The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-03-15
DEATH AT DEYOTIONS.

Death.
An appalling disaster occurree in New
York on March s in the Catholic church
of st. Francis Xavier causing the loss of
seven lives. 1t appears that one of the
Lenten Masses was being celebrated at
which only women ana children were
present. except the officiating priests and
ushers, and about o'clock false alarm
of fire caused stampede from the gal
leries, and in the rush these unfortu-
mates were trampled under foot and
killed. Numbers Of people were in the
crush Probably when the alarm was
raised the audience had in their minds
the remembrance of the late calamity at
the Brooklyn fire, and then succeeded
a wild rush for the doorways, in which
this sad loss of life occurred.
The cause of the disaster was as fol-
lows A little before 9 o'clock woman
sitting in the western gallery was at
tackled with Mysteries and became fran
tic, screaming at the top of her voice,
and throwing her arms wildly about her.
Intense excitement was at once caused in
the great congregation, and many OF the
women, imagining that the building was
on fire, began to rush for the staircase
leading into the street. The priests strove
to quiet them, and succeeded in SO far
dispelling the fear of the majority that
they remained standing until the blessing
was pronounced. In the western gallery,
however, numbers of women lost their
self-control and pressed madly toward the
place of exit, 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 bottom Of the staircase
there is an angle. Two large women
coming together at this point caused a
temporary check in the h1rrying throng.
They were Immediately pressed against
and thrown down by the women behind
them who, being unable to check their
progress, were forced to trample on their
fallen sisters in their haste to escape or
were in turn FRUSTRATED. In moment
the moving throng on the narrow stair
case was blocked by the heap of prostrate
women who sought in vain to regain their
footing. Wild with terror the women
imprisoned on the staircase made des-
pairing efforts to move forward, and
soon the place resoJ1nded 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 we're hushed
by the death of the victims who we're
crushed and smothered.
AS soon as the police could clear a
space i'll front of the church the work of
removing the bodies of the unfortunate
woman was begun One after another
the corpses were taken up 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 a 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 inquired of every one whom
they met concerning the fate of their
friends. On the arrival of the ambu-
lances, 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 little boy about
4 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 bod
les of the victims did not show many signs
of mutilation, or even Of serious bruises,
and it was the belief of many physicians
who were called in that they died from
the effects Of suffocation and fright.
Crowds of anxious people soon came
to the station-house and eagerly clam
ored for admittance Many were
wringing their hands and calling names
of relatives and of friends whom they
feared had persisted. When these I'M
happy people we're admitted in small
groups into the station-house, a most
heartrending scene was portrayed. They
passed tremblingly along the line of
PROSTATE bodies, eagerly scanning the
faces before them. When a face was
recognized cry of pain arose, and then
the whole room was filled with sobbings
of sympathy or mourning. Among
the number of those who called at the
station-house was Michael Sullivan.
Scanning the face of the dead for mo-
ment his eye fell on little boy, and
he uttered at once a despairing cry,
which went to the hearts OF all present.
Soon he recognized among the other
corpses that of his wife, and he fell ON
the floor and wept and moaned like
child Shortly afterward woman knelt
on the floor by the side of another
corpse, and burst into hysterical cries of
" My sister Oh, my sister p
Many turned away from the lifeless
forms and went out with looks of intense
rekef. The Coroner soon arrived at the
station-house, and, after brief survey
of the bodies, signed permits to have
them removed by friends as soon as they
could be recognized