SERIOUS ACCIDENT AT A SALVATION MEETING.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1277, 13 January 1883, Page 4

SERIOUS ACCIDENT AT A SALVATION MEETING.

A tel'iible accident', by which a large number ! cif persons' - were seriously l iiii jured—some, it is feared—fatallyoccurred at Hanley recently'i ; ;'A shott; time before the ho# appointed for the l usual evening service, at the Imperial Circus; in connection with the" Salvation Mission," under ex-Captain Gipsy Smith, who, a short time ago, WM.the" cause of a split in the "Army,"' : a' preliminary " holiness" meeting, attended by about' 300 members of the' congregation,'wad 'being held 'in the ante-room adjoining the building, and over a part of the circus formerly used as circus stables; when the floor gave way, precipitating most of those present into the lower' storey. This' produced a terrible panic, many persons having their legs and arms broken,ind.all the others more or less bruised, shaken, and terrified, A great number of women fainted, and for a time lay amidst the debris of the floor as if dead, until rescued by people who ca'md ilmost immediately afterwards to the evening service, , r, . ;r - The panic which followed the catastrophe cannot be described, and what tended to make matters worse was the unfortunate circumstance that a man' whilst trying to turn the gas on fully turned the key the wrong way, and enveloped the building in darkness. This more than terrified 1 the uninjured in the main part of the building, and amidst the darkness a general rush was' made at all the doorpys and passages numbers being knocked down and trampled on, whilst others were seriously crushed, Tho danger was in one sense increased by people in all parts of tho building who had kept their seats striking matches, 'and probably a terrible disaster might have followed had it not been for the presence of mind of Mr James Bedding, ton, an ex-town Councillor, who instructed the.band, in the terrible confusion caused by the groans of the injured and ; the screams of the terrified, to play up one of the popular airs so common among the Salvationists. As soon as possible the gas was re-lit, and the ' work of extricating the injured commenced. The corridors of the building were literally strewn with men, women: and children, it being impossible for 'Some' time to ascertain the extent of the injuries received. Drs Philips and Spanton were speedily , fetched, .and. other medical men afterwards, camo/ on the scene, but so serious were the injuries that some had received that they had to be immediately removed to their homes and treated there : while many limbs wer- '\l""\.and serious injuries received. . Lj extent of which cannot at present be ascertained. Chief constable Wind, with Inspector Hall and an efficient staff of police, were speedily on the spot, and did all- that was possible to maintain order and convey the wounded to their homes. In the first confusion many femalet ran terror-stricken as soon ih.n could escape from the building, leaving their hats, shawls, <k, behind them. As the people came out the various churches and chapels of the town the news of the disaster became known; and a great crowd flocked to the scene, filling the streets in the vicinity of the circus to such an extent that: locomotion was almost impossible. The police at a late hour had not by any means a complete list of the injured. In one of the ante-rooms were placed a large number of umbrellas, hats, bonnets, A'c., waiting identification. The cause of theaaldent wasthebreakingthrough of a 9in beam connecting the joists of thefloor. " :