The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-03-09
A P A N | c!
a Congregation d Women Stsnpsded il s..
Francis Xana's Church.
A FALSE ALARM OF FIRE.
A Woman Faints and a Rush is
Made for the Doors.
THE TERRIBLE CRUSH.
Two Thousand Five Hundred Fren-
zied Women.
SEVEN PERSONS KILLED.
A Number of People Slightly
Injured.
BREAKING THE CRUSH
Sad Scenes with the Dead at the
Station House.
Two Thousand Five Hundred Fren-
zied Women.
SEVEN PERSONS KILLED.
A Number of People Slightly
Injured.
BREAKING THE CRUSH
Sad Scenes with the Dead at the
Station House.

It seems to be impossible to impress the minds OF
ministers and managers that a crowded congregation
audience represents itself one OF the gravest eie
ments Of danger Time and again has the civilized
world been horror-strcken by frehtful losses Of life
resulting, not from fro or the falling OF build
lngs, put from the wild, insensato panics that
bereave crowded assembages OF all human sense
The records OF shipwrecks go to show that in many
instances more lives lost by panic than tho
destruction of the vessel People will Insist in for.
getting everything but the idea OF escape, and In
tho effort accomplish 1t they loso all sense
Of what constitutes real danger. Mon and
women preciptate themselves into the sea when they
fear that the ship sinking; will the audience at
theatre render their destruction Inevitable by wild
rush toward the places OF exit on the least
alarm Of lire, forgetting that it is only by
cool and collected action that they can reach
place OF safety. In like manner crowded congrega-
tons In churches, though surrounded by all the calm
ing and reassuring Influences tho place.
become as regularly panic stricken II they were
assembled for more worldly purpose
The disaster which occurred last night the Church
OF St. Francis Xavier Sixteenth street. furnishes
another sad example Of tho influence of terror
exercises Of the evening, which were a part
Of the programme well understood by those who
took part therein, trivial accident having in itself no
relationship whatever TO danger, converted devout
and attentive congregation into shrlekng struggling
frantic mob, the individuality of whose members
control
Tho business of the evening was lecture to women
only, one Of series which DO completed TO-
night by tho Rev. Father Langcake. s. J. While the
preacher dscoursing on the subject Of .'HelI''
the vast and, indeed, overcrowded congregation OF
women and girls remained silent and attentive listen
Doubtless the terrible picture which tho reverend
lecturer drew OF the eternal punishment Of the sinner
wrought their feelings up TO tho highest tension and
be undesgneAy prepared his hearers for the terrible
denouemont that was to follow. With ones
thoughts directed to the uncertainty Of lite
and the certainty Of damnation unless
that lie led according to tho law
Of God, the auditor is least prepared to face the
terrible reality even the bare Imagination of Deaths
presence The intense heat overcrowded state OF
In the vest gallery 10 faint. When
sinking in the abe cried out,
and at this alarming sound some exctable person in
the church screamed .'Firel'
The consequences fully described below, and tho
description does only justice scene that followed
The love of fc that life that they taught TO
gard only ordeal OF existence, which was
necessary before the final passage eternity became
TO them the thing worth preserving. They forgot
God Himself in that frantic rush toward the doors
Of tho brave priests, VINO rushed 10 their
posts and endcavorcd 10 stem the living
torrent that poured and surged and battlcd for exit
With the memory OF hell IN their minds and the
heaven OF safety before them Sixteenth street they
strove. martyrs did to gain tho palm and
crown, to reach the open air
But death rcvellcd among them and snatched bis
victims tho crowded stairway Of the west gallery
He pressed tho matrons loot the maiden's breast
and stranged the little girl the embrace OF her elder
sister. The very Tappings oil fashionable attire
formed the mcshcs OF Deaths net, and skirts and
cIoaks fatal to their wearcrs or brought them
bruised broken limbs In vain the priests shouted
for tho choir tho music OF religion
hoping Herewith TO calm the struggling victims OF
senscloss panic INTO something like an apprecia-
tion OF that tact that they we're themselves
the only danger TO themselves. In the weak APP
poaled to the strong help and mercy. The
That lighted them IN the conten, patlon OF religion II
lew minutes before, was extngushed in the animal in
Uinct Of seIi-prescrvaton Nature asserted herself
over all aud the body ruled the spirit for the
Could u be hoped that after this fearful disaster
precautions be taken by the clergy against
overcrowding tho churches even in the name OF re.
iig!on, Tho deaths and maimings Of last night
would do good to the community
some regulation must be established by which this
reckless disregard tor safety be countcraced If
responsible would only remember that a crowded
building is a magazine charged With death. fewer
deaths would occur from panic.
Two thousand 1--WE hundred women assembled last
night In the jesuit church OF ST. Francis XAVIER IN
West sixteenth street, TO attend the nth OF course
Of lectures delivered by Rev. Father Lanscake The