Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-03-16
Trampled to Death.

A panic IN the CnurCh OF st. Francis
Xavier, in Sixteenth street, near Sixth
avenue, tonight caused a rush of women
from one of the galleries, and in the tu-
multi which ensued six women and one
boy were trampled under foot and killed.
The audience was composed entirely of
women and children, it being the WON.
en- week in Lent. The number of
persons injured could not be ascertained.
The bodies of the unfortunates were
taken to the station house, where they
remain awaiting identification.
The church was terribly crowded,
principally by women and children.
The galleries were also filled to over
flowing. Father Lsngcake was preach
ing the sermon and had been speaking
about ten minutes, when a woman went
into an hysterical fit in the gallery on the
side of the church toward Sixth avenue.
This created quite a stir and the commo-
tion increased in the endeavors of the
crowd to find out what was the matter.
AT this juncture CRY of fire was heard,
and rush was made for exit from the
gallery. The doorway was blocked for
a moment by a very large woman, and
this check caused the panic to increase.
The crowd hauled the woman down the
steps, and in the rush that followed seven
persons were crushed to death, and many
others injured and had their clothing
torn from them. The wounded were
taken home before their names could be
learned. The bodies of the dead were
identified as follows: Mary Casey, Ann
Spencer and Michael Spencer, Mary
Caughlan, Eliza Masterson and Ann
Forbes. At the statIon-house a heart
rending scene was presented. The peo-
pie in the body of the church were
quieted and dismissed in an orderly
manner.
New YORK, March9 0.
At the time of the alarm, last evening,
in st. Francis Xavier Church, which re-
suited so disastrously, Father Longcake
was preaching on "Hell and the Horrors
of the Damned" and perfect stiffness
prevailed. Suddenly, as the preacher
was picturing the torments of purgatory
young woman in the northern
corner of the west gallery, overcome by
her feelings, tainted, and gave utterance
to hysterical screams, startling the wor-
shippers, and causing them to spring to
their feet. Next moment some reckless
person cried Fire" and this gave rise
to panic. Father Longcake stopped and
implored the people to keep their seats,
as there was absolutely no cause
for alarm. Father Merrick, the pas
tor, heard screams and rushed into
the sanctuary. He called upon the
congregation to keep their seats, as
there was no fire and no cause for
alarm. The sexton also endeavored to
stop the panic. These efforts were par
TALLY successful. Father Langcake re-
tired to the vestry-room and in a few
moments returned, attired IN his robe,
and uttered the benediction dismissing
the congregation, and the organ began
to play. The women in the main body
of the church and in the east gallery
passed out in an orderly manner, and not a
person in the portions of the church
last named was injured.
The people occupying that portion of
the gallery where the commotion had
begun and centered listened to neither
friends, pastor, sexton, benediction nor
organ. They rushed toward the exits
from the gallery, and, almost crazed with
fear, pushed and fought their way into
the narrow stairway leading to Sixteenth
street. The stairway is but four feet
wide, and within three OF four steps of
the bottom makes sharp turn before it
reaches the vestibule. The crowd of
maddened women rushed downstairs
and would probably have all reached the
street in safety, but at the bend in the
stairway an aged and very stout woman,
in her eagerness to reach a place Of
safety, fell headlong down the stairs.
Before she could regain her feet the
frantic crowd pressed ON toward the
vestibule and came upon the PROSTATE
form, and those in the foremost ranks
fellupon her. In moment the passage
way was choked, and a scene Of
the widest confusion and most
intense excitement ensued The
crowd, in fear, pressed on with
almost irresistible force, and nothing
could be done to stop their advance.
The crazed women fought their way to-
ward the choked-up stairway, tumbling
upon those who had fallen in front and