The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1877-03-15
DIRE DISASTER.
The Rush for Life in st Xavier's
Church New York Last Wed.
nesdsy Night.
Frightened Women and Helpless
Children Crushed to Death
In the Fatal Stairway.
The Usual Invoice of Crimes, Cas-
ualties and Fires from all
Over the Country.
DIRE DISASTER.
A FALSE ALARM.

Over the Country.
FALSE ALARM.
New YoRK, March 9.-Last evening IN
alarm Of fire was sounded in Astoria, .
suburb of this city. As the 6remen rushed
past the church Of Our Lady OF Mount
Carmel, one of the audience cried SIRE"
Immediately those seated in the rear seat
sprang to their feet and rushed for the
street, followed by nearly the whole congre-
CATION. When
THE PANIC
had exhausted itself, and the people became
composed, it was found that four women
had been seriously injured BY being tram
pied upon.
WEDNESDAY NIGHTS PANIC.
NEW York, March 9.-At the time Of
the alarm last evening in the St. Francis
Xavier church, which resulted 90 disas-
trously, Father LsugerchIke was preaching
on shell and the horrors of the damned -
and perfect stillness prevailed. Suddenly,
as the preacher was picturing the torments
of purgatory, young woman in the north
ern corner Of the west gallery, overcome by
her feelings, tainted, and gave ut,ersnce
to
HYsTERICAL SCREAMS,
startling the worshipers, and causing them
to spring to their feet. The next moment
some reck less person cried fire" and this
gave rise to n panic. Father Laugerchike.
who was nearing the end of his sermon,
opl ,p,,,io-aI s6a
their seats, as there was absolutely NO cause
for alarm. Father Merricks, the pastor,
heard the screams, and rushed into the sane
tuary. He called upon the congregation 10
keep their seats, as there was no fire, and
no cause for alarm. The sexton also en-
deavored TO stop the panic, and their efforts
were
PARTIALLY SUCCESSFUL.
Father Laugerchike retired to the vestry
room, and in few moments returned, at
tired in his cape, and uttered the beEe-
diction, dismissing 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 orderly man
ner, and not single person in these por-
tions of the church last named were iEiur-
ed. The people occupying that portion OF
the gallery where the commotion had be-
gun and conferred, listened TO neither
priest, pastor, sexton, benediction or organ.
They rushed towards the exit from the
gallery and
ALMOST CRAZY WITH FEAR
pushed and taught their way into the mar
row stairway leading to 18th street. The
stairway is but four feet wide, and within
three or four steps Of the bottom it makes a
sharp turn before it reaches the vestibule
The crowd of maddened women rushed
down the 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 4 place
of safety, fell headlong down stairs. Before
she could regain her feet
THE FRANTIC CROWD
pressed on toward the vestibule and came
upon the PROSTATE form, and those in the
foremost ranks fell upon her. In moment
the passage way was choked, and scene
OF the widest confusion and most intense
excitement ensued. The crowd in the rear
pressed on with almost irresistible force,
and nothing could be done to stop their ad-
vance. The crazed women fought their
way toward the choked up stairway, tramp
ling upon those who had fallen in front,
and crushing the life out of them. They
screamed ard
FOUGHT LIKE MANIACs,
and every effort to hold back, 70 that the
stairway could be cleared, was of no avail.
Father Whyte and several other priests,
who were in the church parlors at the time
the panic occurred, rushed around to the
front of the church, and assisted by police
men, by main force dragged out some of the
women who were lying on the stairs. A
number of them were then got out alive and
only slightly injured, but in
THE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE
they were almost denuded of their clothing.
As the priests and police, aided BY a num-
Der of citizens, made their way up the
they found lying on the steps four
other women and email boy. They were
taken out to open air but life was extinct.
AsAD CASE
One woman, Anna Forbes, was brought
out alive, and apparently not much injured.
She walked with the assistance of police
man, to drug store on 9th avenue, near
10th street where she expired in few mo-
ments.
WHAT THE SEXTON SAYS
The assistant sexton says be distinctly
heard the cry of sire" but did not zee who
gave utterance to it. A gentleman stand
ing outside of the church informed Ser.
geant Douglas that he saw . man in the
of the church put bis head inside |
the door and heard him CRY sire"
FATHER wnYrE
and other priests connected with the |
church, are of the opinion that the cry of |
fire" vas given by one Of gang of pick
pockets, with the intention of creating .
panic, during which they cnuld PLY their
Father Whyte also Gays he vas
10 the confessional at the time, and when |
he reached the front of the church he was
almost crushed 70 death while endsavorinR
o extricate some of the women Who were
N imminent danger of losing their lives.
NEW BRUNSWICK BLAZE.
BosToN, March 9, 1877.
A fire broke out this morning On Prince
William street, in st. John, n. B, in VIM
;. Barbaun' dry goods store, and hsiore il
ould be controlled it has destroyed the dry
'oods establishments OF J. II Golden, Beard
Venning, and Watts & Turoer, and also
4 ]. and F. BaPpe, and the Wholesale hard
rare store Of Kerr 4 Thorus, Sleeves 4
,rothep' Wholesale dry goods store. The
% on the stock and buildine i $500, 600,
nth not more than half insured The
Iall Of Watts & Tuners building fell,
urying Wssts snd several Others beneath
be ruins. Five bodies we're got out and
hree Others were visiSle, and othess are
opposed to Be concealed under the debris.
Asf. LOUIE nL.AzG
ST. LoUR March 9-Tbe furnitun ware
IONS Of Mixer 4 Bros, At 90 South
.urth street, were DESTROYED by lirs today.
he los il estimated 1t SIS, ECO; fully il
,red. Il;
RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
TOLEDO, O., March 9-Expree traia No.
bound east over the air line divisioa of !
,e Lake Shore and Michigan Southern
ailwsy, collided With west bound freight
ain near Corunda, Ind, this noruiR.
9th engines were badly wrecked, and the
reman Of The freight engine slightly hart \
ut no one els injured The mail asd hse. !
j