The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-16

chief had been done in the vestibule and
on the gallery stairs, where the crowd
was dense and perfectly demoralized.
There is no managing such a tremendous
crowd as that was when it ispanic.strick'
en-. There were people there, suppose,
who were never inside of q theater before,
and didn't know anything but to rush fol-
the biggest opening on the first alarm.
l have frequently seen this house with
very nearly as many people as were in
this afternoon emptied in three minutes
and half, and if it hadn't been for the
immense crowd at the door to-day this
thing would not have happened.
AFTER THE PANIC-ExCITING SCENES IN THE
STREET.
The panic inside the Opera House was
followed by one of still greater proper
tions in the street, but most fortunately
it was not attended with any serious re.
suits. It is fair to presume that at least
every square in the city was represented
by some one in tho vast audience, and the
alarm of fire from box As, at Ninth and
Elm streets, at once caused apprehen.
sions that it was certainly the Opera
House that was on fire. The consequence
was that in very short time people be.
gan to flock in that direction from all
parts of the city. The audience having
been dismissed in the meantime, many
were overjoyed to meet their own darl.
ings far from the scene and out of danger,
but in far more cases where children and
friends were not thus found. the people
only renewed their exertions and quick
ened their pace toward the scene Of the
calamity, burdened with the most fearful
and fearful forebodings.
The square on Ninth street from Elm
to Plum, and on Plum as far north as
Court, was literally damned with excited
men, women and children; while the side
walks around the park were crowded by
those who had been attracted thither out
Of curiosity. 1t required the efforts Of a
strong force ofpolicemen to preserve or
der and keep the excited crowd from
rushing pell-mell into the Opera House,
where the crushed and mangled bodies of
the victims were lying awaiting identifi-
cation. The widest confusion prevailed
for over an hour, the like of which we
hope it may never again be our misfor-
tune to witness. Men wringing their
hands, with tears streaming down their
cheeks, endeavoring to get tidings of dear
ones they had parted with so joyously
perhaps only a few hours before. Every
opportunity was eagerly availed to make
inquiry as to the names Of the victims,
but the stories told were so conflicting
that little satisfaction was afforded.
After an hour or more had elapsed the
bodies had all been identified with one ex.
ception-a very neatly attired woman,
apparently about thirty five years of age.
She answered the description given by
many in the crowd. but upon being ad-
mitted to the room there was none to
claim her. Then calrner feeling seemed
to prevail among the excited people, and
no doubt thousands of thankful prayers
were offered up to Heaven that the calam.
ity was no worse. Still the crowd linger.
ed, awaiting for information concerning
those who had been seriously injured and
removed to houses near by and to the
Cincinnati Hospital; and hundreds were
coming and going all the time, for the
news Of the terrible affair had spread into
every quarter Of the city. The most un-
bounded sympathy was expressed for the
friends Of the unfortunate victims, and
as the dead bodies, one by one, were tax.
Ell away from the scene, with weeping
father here, or heart.broken mother
there, feelings Of the deepest sadness
seemed to penetrate the entire throng.
Long after all the dead bodies had been
removed, the crowd fingered. In fact,
hundreds remained in the vicinity up to
8 o'clock last night.
TERRIBLE CLOSING SCENES.
In an unused room on the west of the
balcony lounging room your reporter
found laid out the bodies Of Miss Lunzi,
Hattie Leslie and Harry White. The
bodies, like the others, we're laid out with
the feet tied together, and the hands at
the side. The faces were discolored from
suffocation, and wore expressions indica-
tive Of the great agony in which they
died. Here it was the sad experience of
the reporter to witness the Identification
Of Hattie Leslie and Harry White by
their grief stricken fathers. Mr.. Leslie
had heard Of the death of his little girl,
and almost bereft of reason by the terri.
bic blow, was driving about on an under
takers wagon, with streaming eyes, in.
quiring for his lost darling. When at the
last he found her, her sweet face blank,
and distorted in death, the scene was
agonizing. Mr.. Whites was
hard lot, indeed. He found his dead boy,
and was carrying him to his mother,
when the cruel blow was followed by one
more cruel still. It was that the wife of
his bosom, to whom he was carrying their
loved child, was also among the injured,
and at that moment was dying at the
hospital. His double woe brought
many fearful sympathizers to his side. II