Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-03-22
Fatal Results of a False Alarm of
Fire in a New York Church.

NEW YoRE March O

e-.ss --.. ~ e-s. NEW } oRE, Nj arch 9. -
At the time of the alarm last evening, in
St. Francis Xavier Church, which resulted so
disastrously, Father Langcake was preach
ing 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 a hysterical scream, startling
the worsEipers, and causing them to spring to
thelr 1eet The next moment some reckless
person cried =" Fire!' and this gave rise to a
panic. Father Langcake, who was nearing the
end of his sermon, stopped and implored
people to keep their seats, as there was alb
solutely no cause for alarm. Father Merrick,
the pastor, heard screams, and rushed into
the sanctuary. He called upon the congre-
CATION to keep their seats, as there was no
ire, and no cause for alarm The sexton
also endeayored to- the panic These
efforts wnree partially successful. Father
Lapscake then retired to the yestry-room,
and in few moments returned attired in
his cope, and uttered the benediction, dis
missing 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 or
derly manner, and not single person in the
portions of the church last named was in
jured.
The peo pie occupying that portion of the
gallery where the comm otion had begun
and centered, listened to neither priest, pas
tor, sexton, benediction nor organ. They
rushed toward the exit from the gallery, and,
almost craZed with fear, pushed and fought
their way into the narrow stairway lie aiding
to Sixteenth street. The stairway is but
four feet wide, and within three, or four
steps of the bottom makes a sharp turn be-
fore it reaches the yestibule. The crowd of
n RI ,,,A ~I,N1
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 the stairs. Be-
fore she could regain her feet, the frantic
crowd, pressed on TOWARD the Yestibule,
came upon the PROSTATE form, and those in
the foremost ranks fell upon her. In mo-
ment the passage-Way was chOked, and a
scene of the widest confusion and intense
excitement ensued. The crowd in the rear
pressed on with almost Irresistible force,
and nothing could be done to stop their adj
vance. TIE crazed women fought their way
toward the choked-up stairway, trampling
upon those who had fallen in front, and
crushing the life out of them. Khey screamed
and fought like maniacs, and every effort to
hold them back so that the stairway could
be cleared was of no avail
Father Whyte and several other priests,
who " ere in the church parors 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 were 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 small boy. These
were taken out to the open air, but life was
extinct. One woman, Ann Forbes, was
brought out alive and apparently not much
injured. She walked, with the assistance of
policeman, to the drugstore on Sixth
avenue, near Sixteenth street, where she ex-
pircd in few moments
The assistant sexton says he distinctly
heard the cry of " Fire." but did not see who
gave utterance to it. Agentleman standing
outside of the church Informed Sergeant
Douglas he saw a man in the vestibuIe of
the church put his head inside the door and
heard him cry 'Firen'
Father Whyte and othe priests connected
with the church are of opinion that the cry
of fire was given by one of gang of pick
pockets, with the intention of creating a
panic, during which time they could ply their
nefarious vocation. Father Whyte says he
was in the Confessional at the time, and
when he reached the front of the church he
was almost crushed to death while endeavor-
ing to extricate some of the women who
were in imminent danger of losing their lives.