Dancing with a Vengeance.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 22, 13 April 1870, Page 3

Dancing with a Vengeance.

During the Christmas festivities, a ball was held in one of the halls of the city of Pittsburgh, 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 out-waltz all. competitors. At twelve o’clock the band struck up “ II Baccio,” and a full dozen competitors took up 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, and 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

played, and the four fast-failing dancers danced and., daiiced and danced, till even those who looked upon them grow sick and dizzy. At the end of the fourth hour tho musicians grew feeble, and from the finger ends of the violinists tho blood trickled to the floor ; but still they supplied the moving power to keep the dancers going. The excitement became intense as the fifth hour of the dance came on ;. and there were those present who insisted upon putting an end to tho merry though reckless quartet suicide. However, no interference was allowed, and the prize dance over the laws of death went oh. 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 tho other couple, who kept the Jloor. Then came a summing up of damages. Tho 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 precarious condition and under medical treatment. The girls had ' to have;their shoes cut from their feet, and their limbs were swollen to an enormous size. The young men will hardly recover, and tho musicians suffered terribly, and > will never again play at a terpsichorean contest. So much for foolishness.