The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-03
THE SUNDERLAND DISASTER.
Vivid Description of the Scene in the Hall
After the Accident
Correspondence London Times.

floor at the back of the dress circle was
long row of twenty corpses, nearly all girls,
and on the east side there was row of twen-
one boys laid ont dead. Judging from the
appearance of these, their ages varied from
five to thirteen. Looking along the differ
ent rows in the hall below, l saw some dread
full evidences of the sad nature Of the event.
In the first row only two bodies, both OF
girls eight or nine years of age, remained,
the other children who had been deposited
there having all been identified and removed.
In the second row the first body was that OF
little boy about six years old,
his face slightly discolored. Next to
him was a lad whose face was
terribly swollen and blackeued and then
came three girls the first about nine, the
second about five and the third about seven,
all bearing signs of suffocation. A little
space, and then two girls aDout eleven and
six respectively were placed together, the
next bodies after these being those of two
boys, one about six and the other FIVE years
OF age. In the third row, the first was a lit
tie girl about five, then boy about six, with
his hands crossed in front; then a girl of
eleven or twelve, whose clothes and lower
garments had apparently been torn off in the
struggle that had taken place, her remains
being covered with brown apron. After a
short interval were three children, two girls
and boy, of about five or six. Then came
a little girl with her face dreadfully black
ened Her sufferings had evidently been in
tense, and blood had flowed from her left
ear. Next to those in the same row, were
seven bodies, five boys and two
girls, all, with one exception, bearing
traces of having died horrible death. The
exception referred to was boy whose face
was white and placid and very different from
the swollen and darkened countenances of
the bodies on each side of him. At the end
OF the row lay girl about nine years of age,
whose face was painfully swollen and dis
torted. Many bodies had been removed from
the fourth row, but there still remained
eleven corpses, mostly boys. One little fel-
low of five years of age, lying at the end, had
his jacket torn from his back, his vest was
torn open in the front, and his mouth was
cut and bleeding. Next to him lay boy
very black, but otherwise very composed
looking. Then came five dead bodies, one
poor boy in the group being dreadful pic
ture, his face totally black his mouth bleed
ing, and his clothes torn in the struggle. 1t
must have been a dreadful death struggle
for those poor children. 1t was safter-
wards noted that the boy just referred
to was one of the last four to be idenl ified
In the center OF the batch was an affecting
spectacle 1t was the corp e of little fellow
who could not be more than four years of
age. He had on top coat, much too big for
him; his little face was white, and almost
unmarked, appearing to be simply asleep.
On close examination there was seen to be
a bruise on his right eyelid. He looked
quite com posed and did not appear to have
suffered beyond the slight bruise or what
| Ill
others of this group bore plain traces on
their countenances of a severe attem pit to
free themselves from the deadly crush above
| them. The last of this group was a girl of
esght or nine years of age, whose clothes
were torn to some extent. A short distance
further were four bodies, three girls
and one boy, the boy being about six wears
of age, and the girls evidently about five,
seven and nine years, one of the latter hav-
ing a blackened appearance. In the fifth
row, partly removed, were two girls about
eight years of age, one of whom was in a
dreadful state, her knees being covered with
blood The other one was a taller girl of
about thirteen years of age, and then after
short interval were five bodies, all of whom
but one were boys, and all of whom were
more or less blackened and discolored. This
finished my inspection of the saddening
spectacle down stairs. During this time
from to o'clock-some painful scenes
PROSTATE form of her boy crying out: My
son! my son. in loud tones of lamentation.
1t was at times heartrending to hear the
screams of mothers as they recognized their
| children in the corpses before them. At 7:30
a woman who had come into the body OF the
hall, recognized her daughter, a girl twelve
or fourteen years old. She instantly became
frightfully distracted, and for a time had to
be held by policemen and friends. her shrieks
being terrible, and her agony intense. She
could scarcely be got away from the corpse.
"a pathetic incident narrated in connec
ton with the catastrophe was witnessed in
the vicinity of the hall. A lad was sitting in
Murton street crying, when a passer by liz
qured the cause of his grief why, sir, he
said L was in the place there, and when
was coming out boy that was dying bit my
hand and that's him'-ponting in the direc-
ton of the corpse of a poor child that was
| lying near.
AT o'clock this Sunday paid
| visit to the intirmary, whittier eight chill
| dren had been removed from the Victoria
Hall When l called, four of these were
dead-two girls and two boys. While
| waited, Mr.. and Mrs. Wright came in from
Millfeld Their daughter, eleven years OF
| age was among those in the gallery at the
entertainment. The girl on reaching home,
said thought there was murder going on
| by the shouting l heard, and l came down
stairs and got out another way. They were
going down stairs for their prizes. They had
been throwing the prizes into the pit Her
two little playmates, Arthur and Eva Hines,
were at the hall, and in the gallery together
with the servant girl. Both the children
Hines were dead, and Mr.. and Mrs. Wright
had come out to make inquiry regarding the
servant girl, who is about fourteen years of
age, and respecting whom no tidings have
been learned.
Another narrow escape is reported A
boy named Souter, living in Tunstall road,
was in front of the gallery, and among tie
last to leave his seat to go down stairs. lie
heard noise as he went down, and he said
he thought there was going to be row. On
the way he saw man open another door, to
which he ran and got out safe. He said he
saw Several girls throwing up their hands
and shouting.
Several singular incidents have been made
Lnn,r,, in nnnnnctinn with the cnln min