Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-05-23


el, but the bodies forced two feet above It I!
The inner door is fixed in partition Tor
screen of wood, which fortunately, does not
reach the ceiling lit being, in fact, under Gu
pOla,) as a boy, who had been cast upon the
pile, climbed over, and, through a small graf
Ing in the outer door, made his cries heard i'm
the street. 1t appears most strange, and
great neglect, that no person was, at the time,
| stationed at the door where the bread was to
be issued-or, if there was, that he did not
hear the cries, which, however, were probably
drowned by the general noise that must have
ensued from sucha number of riotous persons.
Government Notice.--His honour the Lieut..
Governor feels great regret lin announcing 10
the public most melancholy and fatal ACCT
dent which happened last night in this city,
and WHICH has caused the death of nearly one
hundreds children, of from eight to twelve
years ofage, by suiiocation, from being tramp
led upon. The particulars of this unfortunate
event will be published as soon as they can he
collected with any degree ofprecisi on. 1t is
only known at present that some of the child
rem of the lower classes, who, according to
annual custom, are formed into procession
and taken to shurch on the last day of the
| carnival, and who have afterwards IN allow
| ance ofbread, &c. distributed To them, with
the view of keeping them out of the riot aud
! confusion in the streets, were collected to-
sether in corridor Of the Convent OF the
Franciscans (Alinori Osservanti) adjoining the
Church, where, from the violent pressure Of
those who followed through the Church he
hind (amongst whom, it is supposed, were
many full grown people, who ought not To
have been there,) to get TO the door at the
other end ofthe corridor, from whence the
| bread, &c. was To be issued. and within which
door there was flight of seven steps. 1t is
concluded, the door being locked, and it b-ing
almost entirely dark, that the foremost child
rem fell down the steps, and were trampled
upon by those who followed An inquest is
now sitting, with the view of getting every
possible evidence, which will be published as
soon as completed.
RICHARD PLASKET,
| Chief Secretary to Government.
| Palace Valetta, Feb. Ie, 1898.
.ninrfe by his Hon. the Lieutenant Governor.
His Honour the Lieutenant Governor having
received report from the Most Rev. Arch
bishop the Bishop of Malta, relative to the I'M
fortunate catastrophe which took place on the
evening of the tn inst. i'm the Convent oftbc
hlinori Osservanti-and having also perused
| the evidence ofthe persons examined before
the magistrates of po!ice-someo of them com
panions and survivors OF the unfortunate suf-
ferers, and others, witnesses who were on the
| spot at the mOment-and the report ofthe
medical men, he is enabled to publish for
general Inflammation the following details ol
| this truly melancholy accident.
1T has been usual for many years pms. in
this Island, on the last day of the Carnival, to
collect together, in Valetta and in the three
cities on the other side of the harbour, rs man
boys OF The lower classes, of from TO Is years
of age, as chose to aitend-t0 form them into
IA procession, and TO take them out TO Floran
| or elsewhere where, after attending service
IN the church, COLLATION. of bread aud fruit
provided from funds partly given by govern
ment and partly by bencficeDt ndi, i,iualsl
was distributed TO them-and this with the
view of keeping them out ofthe not and con
fusion of the Carnival in the streets Of the
| cities.
| The arrangement of this procession isun-
der the control of the Ecclesiastical Drec-
| tors Of the institution for teaching the cate
chism.
/ 1t appears that this procession had taken
place on the 10th inst.-that the children
went To Florian, just outside of Valletta, and
| from thence returned To the church of thy
Minori Osservanti, in Valletta, and that the
bread was on that day distributed in the Con
vent OF that Order without any accident or
confusion.
On the 1lth, the procession was formed
as usual, proceeded to Florian, and returned to
the church Of the Minori Osservan and the
bread was tobe distributed as on the preceding
day, in the same Convent.
Unfortunately, however, the ceremony had
been prOtraoted to- later hour than usual
and it appears (the Carnival being over) thai
multitude Of boys and fulI-grown people
passing by the church, and knowing that brral
was to be distributed, mixed with The chill
hren in the church with the view Of sharing il
with them.
The boys were To enter the corridor of thu
Convent from the door of the vesiry Of the
church, and were led out through the opposite
door OF the Convent in Strada St. UrsOla
where the bread was TO be Distributed
; and 1t had been customary when they were
collected in the corridor, to lock the door OF
the yestry, for the purpose of prev enting tbos,
boys wh0 had received their share of ih,
} bread from entering u second time into III,
corridor.
On the door Of the vestry, however, being
J thrown open on the present occasion, which
. took place about SUNSET, after the ENTRANCE %
the boys who originally attended the pro
cession, and who could not have exceeded
ono hundred, the whole multitude of men anC
boys who had subsequently entered the church
forced themselves iUto the corridor tn an I'M
known extent, and pressed upon the foremost
pushing them gradually 10 the other end VI
the corridor, where the door was only hal
: open, with the view Of letting out one ut
time.
: AS soon az the people had all entered tht
corridor, the vestry door WAS ~ usual locked
I and, though there Was one lamp lighted IN tn,
, corridor, II appears, 10y some accident, to tay,
7 been early put out, thus leaving this mmrnst
: crowd entirely in the dark and there bsins
: unfortunately flight Of eight steps within tn,
ks.lE II.