The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1902-04-09

tion-One That Caused "A Panic.
Exactly at 6 p. m. on the evening of
Dec. ID, 1884, n sneeze was sneezed I'M
der London bridge which consigned
two men TO an instant and horrible
death.
Their names We're Lomasney and
Fleming, and they We're conspirators.
Their mission was to blow up the
bridge with dynamite, because it was
considered that at that time there
would be more people crossing it
workmen, workgirls and others on
their way home from businessman at
any other and that the loss In human
life would be therefore correspondingly
more appalling.
All went we'll at first. The pair Of
desperadoes dropped ,noiselessly down
the river in boat, with forty pounds
of dynamite In their possession, to-
gether with the necessary fuses and de-
tonators. Arrived at their destination,
however. they found that the gully hole
underneath the southern arch of the
structure, wherein 1t had been their In
tention to insert the explosive, had
been stopped up. Lomasney undertook
10 remove the obstruction, but 1t occu-
pied him some little time. The night
was bitterly cold and his comrade got
chilled and was seized with sudden
fit of sneezing, In his agitation he
dropped one or more of the detonators
he was holding, and these, falling on
the dynamite which was laying In the
bottom of the boat, exploded 1t, with
disastrous results. Doubtless, however.
that inopportune sneeze, although 1t
ended the career of pair of despera-
does saved London bridge from de-
struction.
That the Right Hon. w. IL. Forster
died peacefully in his bed instead of
being assasslnated in 1882 was due to
q sneeze. Three times the conspirators
laid In wait for him, but the last at
tempt was the most determined of
them all. -Four men armed with heavy
calibcr navy revolvers were to waylay
him as he drove from the viceregal
lodge to the castle. Two of the assas-
sins were to fire at him from the first
floor window of n house In q certain
street, and the other two were station.
| ed at the window of another house a
| few yards down on the opposite side OF
the way.
These latter were the reserves" des
tined to try their skill should their col
leagues miss. Neither of the two firing
/ parties were to show themselves unit
the near approach of their proposed
victim was signaled from the stree
below. The signal in question was t
be the waving of pocket handker
chief by James Carey, the same mai
who was afterward killed by O'Don
nell.
The plot was excellently planne.
from the point of view of the PARTED
hsr aJu b P 62ft 81 far IS hp%a
alities the chief secretary seemed a
good as dead. Yet 1t all came to naugh
and for so simple reason that tn,
plotters themselves, meeting together
afterward at their secret rendezvous
in North King street, were fain t.
| laugh at their own discontinue
The morning was cold and gusty
Mr.. Forster was somewhat late, and
Carey, chilled with waiting about, be.
gan to sneeze. Instinctiyely he drew
out his handkerchief. the handkerchief
that was to give the fatal signal. and
In an instant the clustering north wind
had ficked it from his benumbed fin
gers and sent 1t sailing down the street
as twenty mile an hour gait.
At that very instant the chief secre-
tary's carriage turned the corner and
came swiftly toward him. Carey ran
to the spot which had been previously
agreed upon and tried to make his fell
low conspirators understand that their
victim was in sight by signaling with
bis arm and pointing.
The result, however, though exactly
what might have been foreseen, hardly
came up to his expectations. The four
men at the windows were waiting for q
man with handkerchief. Instead, they
saw one without any sNch signaling
apparatus, evidently excited and point
ing wildly up the street. Instantly they
conjured UP visions of traitors in their
ranks and Of detectives on their tracks
and. dropping their weapons. inconti-
nently and hastily fed.
On the evening of Oct. II, 1878, POI
liceman on duty near the Coliseum
Music hall. Liverpool, noticed an unu-
sual commotion at the entrance. d.
sheveled boys and girls. their clothing
In many. instances torn from their
backs and some of them covered with
blood, were pouring from the gallery
exits, while from within the building
came the sound of shrleking and loud
cries for help. Realizing something Of
what was happening, the constable
seized an ax and smashed In two of the
extra" doors.
His prompt action undoubtedly saved
scores IL not hundreds of lives. for by
this time the auditorium had become a
veritable pandemonium, wherein sever
al thousand people, mad with terror,
were fighting and struggling with one
another for precedence.
Thlrty-seven Of the number lost their
lives, and E,ore than twice that number
were MANNED for life. And the cause OF
the panic was a fit of sneezing into
which a number of girls In the front
row OF the gallery were thrown owing
to some mischieyous person tossing
some snuff into the air.
A number Of those behind, hearing
and seeing commotion in front. rose
to their feet. Others Joined them.
Shouts and cries added to the confu.
sion. An alarm was raised that the
place was on FIRE. and simultaneous
rush of hundreds Of frightened people
by the results chroncled