Middlesbrough & Stockton Gazette and General Advertiser. — 1873-01-09 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

DREADFUL CALAMITY IN AMERICA. American papers of the 27th and 28th of December werc lauded at Qpeenstown on Monday. The floor of the Sabbath schools attached to the Repast church at Newberry, in which were some 500 persons celebrating the ceremonies of Christmas night, gave way, precipitating the whole assemblage to the cellar below. 13t;hen theerash came heartrending cries arose from the congregation; children shrieked wildly or their parents, and the groans of the wounded and dying filled the air. The oil lamps of the edifice, to the horror of all, ignited, and bade fair to destroy all in the general cm&greater. The church. took lire, but the flames were speedily extinguished. Before the floor fell, many of those within were able to reach the windows and leaped to the ground, a distance of 15 feet. In the panic several were wounded by being trampled on. Upwards-ot LA persons were killed' and from 40 to 50 wounded. The papers are full of accounts of tires whiehhave taken place in New York and district, by whiehunnela life has been lost and property destroyed Loa large amount. A great storm of wind and mow broke over New York on the 26th of December, the severest which was felt there-for 20 years, causing a comglete suspension of business. All trains were blocked, as well as the streets- of the city. The roofs of several establishments fell in, through the weight of the snow, linjuring.many persons ,neverely. •  , ataay  ALLREGED ATTEMPTED, MURDER OF A SWEETHE IRT AT SHERIJ/F HILL The usually quiet village of Sheriff Hill was thrown qµite into a state of excitement at a late hour on Monday night, in consequence of an attempt by made a miner, named John Geo. Conway, to cut the throat of Margaret Young, a young woman • whom he courted as hie sweetheart, and whose mother lives at Grahamsley-street Gateshead. About a month ago she affiliated a child upon him, and latterly she had been staying at his • brother's house, James Conway.', at Sheriff ILII Row, where the painful occurrence took place. Between eleven and twelve o'clock on the night in question, Conway made his way to his brother's house, where he sat, down close beside the girl Young, with whom he remained in conversation for some time. It ill then stated that, without any warning, he drew from his pocket a razor, and inflicted with it a severe and serious gash across her throat. He instantly afterwards hurried her out of the house to his father's,'where he himself lived--eome six ' doors further along the road—and then, under his parents' roof, he attempted to take his own life by drawing the razor-across his throat. Alarmed by the screams of the wounded woman, several of the neighbours repaired to the soot, and information was Toickly 'conveyed to the -police. Dr. Davis, who was seat for, also promptly obeyed the summons, and —With the aid of his two assistants dressed the wounds of the injured couple' and ordered their removal to the Newcastle Infirmary. The sister-in-law of the young man Conway was in the house when he used the razor upon the girl Young, but all the affrighted witnesses could do was to rash out and raise the alarm. Detective r Dodds, from instructions received, proceededlBeet.to the Infirmary, where he learned that Conway, who is only- it) years of age, was in a sufficiently fit state to be removed to the Gateshead Borough Police Station, whither the offieen had him conveyed in a cab, and where he now lies progressing favourably ander the charge of Dr. Banning. From inquiries instituted at the Infirmary the girl Young wit) still lying in s precarious condition, but had not changed for the worse.  Run AT