The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-26

wall 8uu bulciu VI WOOQ mSohs
to be guard at the outer side OF the stairway.
This shield was fragile and could not resist the
pressure Of the rushing mass Of humanity. It
soon gave way and the panic stricken people
pressed against it, and fell with 1t to the ground.
About the same time the exit from the
right hand side OF the church was en-
larged by the opening OF one Oh
the doors, which had hitherto been locked. For
moment there was a slight freedom for action on
the part OF those who were upright. and they
rushed with o fierce, surging movement
for the street The poor people who were
PROSTATE were run over, and they
pulled down some or their trampiers
with despa'ring clutch, and they who had a
moment oeiore been among the triumphant, now
became components OF the human mosaic pave
ment, over which the selfish and the senseless
went stumbngly. or the many people who went
down before the immense force OF the crowd not
one arose uninjured. Two OF them were
picked up dead-two wonderland o boy
who was taken out OF the mass and removed to
his home, died almost as soon as he reached there.
his name was Thomas Feeney: he was aged fDur-
teen years. and resided at No. 10 City Hall place.
All OF the norrid scenes that have hitherto been
described occurred on the staircases or in the
vestiDule
IN THE CHURCH
all be pictured. Every face in the edlfce was
stamped with the marks OF fear. Few knew what
had occurred. Those who did not know were sur.
prised at the in corruption OF their devotions and
fed without discovering what had excited
their sense OF dread. Their steps were hurried
by the Indictment which they received from the
moaning and grooming OF the people in the gal.
lery who were hurt. Beside these indictments
the lew courageous men, who saw that
all danger was over. and who wished
to still the tumult added others with
their cries for "Order." Roundsman
Patrick 7. Muldoon, of the Twenty-sixth precinct,
VINO was at the service was one Of the lew cour-
ageous people In the church. He called out, ask
ing the crowd to stop, but his words,
If they were heard by the people, were
taken only cries OF alarm. Fathers
Currin and Carroll also retained their GOODNESS,
and implored the people to be still, as there was
no more danger. But the maddened people
would not stop nor stay. II there had been q
barrier OF brass shutting them in from the
street they would have thrown themselves against
it. aud have beaten and berated 1t, as they
were being crushed to death against 1t. Inferno
can have no scenes more appalling than those
that were seen in st. Andrews church last night.
The occupants OF the galleries. who saw the STAIR
cases blockaded, IN frenzy sought to reach
threw themselves in desperate recklessness
over the balusrrades OF the galleries let them
selves down until their hands only cutched those
palIngs and then fell into pews. For some mo-
ments the sides OF the galleries were
strung with men, women and children, sus-
pended by their hands. The few men
who knew what they were about caught
some OF these reckless people and kept them COM
paratlvely free from injury. Yet not 1.-THE OF
them could be thus rescued. STILL 1t Is q strange
TACT that very lew Of those who got into the body
Of the church from the galleries in the
way described were seriously hurt so far as
can be ascertained. As soon as they reached the
floor they ran eagerly to JOIN the struggling
masses or m0bs that clOgged oil the outlets
Many OF them ran toward the vestry, to escape by
the stairway that winds from that room
into q small basement hall, which has
q door opening into an area below the grade OF
City Hall place. But this staircase was cnoked,
and the crowd filed the vestry and the approaches
to IT, In their desperation many people ruised the
window sashes, ana jumped into the area
that has been described, the pavement OF
which Is about ten ieet below the window
lodges. 1t Is not known that any persons who
thus made their exit from the church were hurt
dangerously. The example OF Jumping out OF the
window was set by an old man, who, though
8lmOSt CTdZcu Will ledEs ycL uuu Iucl uOU
in his, madness. When he entered the
vestry. the stairway running from it was
crowded with meu, women and children, who
struggled inerectualy-who could not extrl-
cate themselves from the tangle into which
their hands, feet and bodies had got. This des-
perate, fearful old man, did not deliberate nor
add his force, to the attempt at dislOdging the
mob from the staircase. He was inspired as soon
as he had entered the vestry and seen
the dilemma o. hts predecessors. A
heavy wooden money box was standing
beneath the window. The old man picked
1t up and hurled it through the vestry window.
1t carried away every pane Of glass except tour,
which ran down one side OF the sash. The glass
was taken out very cleanly, and an apper.
ture OF about two ieet and half long
and two feet wide was made, through which the
old man bounded. He went out with force, and
struck on the stone stairs that ran up rom the
area to the grade OF City Hall place. He
alighted on one knee and loot, but
arose quickly and ran down City Hall
place. The passage from the vestry into the
street was speedily made clear and there was no.
body hurt badly In the crush therein.
The story that is told above Is not exaggerated
Tor effect upon the minds OF readers about the
awful close OF last nights religious ceremonies in
st. Andrews church. IL Is faithful to the
statements made TO the writer by men who
saw all that passed during that short series OF
struggles Tor escape from unknown or miscon-
ceived danger. short, indeed, was the series OF
struggles but they comprehended and gave play
to the most devastating passion OF manklnd-tne
passion that Is produced by the desire to retain
lie oneself though many others perish.
The following 10 the story told to the writer by
the Rev. Father Curran about the beginning, con-
tinuance and close OF the horriying accidents, or
series OF accidents, in the church OF which
he Is pastor. It has been said before that
Father Curran did all he could do to stem
the tide OF flight Of the frenNed people. He un.
derstood from the moment Of the first crash what
had occurred, but was not appalled, by 1t. At the
time OF the accident he was sitting at the
right hand side OF the aitar-that Is.
TO the left OF Father Carroll, who
was speaking to, and Of course, facing the con-
gregaton. That part OF the right gallery into