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the precarious and uncertain tenure of human existence. The principal facts, which have been (illegible text)xiously and industriously collected upon the (illegible text)ot, may be very shortly told.
Being the Communion Sabbath in Kirkcaldy, the parish church, as generally happens on such occasions, was fuller than ordinary throughout the early part of the day; and it being understood that the Rev. Edward Irving, of the Caledonian Chapel, London, the son-in-law of the clergyman and formerly a resident in Kirkcaldy, was to perform the evening service, a great additional crowd, impelled by curiosity or other motives, flocked to hear that celebrated person. The consequence was, that after the doors were opened, and the bell had rung for about ten minutes, every part of the church was filled, and numbers (illegible text)ere standing in the passages; but it was not "crowded to suffocation," as has been erroneously stated. At this moment, however,—that is about two or three minutes before the service was to commence, and close upon six o’clock,—the (illegible text)ole of the north-western range of galleries, (illegible text)the right side of the pulpit, extending to ra(illegible text) more than fifty feet in length, yielded to (illegible text) unusual pressure of the multitude it supported, and fell, with a tremendous crash, upon the (illegible text) more hapless assemblage underneath. The (illegible text) indication of the catastrophe was given by (illegible text) Spear’s gallery, which is the centre division (illegible text)he range; and a gentleman who occupied it, (illegible text)just remarked that he felt the gallery sinking, when, instantly, the whole mass was precipitated
