Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-06-07
Thousands of People Caught
in a Crush on Brook
Ign Bridge.
The Panic Stricken Crowd
Pushed Down to Death.
Women Crying for Their Children, and
Men for Their Wiycs-Scenes
of Horror.
Twelve Persons Killed and scores of
Others Notwithstanding
the Remains.


crush at the steps at the New York ap-
preach Of the Brooklyn bridge this af-
ternoop. A panic followed, and at least
fourteen persons were killed and many
wounded. The crush began shortly
before 4 o'clock. At that hour there
were thousands Of people on the bridge,
most Of them coming from Brook Ign.
The air was clear and bri-k, ard The
people were walking rapidly. a. the
crowd approached the short fl ght -
steps those in front pushed back, for
fear they would be precipltated over
the steps, distance of about six feet.
These people, in drawing back from the
steps, made the nucleus of jam,
for thousands behind them pushed
on unhceding. Almost instantly
the people began to shout
"Stand back!' and Give Us rooml'
Meanwhile the crowd from New York
which was at the foot Of the steps got
blocked The men at the head of the
New York crowd fought their way back,
leaving clear space st the foot Of the
steps. The shouting and Crowding
from the Brooklyn crowd increased.
It WAS utterly inexplicable. The pe0-
pie II tie advance guard Of the Brook
lyn crowd were pushed toward the
steps. They seemed to have q horror
Of going over the steps, although the
flight is only five or six feet high.
They locked arms and pushed furious
ly back against the thousands coming
steadily over from Brooklyn. Ia tew
minutes at point just above the steps,
there was slow yielding to the fright
full pressure from behind and the front
ofthe crowd was. forced nearer and near
er to the edge of the steps. Women
and children were
SCREAMING FOR HELP
and the men were shOutiE e confusedIy.
Umbrellas, parcels, and canes were
thrown over the rails by people who
needed their hands to fight their way
out of the desperate crowd. at last.
with 3 single shrek that cut through
the clamor of the thousand of voices, q
young girl who mad lost her footing
on the perilOus edge fell headlong.
She struck the pathway at the foot of
the steps and lay for a moment. She
raised herself on her hands and would
have got up, but in another moment
she was buried four deep under the
bodies Of others who fell over the steps
after her She was dead when Cy got
her out more than half an hour after
ward. The men sprang upon the rails
at the side and waved the crowds back
frow the New York and Brooklyn sid>s
but the people continued to crowd on
toward the steps. No police were in
sight. Every minute the excitement
grew worse. The men in the crowd
lifted their children above their heads
to save them from the crush. The peo-
pie were still paying their pennies at
both gates and squeezing In. At last the
people at the New York end of the
bridge understood what was happening.
The gates were closed and word was
sent to Brooklyn TO close the gates
there. Messengers were sent to the.
police station in Oak street. but
before any outside help came the
bridge police, assisted by citizens, press
ed two grocers' wagons into the ambul-
ance service. They were
LOADED UP WITH THE DEAD AND DYING
and driven eff the bridge, followed b,
crowds OF distracted men and women.
THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT
was, in the first place, the stairway at
the narrow point on the promenade
A biocka'e Of considerable magnitude
occurred shortly before the fatal crush
at a point almost midway between the
anchorage and the New York tower.
where the promenade is narrowed fro m
49, leeU 10 l3 feet by the cables coming
down 10 the foot-bridge. At the head
of the stairs the 0menade is 153 feet
wide. The iron banisters of the stair
way narrow 1t own TO IA feet. In the
second place, the accident could not
have occurred if here had been a suf-
ficicnt force ofpolice to keep the throng
moving. There was ~ policeman on
the stairs or landing until after the way
had been choked up.
Supt. Martin said: eve believed that
we had made ample arrangements to
keep the crowd moving. Our police
We're instructed to see that, in the event
of crowd collecting at any point, they
should not try to drive people back in
81 mass, for that would have surely re.
suited In a blockade, but to make each
person move along in the direction he
desired to go. We had twelve men of
our own on the structure and eight
other men specially detailed. Besides
these there were twenty five men of
the New York police force. [ under
stand that twenty were an the structure
and five at the New York entrance. (
have not learned how many of the New
York force were near the scene of the
accident when it occurred. The men
IN charge of the admission of persons
st the New York entrance had
NO RIGHT TO CLOSE THE BRIDGE
except upon orders coming from some
proper authority. [ shall lengthen
the railing which divides the prone
made into two lanes at the narrow point
where the cables come down to the foot
bridge. By frightening this railing and
dividing the crowd the likelihood of a
jam on any part of the structure will
be lessened. Then [ shall divide this
stairway by g railing in the same way.
] had already made arranoements 10