Several men lowered
ropes and eadeavored TO haul the wound
Cd out OF the pit From under the massed
weight Of the broken beams came many
cries for help. The windows on tho
ground floor were broken in. and Tho
living and dead Passed to the waiting
nmbulances.
a gianCe et the wreck after the catas-
trophe disclosed the fat that whole
section OF the floor had dropped. IN,
Jl-Lt--llfaa ff-s-t44J mt r7rr NJ rrI57J,yb d
the work had been dou- with = saw
me building Was an Ola one, haytnq
beeh erected in me earl, nftiss. and oi
10 t,Rt COib ~ OH DAY
Take laxative Rrumo Ouuiur Tablets. All
druggists refund th" nprry if it fails g. cure.