Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-03-14
PANIC
In st. Francis Xavier Church.
New York
Caused by a False Alarm Oi
Fire.
Results !. in the Tra,mpling to
Death Of Six Persons
BY a Body Of Alarmed and
1nfuriated Women.
Panic Ii achurch.

New YORK, March S.-A panic in
the church of st. Francis Xavier in
10th street near 9th Avenue tonight,
causeda a rush of women from one Of
the galleries, and in the tumult which
ensued six women and one boy were
trampled under foot and killed, The
audience was composed entirely of
women and children, it being wo-
mems week in lent. The number of
persons injured could not be ascer-
tanned. h
Tho church was terribly, crowded,
principally by women and children
the galleries were also filed to over
flowing. Father Langcake was
preaching sermon and had been
speaking about ten minutes, when q
woman went into hysterical fit in
the gallery on the side Of the church
towards 9th Avenue. This created
quite q stir, and the commotion in
creased in the endeavors of the crowd
to find out what was the matter.
AT this juncture the cry of fire was
heard, and a rush was made for exit
from the gallery. The doorway was
| blocked by avery large woman, and
this check caused the panic to increase
tenfold. The crowd hurled the wo-
man down the steps. In the rush
that followed seven persons were
crushed to death, and many others
injured and had their clothing torn
from them.
New YORK, March 9.-At the time
Of the alarm last evening in st.
Francis Xavier Church, which result
ed SO disastrously, Father Langcake
was preaching on
"nELL AND THE HORROR OF THE
DAMNED"
and perfect stiffness prevailed. Sud-
denly, as the preacher was picturing
torments, young woman in the
northern corner of the west gallery,
overcome by her feeling, tainted,
AND GAVE UTTERANcE TO A SCREAM.
1t startled the worshippers, caus-
ing them to spring to their feet. The
next moment some reckless person
cried
"F1RE,"
and this gave rise to panic. Father
Langcake, who was nearing the end
of his sermon, implored the people to
keep their seats as there was abso-
lutely no cause for alarm. Father
Merrick, 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 alarm. Father Lang
cake retired to the vestry-room and
in few minutes uttered the benedic-
ton, 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. The peo-
(ple occupying that portion of the
gallery where the commotion had be-
gun, did not listen to the pastor, sex
ton, benediction or organ. They
rushed toward the exit from the gall
lery, and almost
CRAzED WITH FEAR,
pushed and fought their way into the
stairway leading to 10th Street. The
stairway is but four feet wide, and
within three or four::steps of the bot
tom, make sharp turn before it
reaches the vestibule. The
CROWD OF WOMEN RUSHED DOWN
STAIRS,
and would probably have all reached
the street is safety, but at the bend in
the stairway, an amazed and very
stout woman, in her eagerness to
reach place of safety,
FELL HEApLoNG DOWN STAIRS.
Before she could regain her feet, the
frantic crowd pressed on toward the
vestibule, and as they come upon the
PROSTATE form, those in the foremost
ranks fell upon her. In moment the
PASSAGE WAS CHoKED
and scene of the widest confusion
and most intense excitement ensucd.
Nothing could be done to stop their
advance. The
CRAZY WOMEN
fought their way toward the choked-
up stairway, trampling upon those
who had fallen in front, and
CRUSHING TIE LIFE OUT OF THEN.
They screamed and fought like mani
acs, and every effort to hold them
back, SO the stairway could be cleared,
was of no avail. The priests who
were in the church at the time, rushed
to the front Of the church, and, assis-
ted by policemen, by main force
DRAGGED OUT SOME OF THE WOMEN
who were lying on the stairs. A
number of women then got out alive
and only slightly injured. In the
struggle for life they were almost
DENUDED OF THEIR CLOTHING.
AS the police, aided by a number of
citizens, made their way up the stair
case, they found lying on the steps
FOUR woMEE'AND A SMALL BOY.
They were taken out to the open air
but life was extinct. One woman,
named Ann Forbes, was brought out
alive and apparently not much in
jured, but she
EXPIRED A FEW MOMENTS
after. The assistant sexton says he
distinctly heard the cry of s'firc,' but
did not see who gave utterance to it.
A gentleman staying outside Of the
church informed Sergeant Douglass
that he saw a man in the vestibule of
the church put his head in the door
and cry ''fire."
Another Church Panic.
NEW York, March BIN the
church of Our Lady of Mount Car
mel, last night, panic occurred on
account of the cry of 'iire," and four
women Were seriously injured by be-
ing trampled upon.
Storm at New y0st--Three Persons
New YORK, March "a heavy
gale here last night and to-day is in
terrupting telegraphic communica-
ton and doing other damage. Phenix