Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-01-06
A DISASTER At LONDON, ONT.
Floor In City Hall Fell During a
Political Nesting.
A PANIC FOLLOWED THE CRASH
Twenty-Five People Killed and
Thirty-five Hurt.


London, Ont, Jan. 4.-Ons OF the
hottest and most atubbornly contested
municipal electiopa ever known in this
city was followed last night by dis
astsr that has put the city in mourn
ing. Many persons were killed and
others injured by tho collapse Of
crowded floor of the City Hall.
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 they were taken to the hospital
or to their homes after their injuries
had been attended to.
The dead were taken to the Gom-
mittee rooms of Alderman Parnell, the
defeated candidate for mayor, across
the street.
At the close of the polls a crowd
gathered in the City Hall, where it has
been the custom for years for the sue
cessfuf candidates TO address the elec-
| tors.
The building was crowded to the very
doors, probablys 1000 people being
iammed in its narrow space. There
| was lull in the proceedings, the
audience called several of the newly
elected aldermen at once, and theirs
| was some delay III SECURING q speaker
! to address them. Alderman Carrothers
joined the mayor in an effort to secure
| quiet.
| In response to numerous calls r. 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 platform on
which the mayor and newly elected
alderman were seated seemed to pitch
forward to the floor.
There waa a aagging Of timbers, and
| the next minute $50 people were pre-
cipitated 20 feet to the next floor be-
low. A beam running 20 feet along the
centre of the hall had given way. a
large safe stood in one corner of the
hall, and huge steam coil, Weighing
half ton. came crashing down ON the
heads of the victims.
Following the crash there was a wild
rush for tine doors. AT the south door.
where the majority of the crowd had
entered, there was terrible panic.
Those in front were thrown down by
the oncoming rush. shrieking and
fighting for the door and safety.
Only one-half of the rear door, n
space of probably three sfsst, was
1 opened, and in the mad rush DO ono
thought to open the door in its en-
firety, and 500 people struggled through
the narrow space, the strong bearing
down the weaker.
Within a minute after the floor had
fallen in there we're not mora than
three persons in the hall on that nor.
tion Of the floor which had not fallen.
Several men lowered ropes and en-
deavofed to haul the wounded out OF
the pitt From under the massed weight
| of the broken beams came many cries
70. help. The windows on the ground
floor were broken in, and the living
and dead were tenderly passed. to the
waiting ambulance.
1 A glance at the wreck after the
catastrophe disclosed the fact that q
| whole section of the floor had dropped,
| tine joists having been as neatly cut off
as though the work had been one with
saw.
The building was an old one, having
been erected 10 the early fifties, and OF
lute years additional stories mad been
placed on the old walls.
In the Grand Opera House, which
adioins the wrecked building, the first
act of ..The Girl from Paris" had just
been concluded when word was whis
pered through the theatre OF the
calamity. A panic was imminent but
was averted by the actors and ushers,
and the people quietly left the building.
No new victims were found in the
ruins to-day
The revised list shows that % per-
SONS were killed and 80 seriously in
jured.