Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-01-15


over a Hundred People to the Floor
Below. and Then "a Fearful Rush For
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 acct
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. Twenty
four dead bodies We're taken from the
wreck.
The list Of the dead follows: F. Hea-
man, c. Beckett. +. Luxton. ". 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. Il. Jacques. w. H. Dell.
Stephen Williams. John Fellows and
Allen Towe.
There We're a large number injured.
among them the following: Dr. VIII
son. the mayor-eiect. leg broken: Al
derman CarOthers. slightly injured:
William Gray. leg broken: George
Fleming. both arms broken: William
Jones. water commissioner-elect. 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 thev were taken to the hos
pital or TO their homes after their in
j1ries had been attended to. The dead
were taken to the committee rooms of
date for mayor
AT the close Of the POLLS a crowd
gathered in the city hall. where IL 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 once. and
there was some delay in securing a
speaker TO address them. Alderman
Carothers Joined the mayor in an effort
to secure quiet. In response to numer-
Gus calls r. NJ. Toothe was pushed for
ward to the platform on which the
speakers stood. AS he reached It 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. ana
the next moment l50 people were hurled
20 feet TO the floor below A beam run
ming 20 feet along the center Of the hail
had given away. and the crowded mass
standing above that section OF the floor
was thrown in a heap at the bottom
A large safe stood i'm one corner OF the
hall, and a huge steam coil, weighing
half ton. crashed 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 were thrown down by
the oncoming rush. shrieking and fight
ing for the door and safety. Only one
half of the rear door. a space OF prob
ably three feet. was oren and in the
mad rush no one thought to open the
door in its entirety. and 500 people
struggled through the narrow space
the strong bearing down the weaker.
Within moment after the floor col
lapsed there were not half a dozen per
sons on that portion which had not
FALLEN. and the work Of rescuing the
injured and the bodies of the dead was
quickly proceeded with.
In the theater adjoining. where THE
Girl from Paris" was being performed
panic was narrowly averted.