The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-06-19 00:00:00

suff tate I. A little spas s sad then two girls about
eleven sod six years a age were placed together, and
next to these were two boys, one about six and the
other five years of age 0 imiug to the third row, the
first w is a little girt about five, next • b I about six,
with his hands crossed in front, and next was placed
• girl of eleven or twelve, whose clothes awl lower
garments ha apparently been torn off her in the
struggle that had taken place, her remains being
covered with • brown • Ton. A little distaime further
along were three cheilreen—two girls and one boy of
about five or dr years of age. Theo came • little girl,
in the centre of a gr ,up, with her Lae dreadfully
blackened. Her sufferinga bad evidently been intense,
and blood had fi lived from her left e.r. Next to these,
in the IleMarow, were 7 bodies altogether—five 0,l and
two girls—all bearing ince., with one exception, of
haying died • dreadful death. The exoeption referred
to was a boy whose face was white and placid, aid
very different trim the swollen and darkened counteo-
maces of the b dies on each Fide of him. At the end
of the row lay • girl about nine years of age, whose
loos was painfully swollen and distorted. The next
row was the fourth from the front of the hall. many
bodies from which had ben already removed; but
there still remained eleven corpses, mostly boys.
One poor little urchin of five years of age, lying at the
end, had his Jerald torn from his beak; his vest was
torn open in the front, and his mouth was out and
bleeding. Next to him lays boy very black, but other-
wise composed-looking. Then came five dead bodies;
one poor boy in the group being • dreadful picture,
hie face totally bleak, his mouth bleeding ant his
clothes had been torn in the struggle. It mast have
been • dreadful death strug4le by those p or children.
It afterwards was noted that the by just referred
to was one of the lad four to be identified. Is
the centre of the batch wise an affecting spectacle,
saddening to behold. It was the corpse of • title
chap. who could not be above four year. of age. He
had on • topcoat much too big for him. His little Noe
was white and almost unmarked, he appearing t
b* simply asleep. On looking mow there was a bruise
011 his right eyelid. He looked very white and oroupeed
end aid not appear to have suffered beyond the slight
bruise or whatever bad caused the discoloured eyelid.
Two others of the group bore plain traces on their
countenanise of • severs attempt to free themselves
from the deadly crush above them. The last of this
lot was • girl of eight or nine years of age, whose
, clothes were torn to some seise. A short di.tanoe
further Jong were four more bodies, Sanaa girls sod
ono boy, the least of the Lau being about six years
of age, and the girls evidently about five, seven, and
cite years, one of the latter having a b ackeued•opeare
soca Then cisme the fifth row, part of which had
bees removed. nest of all were two girl., about eight
years of age, one of Whom wall in a Area lled st.te, her
knee. being covered with blood. The other one was
• taller girl, of about thirteen years of age, and then,
after • little space, were five bodies, all of which bur
one were boys, and all were more or lees blackened
and discoloured.
Daring this time—from seven to eight o'clock--eome
*dui wiener took Mace. One woman fed down
before Me prostrate form of her by, crying out, "
bly
son I my sou I" in loud tone* of lamentreAon. Those
near at hand came to her at once, and she was assisted
to • form at one side, where she was attended to by
friendly Md. Already mothers sat weeping at bit
sides of the hall, and in one or two cameo they were
in • terribly excited and hysterical state, and ha I to
be held. SO[l3o of them were attended by Dr. Harris
and other mall al men. It was at times beertieodind
to hew the scream. of m 'there at they recognised their
children in the corpses before them. At 7.30 a woman
who had come into the body of the hell recognised
her daughter, • girl of twelve or fourteen. She instantly
became frightfully distracts I. and for some time
had to be held by policemen and friends, her
shrieks being awful t I bear and her agony intense
She could scarcely be got away from the corpse.
Some of the poor children is the crushed heap were
heads do en and feet up. The excitement In the streets
warn intense, and between eight and nine o'clock •
large detachment of the 68th Durham Light lotisntry
was brought up from the berracks to waist in keep og
the streets clear, and ma le an avenue for the cabs to
pea up and down on tusk way with the corpora, the
polioe keeping the way from the °mitre of the road to
the Toe telegraph.office was b 'siege I with
telegrams from bereaved pweida. A pathetic la:11,14ot,
narrete.l in c intiection wi di the 04tairoptia, w
witheaed is the vicinity of the hall. A lad was
sitting on the roiling, near Murton-street, crying.
paler-by inquire I the ci.use of his grief. ." Why, sir,"
be ad I, "I was in the place there, and wh-n I was
coming out • boy that WWI dying bat my hand; and
that's corn," he a Id ,d, pointing in ttie direction of the
coma of • piur child that was l'ing near.