The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-03-18

=. homes. Then the recollection Of friend
and relations, from whom they separate
= In the panic, seut them shriekipg back
the church doors.
The saddest sights were in the hot
" after che disaster. The news spread wit
boring tenement bouses, whence most {
Q the worshippers had como, and the cordo
;, of police was assailed on all sides wit
frantic entreaties for admission to look TO
missing relatives. All such applicants wer
! admitted. Four of the dead bodies wer
I found in the little vestibale into which to-
Q west gallery and west aisle lead. Th'
other three were in the church yard, at th.
foot Of the steps leading ont of the vesti
bnl.. The entire loss Of life occurred
among those in the gallery In which ths
panic originated.
Assistant Sexton CLANCY says that since
the accident in st. Andrews, last year, the
sexton has had orders to have some one
always standing, keys in hand, near the
doors. Clancy was So standing, aud at
the frat sIgn of danger every door was I'M
locked. They all opened outwardly. The
panic being in the west gallery, he went
| thither and endeavored to stay the tide of
panic stricken women. One woman fell on
the fret landing, and those behind her en-
deavored to hold back, but were ire.
sistibly pressed forward, as Clancy tried to
quiet the panic by words, but the women
could hear or think of nothing in their
fright. After the gallery had been cleared
be helped to carry the dead ont of the yes
tibule. Everything that could be done
was done to revive them.
An eye witness gives the following &C.
count; ~ saw men. women, and children
rushing by scores from the main and east
ern side exits but could not ace q sin
gle person coming from the exit toward
Sixth avenue. There, packed like sar-
dimes In a box, higher than q tall man's |
head, were women and children in the atti-
udes in which they had frat fallen. Those
It the bottom were mostly lying fiat on
doubled over, with the head forward.
iere q head could be seen and no body,
he latter being entirely covered up by the
'odies OF other victims. Every where arms
nd hands protruded, with the fingers
lutchipg at whatever was in reach. There
'as not much noise made by all thia-only
hat deep breathing that comes when men
Their sound was the shu fling of the feet on
10 Stare. don't think an instant was
'at by those outside in beginning the at
,mpt to unpack the squirming heap of hu-
ian beings, but it was q long time, as time
az to be reckoned then, before the attempt
ad any result. The work was made
oubly difficult by those nearer, when one !
:
oshing or Limbs, 80 % to share her escape.
seemed as if some of them would be torn
pieces. Woman after woman, bruised
nd wounded, with clothing torn, was !
anded ont into the air. Presently the
DOT Was reached, full fifteen minutes from
le time the rescue was begun. There, on q
10 stone pavement at the foot of the stairs. q
y the seven dead bodies. They took the
ur frst reached to the livery stable west I
the church, and the crowd followed them. 9
RES OF distress from those who couid not {
1d their friends arose on all sides, drown c
8 the moaning of the wounded who were I
'lng hurried to their homes. The police L
I'd their hands full for while. can tell o
"a. One middle aged man, Mr.. Hagan,
ade his way in. His young niece was p
ere, dead. The others were two old
omen and twelve year old boy. r.
within half an hour after the disaster u
aoulances began to arrive at the Thirtieth
rect police citation, and from them were
rne carefully seven dead bodies-six of T.
'men and one of q little boy. These were N
rrled into the back room az d laid in row 81
await Identification. The fret of the row N
's slender girl Of sixteen. The lower q
rtiou of her face was bound up 20 conceal
broken jaw. Next to her lay a ak year G.
! boy, his face bearing the imprints of a o.
hiding heel Beside him lay his mother. n
len came two women, one apparently 0
y years VI age. onO bb0 OtneT H6Dty= -
ven or eight. Beyond them was q stern Il
'tured, white haired, old woman whose q
% was in such perfect repose that with 81
acefully folded hands, she seemed in the p
NEST slumber. Last of all lay regular IL
'tured blonde of twenty or less. Their u
mes are as follows: Mary Casey, aged Il
f; Michael Spencer, aged 6; Mary Il
encer, aged SO; Eliza MasteTson, aged 7!
/; Mrs. Anna Forbes, aged IS; Mrs. Il
Try Coughliu, aged 20. Ooe woman IN Il
own. a.
FATHER LANGCAKE's ACCOUNT. !:
The Rev. Missioner who was preaching il
the time the panic occurred gives this "
count at was about q quarter past j
yht o'clock, for We had Just concluded ri
sssing the beads, aud had begun my
rmon on He'll and Death The text was
ad one, and the audience, composed of ID
out twenty-five hundred persons, sat lie
~ still, and were evidently impressed. l al
d just referred to the suddenness of p
it comes upon us when we are q
'st prepared-when my attention Was al
AVN to q wOman's apparently heart 81
eaking sigh, proceeding from the Sixth Al
enue side of the body of the church. n
he hill NC |