Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-04-16
MEMPHIS TENNESSEE. THURSDAY EVENING APRIL l6 1868
the church from rashly crowdiug upon

each other. s
The people in the galleries, on becom-
ing panic stricken, quickly poured head
long down the stairs. In descending
from the south gallery, in their impet-
uosity to force their way rapidly TO the
street. the people ran, jumped, aud tum-
bled, until they had got themselves into
an entangled and struggling mass at the
bottom OF the stairway, Oppositethe door,
which opened inward, where were many
human beings literally piled together in
horrible confusion. There lay, pressed
tightly together, the living, the dead, and
the dying. The narrowing groans that
issued forth, told Of the intensity Of the
suffering that was being endured by
many Of the unfortunate people. 1t was
q work of great difficulty TO disentangle
this tightly.wedged mass of humanity, 80
impacked that the rescuers found them
selves at times literally tearing the cloth
ing from the bodies Of the victims.
Mrs. McNulty, an old lady Of immense
size, who had been among the frst to
gain the stairs, but who had in the ex-
citement missed her footing at the top OF
the fight, rolled to the bottom, and, when
reached, was found with her head on the
floor, with her feet in an upright position.
Life was extinct Crushed about her,
lay others dead and dying. All of the
victims were removed as speedily as pos.
sible TO the convent of the Sisters OF
Mercy, adjoining the church.
Here the dead and wounded we're
placed on the parlor hoors-side by side;
and everything that tended to alleviate
the main of the sufferers, was done by
those kind ministering angels--theSisters
of Mercy. Medical aid was immediately
sent for, but some delay was experienced
in obtaining surgeons, as many OF the
nearest who were called upon were alb
sent in attendance upon their patients. 3
Among the first to arrive were Doctors
Reynolds, Barnes aud Borlenghomer.
They were assiduous in their endeavors
to relieve the wounded women, and
render them comfortable.
The following is the list of the dead :;
Jane McNulty and daughter Mary, re-
siding at SO Fourth avenue, and one
other woman unknown at midnight.
The wounded Miss Bridget Lotus,
left arm and side; Miss Maggie Com
miskey, living on Clark street, between
Madison and Monroe, injuries as yet un-
known; Miss Maggie Perk, injured in
ternally, will probably die; Mrs. Mary
Boice, l3l Fourteenth street, injured in
ternally, chest and neck, will probably
die. =,
Sad as were the scenes of suffering in
the Sisters parlors and reception rooms,
the solemn hush of the plying attendants
being only broken by the groans of the
sufferers and the low words of sympathy
or consolation, yet sadder feature was
gained when, a little later, the relatives
ofthe victims, for whom messengers had
been sent, were confronted with the
writhing or lifeless forms of those from
whom they had parted in health but few
hours before. The bodies, previous to
their arrival, and as yet not identified,
had been removed to the library in the
rear of the church, where Capt. Hickey
and Sergeant Barrett, of the city police,
took charge of them for the night.
During all this period, along Madison
street and in front of the entrance to the
church and house of Sisters of Mercy,
an anxious and terror stricken assem-
blage were congregated, eagerly solicit.
ing every item of news. Rumors of
every kind were shost as to the cause
leading to the saddening calamity, and
as the details were furnished, and the
awful reality dawned upon them, the ex.
citement became intense, requiring the
united efforts of the police force present
to keep them from intruding into the
church and the convent.
The attendance at the church could
not have been less than two thousand,
gathered from various parts of the city,
this being the Bishops church, and draw
ing, for that reason, from the audiences
of other churches open at the same hour.
The sufferers were all Irish, and from
the humber Glass; and from appearances
were in attendance without male compa-
MONS, accounting for delays in identiti-
cation.