The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-04-18
Frightfu1 Scene in Church.
THE CROWD PAN1c-sIRIcKEN-THREE WOMEN
KILLED AND MANY INJURED.

That an intense alarm was occasioned in st.
NIary's Catholic Church, Chicago, on Good
Friday evening, resulting in general rush and
the death of three persons, has already been
announced in our dispatches. The Tribune, of
Saturday, gives the following details:
All we're listening with reverential silence.
The tene5rde were beng sung on this the last
day. The officiating priests were saying the
third nocturn, when suddenly, from some al.
most lnexplicable cause, panic seized hold OF
the entire congregation. Whether it originated
in q falling abutmelt, breaking seat, or q
cryr6f Iirc, is not absolutely certain, but 1t is
too sadly true that all, with one impulse, spcang
from their seats in tho gallery, and in the body
of "a church, and made one frantic, desper-
ate rush for the door.
THE STAMPEDE.
They sprung from the narrow and inconyeni-
ent pews and rushed along the crowded aisles,
forg etful of all, animated only by the blind de-
sire for self-preservation, and poured out into
the vestibule. Those who we're in the gale
ries, nearly all timid and nervous women, fed
down the sharp, pitched stairs, which led
directly into the vesiibule, and not into the
body Of the church. ar thus added to the con-
fusion that was already prevailing there. To
preserve quiet the doors Of the church, which
the crowd threw itself seeking safety, and yet
SO blind as not to see that it could not be pos
sibly obtained in that way. For few moments
everything was blind and terrible confusion.
The people in the vcstibule were pressed till
many Of them were nearly suffocated, while
some had fallen, or had been pushed down the
gallery stairs and trsmpled to death beneath
the feet Of those who came after them. There
we're shrieks and cries and stif1ed groans, and
agonizing appeals for aid. The aid finally
came, though too late for some. The crowd
recovered from the alarm and passed out into
the street. Several minutes passed, however,
before sufficient order was restored to allow OF
any attention being ptid to the victims.
STREET SCENES.
Some Of the women, as they emerged from
the structure, ran frnntically from the scene,
and in their blind hurry rushed wildly against
each other, and over one another, and in few
moments Wabash avenue and the intersecting
streets in that neighb orhood presented scene
Of hurry, and confusion and panic, that COM
pletely beggars description. Some would cry,
HOh. nv head is brole;" others, ''I can't see,
I've lost my eyes," others, exhausted and
breathless, would break down in the middle Of
the streets, and under the impression that
their last moment had arrived, would Lie pros
trate. and frequently seem insensible, until
some person by picking them up, and with
words of encouragement reassured them they
were more scared than hurt. Others had no
sooner reached the outside Of the enclosure
which serves as protection to the front en-
trance, than they fell on their knees, and as
the tide of humanity came upon them, they
were actually forced along the Street in that
position.
But the greater the pressure the louder
grew the prayers, for which the attitude had
been assumed, and now and then vail would
be heard so agonizing and startling that it
chilled the blood Of all about, and even strong
men would shut their ears to the terrible
sound, and involuntary exclaim, t.Oh, it is
terrible, terrible" And still the almost ex-
haustless stream of human beings continued
to pour out Of the narrow entrances OF the
structure Now and then there was a COM
plete block, and strong arms on the outside
would take hold Of the nearest arm, or per-
chance clasp the body, and pull with desperate
strength to effect an opening, and then, as
body was pressed against body so close as If
under the pressure of a vice, fearful cries
would rend the air, and next a dozen forms
would be hurled pros trate on the ground, but
safely on the outside. Perhaps in another mo-
mont this scene would be repeated, there
would be another fearful struggle to effect a
q passage, and tine terrible scene was protract-
ed to nearly half an hour.