The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-13 00:00:00

THE MANCHESTER TRAGEDY,

The adjourned inquest was held on 'Wednesday on the
bodies of the unfortunate persons crushed to death on the
night of Friday week, at Lang's Music Hall, Manchester,
in consequence of a panic created by a cry of " Fire."
Police-constable Leicester, who was on duty on the
evening in question near the music hall, said he heard a
noise of some persons shouting. He and Constable
Birkett went together to the hall, and forced their way
through the crowd, and were told that there was a fire
upstairs. There was a stream of people coming out of
the door, and several were getting out of the windows
facing Victoria-street. Was about five minutes in
getting to the foot of the stone staircase where the ticket-
collector stood. At that point there are two staircases—
one going into the pit, and the other into the gallery. At
the bottom of the stone steps of the gallery staircase he
saw a crowd lying down. They were piled up on one
another as far as he could see. He and Birkett tried to
release them, and sent for assistance. As fast as they
recovered those who were trampled upon they handed
them to assistants, who took the bodies away, and
conveyed them in cabs to the Royal Infirmary. He
and Birkett removed between thirty and forty,
most of whom appeared to be unconscious. That
occupied about twenty minutes. Went upstairs,
and found on the landing of the fire gallery, where
the chief crushing had occurred, three or four persons
lying down, and also three or four on the stage, all
apparently dead. Mr. Clifford and some of the singers
were attending to them. He had them taken downstairs,
and thence to the infirmary. Went over the building,
and perceived a strong smell of gas. The bottom part of
one of the gas pendants near the stage had been broken off,
and the end of the pipe plugged. The building was very
much crowded at the time of the accident. About a quarter
of an hour before the alarm was given be saw 200 or 300
persons in front of the building, some of whom complained
that they had paid their money, but could not get in. The
steps were narrow at the bottom. The staircase was the
only means of egress from the two galleries. There was an
elbow or angle at the top of the stone stairs, which made
it very difficult for the crowd to get down. The middle of
the staircase at the angle was about Mt., the uniform
width from top to bottom. Michael Donnelly, manager of
the entertainments at the Victoria Music Hall, said that
about 2,000 persons were admitted on the night of the
accident. At a certain point, when a sufficient number
had been admitted, the ticket-office was closed and further
admissions were refused. He was downstairs when the
alarm was given, and all was over before he was able
to force his way in. All that had been done since was
to make the railing so strong as not to be broken
down by any pressure. The passage between the railings
and the wall was a little over 4ft. wide ; from wall to wall
the width was about Bft. He thought four might walk
abreast down the steps. The hall, under ordinary circum-
stances, might be cleared in ten minutes. William Lang,
part owner of the Victoria Music Hall, and a civil engineer,
said he was simply the owner, and had no control over the
performances. He never heard of any accident from
crowding on the premises. He measured the staircase, and
found the stone steps Mt. wide, and the wooden steps
4ft. llin. He had heard that the rails on the staircase had
broken before. Should be glad to de anything which the
jury might recommend to promote the safety of the build-
ing. There was another staircase, which did not appear
to have been used on that cecasion. It was not generally
used, and he did not know whether it was always kept
open. It connected the galleries with the pit. It was a
circular well staircase. After some additional evidence,
in the course of which an architect who was examined
.tated that the building would not seat more
than 700 persons, the coroner summed up, and
the jury came to a verdict of accidental death,
at the same time expressing an opinion that the staircase
and handrails were quite insufficient fora place where such
large audiences assembled, and that suitable provision
should at once be made for the safety of future audiences.
They further recommended that power should be given to
the corporation to appoint an officer to inspect theatres,
music halls, and places of a similar description, and that
no licenses should be granted to the lessees of such
buildings unless they could provide properly for the public
safety.