The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-03-14
No. 20.

was woman who had been crushed
to death Her head had fallen upon
her shoulder, the blood streaming
from her mouth and nostrils. Her
body was borne along erect with the
crowd. Behind her was young
woman speaking, Il am dying, oh
help me, ! am dying | tried to raise
my arms to aid her, but could not, for
they were as securely held down to
to my side by the pack as though
chained to my body" And this wild
struggle went on increasingly those
inside to get out, and those outside to
get in. The funeral services had be-
gun soon after the opening of the
door, but the noise of screaming,
shouting, cursing and groaning, ming
ling with the sounds OF the great or
gan and the heavy choir, gave hell
ish roar of confusion, such as | hope
never to hear again.
Efforts were made to relieve the
pressure by opening other doors, but
that was a slow process, considering
that they opened inward against the
packed mass, and the keys OF the
front doors, still closed, four in mum
ber, could not hastily be found. AT
ter a long delay they were opened
and the floor of the cathedral was
cleared by aid of military force.
Bear in mind that the churches here
are not seated, as in the United States,
but the floors are clear, except n
small space in front of the altar.
As the crowd left, the floor revealed
a ghastly spectacle. Two men and
three women lay dead, and eight 9TH
ers were so badly crushed that they
died during the night. Sixty of the
injured were removed to the hospital,
some of whom cannot recover. In
one case, girl of II years old had
been trampled upon SO that one eye
was out, hanging on the cheek, and
her scalp peeled off, and terribly
crushed otherwise. Life was extinct
when she was found. An old man Of
| 20 and boy of Is, were found dead.
They We're Germans on visit to the
place. The floor was strewed with
hats, bonnets, articles of clothing,
torn shreds of garments and spots of
blood, indicating the trenzied strug-
gle for life in this wild mob, when no
one seemed to have Il purpose of in
jury to others, and yet contributed to
the result by force of circumstances.
1t is estimated that there were l5,
600 persons on the floor of the build
ing. On the square in front was
crowd of perhaps $4,000, who knew
nothing of the struggle going on
within, all pressing towards the en-
trance. The military force on the
square was ample to compel order,
but it was timd and hesitating. The
mob dehed its orders and broke
in crowds through the lines. In sew
cral instances | saw soldiers slapped
in the face and ierked out of the line
with violence. Had the military at
tempted to enforce order and obedi-
ence by the use of arms, am salts
fed that a terrible scene of riot and
bloodshed would have added to the
disaster. The temper of the mob
was up, and it was composed of the
toughest looking people | ever saw
together. They were from the coun-
try mostly, the mountaineer element
being conspicuous. This is the kind
of material Garibaldl handled so eff
fectively in revolutionizing and CON
solidating the Italian kingdom, and
these the people that would not be
denied close attendance at the funeral
ceremonies of their beloved sovereign.
| was in Rome ON the day of the
kings funeral, Jan. Il, when the body
was escorted from the palace of the
Qulrinal to its temporary resting
place in the Pantheon. The procession
was very imposing and large, occupy
ing three hours in passing the Piazza
L'Spania. 1t was estimated that l5O,
600 outsiders visited the city on that
day, and yet the most perfect order
was maintained f. b.