New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-31
STORIES OF TWO EYE-wITNESSEs. o

STORIES OF 1WO EfE-N llNEooEo' ~
| H. Aberorombie q merchant of Skaneateles said {:
AT $3.50 | stopped to buy ten-cent medal or
sbould have been on the first STEP where the crush
occurred. / was twenty five yards from the steps
when noticed a jam on the step. and stood watch
ing the immense throng. man got on the IRON
work and beckoned to the crowd to go back. He
WA, not a policeman saw no policeman there
heard screams, tho crowd surged back, and l
Jumped over tho fence. The jam centred or the
steps / went along the stone sides and walked
along and hung on 70 the railing with one hand.
Just az ] got up on the north side OF tho
fence the crowd swayed toward New
York and threw q girl down on the right-hand cor
ner. She went sideways and forward, and fell
on her face. Then four men and women fell on her.
The crowd cried, Everybody come over and get
away for Gods sake have been used to handling
small gangs of men. yelled for them to get over
the rail. and pulled a man over got him over and
tho woman next to him, and after a hard struggle
got them 50 that they stood along the ironwork.
Meanwhile children and men and women were
falling all over the steps got people over the rall
until no moro could stand there. Two Bridge men
came and put planks from the stonework down TO
the open bed Of the roadway below. They began
to get people down that way. Then got up on top
of the ironwork and gave them hand. They were
pulled out two middle-aged women and one girl
whose mother begged me. with tears, to save her.
| got her and her mother out. | got ont a man
next-a tall man with side whlskers. We had to
hold up the woman and the girl, they were so ex-
| hausted.
THE crowd going east now surged back and tried
10 pull out the people who were buried. People
kept coming on the Bridge and adding to the crowd.
Those at the top were unable to hold back and kept
| Going over the steps. saw two men climb on top
of the heads Of the crowd and throw themselves
right over. Gradually those IN front cOntryed to
repress the crowd behind them, and those who had
fallen and been buried at the foot of tho steps were
pulled ont. have had some tuition IN medicine.
| felt the pulse of a number of those who were
taken out. The first was "A woman. who lay on her
back Just below the steps, with one arm twisted
under her and the other hand clenching the rem
nant of child's shawl. She had gray
hair. Her forehead had been cut by
the fall and her face was stained with
blood Her pulse almost imperoeptIble
believe she died before they got
her of the Bridge. Next to her lay Chnaman.
He was stone dead. Lying half across the China
man was young woman with dishevell cd reddish
hair. Her clothing was torn. could not tell
whether she was breathing or not. Her pulse was
almost lmperceptible. just beyond her lay
another woman who bad evidently been tranped
evidences of life Next to her Law a woman whose
neck was twisted backward and whose hands were
clenched. She WAS stone dead. The next woman's
mise was almost imperccpiiblc. man lay half
across her. stark dead. He had evdently been tram
pjcd todeath at the beginning ofthe struggle. Beside
thrse there were many who had been carted away
before | made any examination. Many OF those
taken away were dead. Two grocery wagons hur
riedly brought In, were driven away full OF bodies,
dead or living"
Henry Guy Carleton, who was in the crush said
THE lines jostled each other as they passed-that
from New-York moving IN broad column, and that
from Brooklyn by single file At point about 100
Yards from the New York tower man lost his hat
by gust of wind. As II sailed over tho roadway
the crowd stopped TO laugh aud cheer The pas
sage was instantly blocked. People poured from
both sides toward the scene Of excitement.
man tainted Her escort brawny laborer, struck
right and left to compel those about him to give way
The pack grew denser. policeman lcaped to the
railing and ordered the crowd TO the New York side
Ohedient, the mass pushed with one accord In that
direction. One hundred yards further down
urged the mass toward Brooklyn. The mistake was
instantly followed by shrleks ana oaths from
those crushed where the pressure concentrated
In a moment the pack was complete, and men,
women and children fought desperately to gam the
railing A girl threw her arms about tho neck of q
man in front of her. With an oath he turned and
struck her twice In the face An old man wfth one
arm free belabored the heads of all no could reach
with his cane. young mother held her babe above
her head. 6esging for some strong man to take i
against the railing, and scratched and bit and
yelled like q cat In a trap. Suddenly came an
overwhelming pressure from the Brooklyn side
and the struggling mass was slowly forced toward
the staircase, to an accompaniment of shrieks and
yells, to which every one contributed. The first
portion of the crowd managed to descend in safety.
Then a woman tainted and fell. Several men
stopped To pick her up, others behind pushed over
cred four deep with men. women and children, it'll
the crowd trampling above"