The New York herald., 1876-02-08
AN IMMENSE GATHERING OF PEOPLE.
A Terrible Scene Of Confu-
sion at the Doors.
Terror and Suffering Among
the Auditors.
Among
PAINTING WOMEN AND CURSING MEN
The Power OF God and His Won
derful Weapons.

The opening OF the Moody and sankey revival ser
vices the old Hppodrome took place night Tho
occasion naturally drew together immense gathering
ofpeople. Seldom have many and women as
sembled in this city place. therefore the occa
sion interesting and novel one. Despite the
rangements for receiving the auditors there a
great deal OF crowding and crushing and the jam OF
people being terrible one there naturally much
confusion and great deal of actual suffering among
those who unfortunately the first to when
the doors opened.
AS beginning these services not exciting as
was expected, but as Mr. Moody himself said IL may
be days and days before the full tide of the expected
revival movement Will appear in its strength and
power. The scene in the main hail. the Madison
avenue end of the Hippodrome, was very impressive
one and when the evangelist and his singing hclpmate
appeared the platform sudden hush fell upon the
audience OF 600 so that the silence remarkable.
The large hall though we'll arranged in Its seating Is
too large for the lungs OF any man; and when
sankey sung Moody spoke there were hundreds who
could not hear him. The building constructed
for the TRANSMISSION of sound, and the pillars the
arches and the uneven roof catch the sound OF the
speakers voice divide IT, that those in the
in the galleries cannot hear a word.
AS early six O'Clock the evening, when the
lamps the had begun look cheerful groups
might have been observed assembling the north,
south, east and west sides OF the Hppodrome among
whom large number of women and young girls,
and here and there children OF age might be
prattlng TO their elder friends in the crowds which
rapidly increasing in volume and Captain Steers
of the Twenty ninth precinct with a reserve of twenty
FIVE men OF his own command under Sergeant Taylor,
and twentyeicht God-fearing policemen, from nine
other precincts, who had been picked for their adapt
ability for Christian work. the force detailed to
keep order and TO permit ingress and egress It
found however, that such force altogether
equal to the demands made it by the huge Of
men and women who fought and pushed and strovo
and quarrelled with each other in the violent
manner the doors for precedence. To
begin with, there lack OF police, as not
less than 100 would be sufficient to hold the doors
OF the Hippodrome against such an excited crowd
visited 1t last evening But the most grievous offence
OF all is that the management only opened door
the northern door on Madison avenue near Twenty
seventh sireet-as late eight O'Clock In the evening,
which the time down for the exercises begin.
OF every person on the outside wished get in
one and not at all benttinG tEs occasion Tho
policemen begged, cxpostuated, entreated and be-
sought the crowds not TO rush in them hard but
Il was OF avail for the OF bali crazed people
in Madison avenue drove those in front the blue
coated guardians with irresistible impetus and
many Of the screamed in sheer terror being SO
closely packed and withal endeavorng TO extricate
themselves "For Gods sake, am dyng-let me
rbet was torn of her head and trampled under
the feet of tho excited crowd, while her hair hung
down in thick masses on her neck and shoulders
Another woman begged that the men behind her
would not "kill her, and implored them to let her
free SO terrible was the crush that over thirty wo-
and young girls picked out of the crowd in
partly unconscious condition, and were taken
into the adjacent anierooms, where they were
restored TO them by the knd endeavors
of the ushers and police There eight
raf Init eIa
lie until after eight O'Clock, the plea that the large
hall should be hed arst One door only open and
for il on the outsdel such arrangements
made last evening afford unusual opportunities for
terrible catastrophe, 10 which the ST. Andrews church
disaster would bear but poor comparison.
MADISON AVENUE ENTRANCE
Az precsey tnry ninusus pas. seven O'Clock oruers
were gwen 70 open the main door on Madison avenue
Captain Steers stationed himself al this entrance with
twenty men, and when the order camo to admit the
thronr the door started back its rollers the
officers braced and pushed and tugged and pulled but
the miserable affair would not open more than two
thirds OF its width. Instantly the most disgraceiul
scene that has been witnessed in New York for many
years begun and kept up tor twenty-five min
utes, while policemen, fremen and a score or
two OF ushers and managers stood terror stricken
and almost speeches. With grand and Irresistible
sweep the crowd against the doorway Instantly
Wild screams heard In the midst Of the crowd,
although the police endeavored 70 get 10 the suffer-
err tbev were unsuccessful Women taintea and were
carried in with their clothing torn half OF; children
and unfortunately there were many-cried and pleaded
for ASSISTANCE but sill the surging mass pressed
other was at hand swore Ike infuriated
pirates Matters we're now wearing avery serious
carried along with the and thrust
through the doorway, tainted and had to
constantly running to and fro, bringing water and
other restoraveS Those who did not FAINT cried and
PAN \nd others again because they bad been separated
from friends whom they feared would be crushed TO
death. Every face that came IN that doorway now,
whether OF man. child, was as pale death.
Piercing cries and screams were heard Oh every hand
desperate effort made TO close the door, but It
was mmovable. An axe was brought by fireman,
but he might well have brought handful Of straws
for all the good he did Every one IN authority
seemed 20 be terribly frightened and greatly excited
few well directed blows with the blade Of the axe
would have cut away the inner side OF the trough
through which The bottom Of the door hould slide and
thus open the entrance way its full extent tho
fireman, the policemen and the managers all talked at
once and-did nothingl
Every two OF three minutes tho alarming cry Of IA
woman's down. She will be tramped to death !"
mingled with horrible cries and exccrauons from
Tor stricken people. STEADY Steady For Gods
sake don't crowd SO !" the police ncessantly but
they might as well have talked 10 the wind
Of humanity poured steadily IN. CLOSE the
door" some one shouted, but the door
would not close. The twenty policemen rushed
upon the mass and endeavored 70 check IL 1t was a
bercuiean task. but was at last accomplished Then
Captain steers called 70 INC oro"u 70 go around 70 tho
Fourth avenue entrance, where all could gain admit
tance After awhile the throng began gradually to gvo
way and beng assured that the officers would admit
no more at the main entrance they reluctantly with
drew and sought other places Of ngresS
MizfAaAGEnExT.
A worse managed affair than this OF getting the
people into the house could scarcely be imagined.
That very many not literally crushed 20 death Is
due solely 20 good fortune There for tho
condition OF the sliding door Madison avenue Who
ever had charge Of the aGar should have known
whether or not n could be opened 10 It's
full extent when the large hall full
the inner doors were closed and barred with massive
tcks Of wood extended clear across the passage way.
Who can estimate the loss life thai might
Of a panic from 6ref The throng would
instantly have pressed so hard against The doors that
the bars could have been removed
A
Just before the doors opened for general admission
20 the building the crush height the
nues The people were packed together densely, and
all feeling save for the frst chance enter the build
ing was thrown aside In this mouentary though su-
prcme anxiety some very accidents might have
happened and actually did occur who
IA lad tfa