Year: 1875

dragged down and broken, and thoughts of
fire at were uppermost in my mind.
Those Of the congregation who were not in
tuvd we're paraly5ed at FIRST with terror Their panic
took the place Of heplessness and there general


struggle for tho door. Words almost inadquate TO
describe tho confusion that followed. Every


body who could was striving get out Of the doors


Those who were weak enough to fall were
overrun by the crowd that followed. Over
the backsof pews and tae headsof others, young
meu crowded, crushing the more helpless persons
Shrieks yells and hled tho air. Nobody
thought Of the dead dying that lay crushed under
the ruins for each panicstricken striving to
himself, how or from what they hardly knew.


Word taken Franklin Street Police Station
nearby, and alarm Of fire Immediately sent out,
that brought the department. the The fire alarm
gwen at s:2s p. The hremen aud police reached


the church by $780, and began at to restore order
and render assistance. When l saw the panic
I sank back In my seat, convinced
that my chances Of safety vera greater
there than elsewhere at that me The poor creatures
whe crushed beneath ruins attempt
ing 10 extricate themselves assisted them and in
few moments the police had their line formed and all
hands began work. The ounded taken to the
Park Hospital they could be extrcated from
the ruins, aud the dead were carried TO sweeney's
Hotel at Chambers and Chatham-sts After the panic
subsidized the friends OF the injured began to clamor
for them and excitement about the church became very
great When friends injured found that they
could approach the church. they started
in body for the Park Hospital. and for
sweeney's Hotel. superintendent Walline and In
spector MeDermott informed Of the disaster, and
they reached the about o'clock Then the larger
part the killed and wounded had been taken from the
ruins and coBgeyed to place Of comfort. Many we're
found tainted from fright and several had been
injured during the clearing Of the building after the
crash. Those slightly bruised, or who tainted
from fright, numbered more than So and these were
assisted TO their homes by their friends


Father Michael Curran the pastor OF the church. was
sitting almost directly beneath the gallery. believed
that he surely killed or fatally wounded But by
miracle, 1t seemed. his life spared and he es-
capped with a few bruises After recovering somewhat
from the shock able minister TO the wants Of
those Of hi, people who we're moro seriously hurt


After the killed and wounded had all been removed,
examined well as could the parts OF the church
where the walls and roof had been broken IN. The wall
Of the crockery store which had been left standing
after the fire, lowered up i've or six stories
and presented q broad front to east or
northeast gale. The storm came up suddenly
and the wall violently hurled against the church.
striking it near the Of tho eastern wall. The
length Of tho fall added the weight OF the WALL and
the force when it struck tho church was
tremendous. The church wall at the point
OF Impaction was first bulsed M and
then broken This exactly the way 1t appeared as
looked at IT, The force OF the blow in that direction
dragged with the greater part OF the wall upon that
side the church. and portion OF the roof deprived
OF its support FELL adGlg to the weight that crushed the
con ngresaton below"