The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-03-14

Graphic Details OF the New York
Church Horror.

= ..4-a Church HOrrOr.g t..s., .s....
New York Special to the Chicago Times.l
An appalling disaster occurred tonight in
the Roman Catholic church of St. Francis
Xavier, in Sixteenth street near Fifth AVE-
nue.. whereby six women and one boy lost
their lives Itappears that one of the Lent
en- masses were being celebrated at which
only women and children were present. and
about clock false alarm of fire caused o
stampede from the galleries, and in the rush
these unfortnnates were trampied under
foot and, killed Numbers. OF people
were injured in the crush, and were
attended to by surgeon at the nearest
police station Probably when the alarm
was raised the audience had in their minds
the remembrance OF the late calamity at the
Brooklyn theater, and then succeeded wild
rush for the doorways, in which this sad loss
of life occurred. The cause of the disaster
was as follows: A little before 8 o'clock
q woman sitting in the western gallery was
attacked with Mysteries and became frantic,
screaming at the top of her voice, and throw
ing her arms wildly about her. Intense ex-
element was at once caused in the great con-
gregs.on, and many of the women, imagin-
ing that the building was on ire, began to
rush for the staircase leading into the street.
The priests strove to quiet them, and sue
ceeded in so far dispelling the fear of the
majority that they remained standing until
the blessing was pronounced. io In the west
ern gallery, however, numbers OF women
lost their self-control and pressed madly to-
ward the place of exit a narrow, slightly
winding staircase, connecting at
the bottom with the outside door of
the church, and also with the inner door
opening on the main hall. Near the bot
tom of the staircase there is an angle. Two
large women coming together at-this point
caused a temporary check in the hurrying
throng They were Immediately pressed
against and thrown down by the women
behind them, who being unable to check
heir progress were forced to trample on
their fallen sisters in their haste to escape
were in turn Frustrated. In moment the
moving throng on the narrow staircase was
blocked by the heap of PROSTATE women,
who sought in vain to regain their footing.
Wild with terror the women imprisoned
on the staircase made despairing
efforts to move forward and soon the place
resounded with cries of agony from those
who were trodden under foot at the base OF
the staircase. The panic became then so
general that nothing could stop the rush
down stairs, and soon the shrieks of pain
were hushed by the death of the victims who
were crushed and smothered.
As soon as the police could clear space in
front of the church the work of removing
the bodies of the unfortunate women was
begun One after another the corpses were
taken up and conveyed, some of them to Al
Sixteenth street. and others to the stable of
Joseph O'Connor at No. 81. The utmost
exertions of the police were then needed to
keep the bodies from being pressed upon by
the crowds of anxious people who sought
to get glimpse of the dead faces. The
people who had relatives IN the church
during the service, hearing of the disaster,
ran to Sixteenth street. and eagerly inquir-
ed of every one whom they met concerning
the fate of their friends At the livery
stable one girl of sixteen years was recog-
nized as May Carey, of 1873 Eighth avenue.
On the arrival of the ambulances, which
were at once telegraphed for, the bodies
were removed to the Twenty-ninth precinct
station house and it was then discovered
that seven persons, six women and a little
boy about four years old, had been killed.
So far as could be ascertained no one else
had been seriously injured. Ranged in rows
| on the floor of the station house, the bodies
of the victims did not show many signs of
mutilation, or even of serious bruises, and 1T
was the belief of many physicians who were
called in that they died from the effects of
| suffocation and fright Three of the women
were beyond middle age, and their features
looked CHASTITY and repulsive in death. A
| little boy had small mark on the forehead,
which showed that he had been struck by
some object as the heel of shoe. Crowds
of anxious people soon came to the station
house and eagerly clamored for admittance.
Many were WTlnglnB InclT ndHuS anu GILL
ing names of relatives whom they feared had
persisted. When these unhappy people
were admitted in small groups into
the station house, a most heartrend-
ing scene was portrayed. They passed
tremblingly along the line of PROSTATE
bodies Gag irly scanning the faces before
them. When face was recognized cry of
pain arose, and then the whole room was
| filled with sobbings of sympathy or mourn
| ing. Among the number of those who called
at the station house was Michael Sullivan,
| of No. 80 Ninth avenue. Scanning the faces
of the dead for a moment, his eyes fell on a
little boy, and he uttered at once despair.
| ing cry which went to the hearts of all pres
ent. Soon he recognized among the other
corpses that of his wife, and he fell on
the floor and wept and moaned
| like a child. Shortly afterward a wo-
man knelt on the floor by the
side of another corpse, and burst into hys-
terical cries of my sister, oh my sisterp'
| The police were obliged to exclude from the
room all who failed to identify any of the
bodies. Many turned away from the life
less forms and went out with looks of in
tense relief. The coroner soon arrived at
| the station house, and, after a brief survey
of the bodies, signed permits to have them
removed by friends as soon as they could be
Il