The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-05-27
rho. 81.
srFrocN rroN or 10 BOYS.

having received rc,rui from the Mos
Rev. Archbishop the Bishop Of Malta, re-
| lat. 10 the unfortunate catastrophc hich
topk place oil the evening OF the 18th inst.
in tie Convent of the Miaori Osseryan'
--and having n.so peruscd tue evidence of
the persnns examined before the inag.s
irate3 Of police--soine IL them coinpa,,
ionl aud survivors Of the unfortunate suC-
lefef8, aud others, witnesses, who were OF
the spot Mt the moment, and the report Of
the medical men, he is unabl,d 20 publish
for gonnrl information the following de-
tails ofthis truly melancholy accident
" II has been Mual for many years pas,
in this island, on the last days of the Car
ngal, II collect together, il Vnleita and ~
The three cities GA the other side Of the
hafhor, rs many boys OF the lower classes,
If lrnm eight 10 fifteen years of age, as
chose 10 atieud---tO form them iuto u pro
clssnn, and take them out 60 Fioriau o.
elsewhere where after Attending service
in the church, collection uf bread and
fruit provided from funds partly given by
government nn,l partly by bcnciicent indi-
sidmls) was distributed Ia them land this
will The view of keeping them ont Of the
riot and confusion Of the Carnival IN the
streets Of the cities. The arrangement of
this procession is under the control OF the
Ecclesiastical Directors of the Institution
for teaching the catechIsm.
Itapp,a fs lhhi this procession had taken
place Oh the 10Th instaut---that the chill
dren went To Florian, just outside OF Va
lelta, aud from thence returned 10 tho
thlrch Of thu Mnori Osscryanii, 10 Val
lenli, and that the bread WAS on that day
distributed IN the Convent OF that order
without any accident or cotiuaIon On
the | lth, the procession Was formed ~ IL
sun, proceeded 10 Florian, aud returned IT,
the Church of the Miuora Osscrvanli, and
the bread WAS to be- distributed, as on the
proceeding day, IN the same convent.
3" Unfortunately, however, the csrcfno-
ny had been protractcd To a later hour than
usual aud il appears, lthe Carnival being
over that multitude " boys and full
gown people, passing by The Church, aud
knowing that bread Was to be distributed,
mixed wi,hfhr children inilc Church, With
the view ofsbarng itvth them. This boys
were To enter III" corridor Of the Convent
from the door of the ,esify OF the Church,
aud were IL be let out through the oppo-
ate door Of the Convent into Strada ~.
urtola, where the bread was to be- distri-
bui.d and II had been Customary, when
they were collected IN the corridor, to lock
the door Of the yestry, for the purpose
ofprevonting those boys who had received
their share Of the bread, from entering u
second time into the corridor. On the
door Of the ,estry, however, being thrown
open ON the present occasion, which took
place about sunset, after the entrance OF
the boys who originally attended the pro-
cession, aui who could not have exceeded
one hundred, the whole multitude Of ncn
aud boys who had subsequently, entered
the Church, forced themselves into the
corridor 10 IN unknown extent, and prcss~
ed them upon the foremost, pushing them
gradually TO the other end Ut the corri-
dor, where the door was ouly huff open,
with the view OF letting one out II u time.
As soon ms the people had all entered
the corridor, the ycstry door Was Us usual
locked, aud though there was one lamp
lighted IN the corridor, il appears, by sonio
accident, To have been nearly put out
tiliH leaving the immense crowd entirely ia
the dark and there being unfortunately Il
flight OF eight steps within the lIalf-closed
door, Ut the opposite side of the corridor
the crowd behind pressed upon the fVrey
most forced the boys down the steps, wit z
fell upon the other, thus, unfortunately
ehoakine up the hai-shut door 40 the hat
tom (Which opened inwardsl aud added to
the distress. The slirIcks of the children
were SOON heard by the persons employed
in the distribution Of The bread which they
had just commenced issuing, aud by the IN
habliants Of the ncighborhood aud il ap-
pears That every aid was immediately Civ
en-. Some persons after cndeayUripg ia
vain To <, the boys out Of the half closed
door, rushed into the church and got the
keys of the vesiry door, which was then
opened while others entered the corridor
from the ycstry, passed through the crowd
Ia the other end, aud broke down the door
nj the bottom of the steps; but unfortunate
" these exertoDs were not ~ time ~ serve
the unhappy sufferers. Many however,
were taken out fiuliug, and soon recover
ed ; others apparently life-ss were after
wards brought To their senses hut we re-
greet to add, that 10 boys of from eight tu
fifteen years of age, pershrd on this coca.
sion from snlioeaiIou, by being pressed to
gctbcr IN 80 small a space, or trsmpled
upon. On rejecting upon this fatal occur
renee, this Lieutenant Governor is conyin-
ced that nDne but persons Of the most
depraycd or perverted minds can suppose
for II moment that there has been the small
lest wilful ar internal fault on any part
That there are, however, indiyitlui,ls ofth
above description IN the Island il but too
evident, as reports of the most indignant
nature have been raised and circulated on
tn. occasion. II will be the first duty Of
6o,ernni.nt To sift these reports to their
foundation, & the authors, Il discovered, will
meet with the punishment they deserve.
-.-.eAe,..