DANCING with a VENGEANCE.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 644, 12 April 1870, Page 2

DANCING with a VENGEANCE.

! During the Christmas festivities a ball was held in one of the halls of thecity of Pittsburgh, America, at which a large number of young folks were in attendance. Among the attractions of the evening was a prize, a gold ring, offered to the lady who should outwaltz all competitors. At twelve o'clock the band struck up " II Baceio," and a full dozen competitors took their places on the floor, entering for the contest. At the expiration of twenty minutes four of the couples gave way and took their seats, leaving the rest twirling and whirling in the giddy and intoxicating dance. One hour more, there were but three couples on the floor, and the dance went on till after another hour had passed, when from sheer exhaustion another couple gave way, leaving the floor to the remaining two pair of terpsichorean devotees. The band of music played and played, and the four fast-failing dancers danced and danced and danced, till even those who looked upon them grew sick and dizzy. At the end of the fourth hour the musicians grew feeble, and from the finger-ends of the violinists the blood trickled to the floor; but still they supplied the moving power to keep the dancers a-going. The excitement grew intense as the fifth hour of the dance came on, and there were those present who insisted on putting an end to the merry, though reckless quartet suicide. However, no interference was permitted, and the prize dance over the jaws of death went on. After five hours had elapsed, one of the ladies fainted, and her partner quickly followed her example; and, amid cheers, the prize was awarded to the other couple, who kept the floor. Then came a summing up of damages. The two contesting girls were nigher death than life, "and had to be conveyed to their homes, together with their partners, who were as badly used up, in carriages, and all have since been in a very precarious condition and under medical treatment. The girls had to have their shoes cut from their feet, and their limbs were swollen to enormous size. The young men will hardly recover, and the musicians suffered terribly, and will never again play at a terpsichorean contest. So much for foolishness.