New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-03-13

The Western Associated Press gives the
following information OF the disaster st the
Church of st. Francis Xavier, New York,
last Thursday:
At the time of the alarm which resulted
so disastrouely Father Langiaohe was
preaching on "Hell and the horrors of the
damned" and perfect stillness prevailed.
Suddenly, as the preacher was p'oturing
the torments of purgatOry, young woman
| in the northern corner of the gallery, over
! come by her feelings, tainted and gave ut.
! terance to hysterieal screams, startling the
/ worshIpeTs and causing them to spring to
their feet, The next moment some reok-
| less person cried "Fire," and this gave rise
to a panic. Father Langiache, who was
| nearing the end of his sermon, stopped and
lmplored the people to keep their seats, as
there was absolutely no cause for alarm.
Father Merrick, the pastor, heard the
| screams and rushed into the sanctuary.
He called upon the congregation to keep
| their seats, as there was no fire and no
| cause for alsrm. The sexton also en-
| deavOred to stop the panic. These of
| forts were partially successful. Father
Langiaehe retired to the v6stry room,
| and in a few moments returned attired
| in his cape and uttered the benediCtiOn,
dismissing the congregation, and the
| organ commenced to play. The women in
the main body of the church and in the
| east gallery passed out in an orderly
manner, and not single person in portions
of the church last named was injured. PeO.
pie occupying that portion of the gallery
where the oommOtion had begun and CEN
tered listened to neither priests, pastor, sex
ton, benedictiOn or organ, They rushed to-
ward the exit from the gallery, and, almost
! crazed with fear, pushed and fought their
way into the narrow stairway leading TO
Tkap Of oirTua ~ sa hr1N tons
feet wide, and within three or four steps of
the bottom it makes O sharp turn before it
reaches the vestibule.
The crowd of maddened women rushed
down stairs, 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 place of
safety fell headlOng down stairs. Before che
could regain her feet, she frantic crowd
pressed on toward the vestlbule, who
csmiDg upon the PROSTATE form,
those in the foremost ranks fell upon
her. In a moment the passage way
was eh9ked, and q scene of the widest CON
fusion 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 toward the checked up
stairway, trampling upon those who had
fallen in front and crushing lie out of
them. They screamed and fought like
maniacs, and every effort to hold them
back, so that the stairway could be cleared,
was of no avail.
Father Wbyte, and several other priests
who were in the church parlOr at the time
the panic occurred, rushed round to the
front of the church, and, assisted by patrol
men, by main force dragged out some of the
women who were lying on the stairs. A
number of women we're then got out alive
and only slightly injured. In the struggle
for life they were almost denuded of their
clothing.
AS the priests and police, aided by
number of citizens, made their way up
the staircase, they found lying on the
steps, four other women and q small boy.
They were taken out to the open air, but
life was extinct. One woman, Anna Forbes.
was brought out alive and apparently not
much iEjured She walked, with the as
bistance of a policeman, to drug store
on Sixth Avenue, near Sixteenth street,
where she expired in q few moments.
The assistant sexton says he distinctly
heard the cry of "fre," but did not see who
gave utteranoe to it. A gentleman stand
ing outside of the church informed Sergeant
Douglas that he saw man Ia the veatibule
Of tho church put his head ineide the door
and heard him cry sire.
Eathor WhyCe and other prieate con
neofoa with the church nre Of 0nlnion the