Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1902-05-03
EVENTFUL SNEEZING
HOW ALlTTLE THING MAY BE LADEN
WITH GREAT RESULTS

Cost Two and Saved Many Lives.
A sneeze That Averted Assnssina-
tion-One That Caused n Panic.
Exactly at 6 p. IN. on the evening OF
Dec 10, 1884, a sneeze was sneezed I'M
der London bridge which consigned
two men to an instant and horrible
death.
Their names were Lomasney and
Fleming, and they were conspirators.
Their mission was to blow up the
bridge with dynamite because 1t 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 CORRESPONDENCE
more appalling
All went well at first. The pair or
desperadoes dropped nOiselessly down
the river in a 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 decorators
he was holding, and these, falling on
the dynamite which was laying In the
bottom Of the boat exploded It, with
disastrous results. Doubtless, however,
that inopportune sneeze, although II
ended the career Of pair Of despera-
does. saved London bridge from de-
struction.
That the Right Hon. W. e. Forster
died peacefully in his bed instead OF
being assassinated in 1882 was due TO
a 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
caliber 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 a house In q certain
street and the other two were station
ed at the window Of another house
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 until
the near approach of their proposed
victim was slgnaled from the street
below. The signal in question was to
be the waving Of q pocket handker-
chief by James Carey, the same man
who was afterward killed by ODOn-
nell.
The plot was excellently planned
from the point Of view Of the partici-
pants therein. In fact. so far as human
foresight could provide against eventu-
alties the chief secretary seemed as
good as dead. Yet 1t all came to naught
and for 50 simple a reason that the
plotters themselves, meeting together
afterward at their secret rendezvous
in North King street. were fam to
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. Instinctively he drew
out his handkerchief. the handkerchief
that was to give the fatal signal, and
in an instant the clustering north wind
had licked It from his benumbed fin
gers and sent It 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
his 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
man with q handkerchief. Instead, they
saw one without any such 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. IL, 1878, po-
liceman on duty near the Coliseum
Music hall, Liverpool, noticed an unu-
sual commotion at the entrance. Di-
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 shrieking and loud
cries for help. Realizing something Of
what was happening. the constable
seized an ak and smashed in two Of the
extra" doors
His prompt action undoubtedly saved
scores If rot 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.
Thirty-seven Of the number lost their
lives. and more than twice that number
were manned for life. And the cause of
the panic was fit Of sneezing into
which a number Of girls In the front
row of the gallery were thrown owing
to some nlischievous person tossing
some snuff into the air.
A number Of those behind. hearing
and seeing a commotion in front, rose
to their feet Others Joined them
Shouts aud cries added to the confu
sion. An alarm was raised that the
place was OH fire. and a simultaneous
rush of hundreds Of frightened people