He  proceeded  for  nearly  half  an  hour,  when  again  that
ominous  soiind  was  heard,  and  the  floor  was  felt  sink-
ing as  before.  Mr.  Choate  paused,  and  the  fear  of  the
crowd  was  partially  quieted  a  second  time  by  an  assur-
ance of  an  immediate  inspection  of  the  building,  and  if
it  should  not  be  found  safe,  an  adjournment  to  some
other  place.  The  architect  who  first  went  to  examine
the  supports  had  not  come  back.  General  Butler,
who  was  presiding,  said  that  he  would  go  and  ascertain
the  condition  of  things,  and  return  and  report.  He
went,  and  to  his  horror  found  that  several  of  the  rods
by  which  the  floor  was  sustained  had  drawn  through
the  timbers,  that  the  ceiling  below  was  opening,  and
that  the  slightest  movement  or  demonstration  of  ap-
plause would  be  likely  to  bring  the  floor,  the  roof,  and
probably  the  walls,  to  the  ground,  with  a  destruction
of  life  too  awful  to  think  of.  Comprehending  all  the
peril,  he  forced  his  way  in  again  through  the  crowd,
till  he  reached  the  platform,  and  then  calmly  address-
ing the  audience  told  them  that  though  there  might  be
no  immediate  danger,  as  they  had  been  interrupted
twice  and  some  were  timid,  it  would  be  best  quietly
and  without  haste  to  leave  the  hall.  'This  is  the  place
of  greatest  danger,'  he  said, '  and  I  shall  stand  here
till  all  have  gone  out.'  The  hall  was  a,t  once  cleared,
those  on  the  platform  going  last ;  and  it  is  said  that  as
they  were  walking  out  the  floor  again  sprung  for  an
inch  or  two.  Not  till  all  were  safe,  did  they  under-
stand the  imminent  peril  in  which  they  had  been  ;  how


1855-1858.]    LETTER  TO  JOHN  CARROLL  WALSH.         311

near  to  a  catastrophe,  to  which  that  of  the  Pemberton  Mill
might  have  been  a  mercy.  The  crowd  soon  forgot  the
danger,  and  were  so  eager  for  the  continuance  of  the
speech,  that  Mr.  Choate,  who  had  retired  to  the  hotel,
and  was  suffering  from  an  incipient  illness,  addressed
the  assembled  masses  for  some  time  from  a  platform
hastily  erected  in  front  of  one  of  the  windows.
