Page:Account of the dreadful accident and great loss of lives which occurred at Kirkcaldy, on Sunday the 15th June, 1828.pdf/10

10 uttered some inarticulate expression, and then instantly dropped down and expired. Several persons succeeded in getting out of this gallery by the window immediately to the left of that now mentioned, and descending on the top of a small portico a little below the sill, reached the area of the church-yard without injury.

A variety of remarkable and some almost miraculous escapes were mentioned to us, Mr, surgeon, Kirkcaldy, was in the body of the church when the gallery fell; but his family and his sister-in-law, were in the gallery at the moment of the crash, and for a time literally buried in the ruins; yet most fortunately they escaped unharmed from their perilous situation. The family of Dr was in nearly the same terrible plight, and had equal good fortune. Mr, innkeeper, and his daughters, were also involved amidst the rafters and rubbish, yet escaped with a few trifling bruises. The front work of the gallery, after yielding a little outwards before the crash, having remained standing, thirty-six individuals clung to it, and were saved. Several persons were observed to seize hold of and suspend themselves from the chandeliers, by which means they escaped being entangled in the rush, and were thus preserved. A little girl, daughter of Mr, effected her escape by a union of agility and presence of mind which we heard warmly eulogised by several who had witnessed it; and various other instances of a similar kind were stated to us. Amongst the numbers who were trodden down