Excitement in the Town Hall

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 2, 27 September 1907, Page 5

Excitement in the Town Hall

■A Panic Averted. mr. jamls 1 /Moore- saves the ..^situation. There ~was a scene of much excitement in'"tlie • Town Hall for a few minutes during the celebration last evening. ? ."Tlfe' building was densely packed, and in one part of the gallery, where sey,eraJL hundred,.people, stood.in a thick mass, -the atmosphere-was .well nigh suffocating. -In the middle of the MaybPs.'acVdrcss 'a woman in'this; quarter of the. buildjng fainted'." This caused another woman,to:become.hysterical, and-"'piercing' shrieks, several times repeated,--caused a commotion over all the hall. As few could see what the true causo of the disturbance was, there was some danger of a panic occurring, especially. w.h,et) ; .the occupants of adjacent seats in the gallery wore seen to jump excitedly to their feet,'press forward for a moment to 'discover what the matter was, and then give back again, as if, maybe, an alarm of tire had arisen, and they wore about f c rush from tho. building.,. ■ Tho large"-Crowd, downstairs, -who heard tho shrieks, and could uot tell what had happened, also discovered signs of-uneasiness- and-restlessness. The-Mayor stopped in his speech, and then seemed .to,pause, as if deliberating what,'.to.do. n If ra 1 panic, followed by a rush to the exits," had; arjs.en: in the congestion of the building,, there might boon loss of. life; Mr. J. Moore, of the Seamen's Mission, saw the dangerijißushing forward from his seat in the jront.of. the. hail, downstairs, he leapt upon the roporters.-i ti?ble,-'aiid. ifl- s&jntorian tone scalled upon the audience..to,lveop their seats. ''-'Swinging'his ''arm' ,tb right and left ho shoutedto,.the.people in the on them, 'For iGodV-sake," "when they hesitated—to. .move.along .and ; make hio're room in'-'tbej'-cbng'ested quarter. His words wcro alike vigor T ous, as, W implored, the .people dpwii below to'liebp 'their 'seats, 'and" hot give rise to '£' panic."' '"• ■, ■■'■ After ;arr few moments:" of uncertainty it~"d£wh'ed'''ori'''th'e' ! large audience that there was' no occasion for alarm. Mri-'-Moorb descended from'-his table, and :: freat'-'- ; back' : quietly' to ;his seat, 'arid"th'e'Mayor 'resumed his interrupted speech. ''!