Milford chronicle., 1883-06-08
on THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE.
The Terrible Calamity that Took Place ON
DecoraIion Day.

A terrible accident took place on the
New York side of the Brooklyn bridge
on Decoration Day. The crowds oven
the bridge that day were large-both Of
people going from New York to Brooklyn
and of those going from Brooklyn to New
York. Jams in the narrow footway were
continually occurring, and it required
every effort Of the bridge police force Ia
prevent trouble.
One of these jams formed at 4 O'Clock
a short distance above the flight of steps
on the New York anchorage.
The crowd from Brooklyn met the crowd
from New York, and iammed again at the
foot of the stairs. The Brooklyn crowd
completely covered the footpath above
the stone steps, and the New York crowd
covered it below the steps. The former
attempted to push down and the latter
to push up. Those behind pressed for
ward and the weakest-the women aud
children-were thrust against the iron
railing of the steps and against the iron
trestle work which surrounds the rail-
road track, and which begins at the
head of the steps. They screamed with
pain and terror.
Somebody shouted out that there was
danger, and the impression prevailed
that the bridge was giving way beneath
the crowd. AT that the crowd on the
board walk above the steps pressed on
toward New York more furiOusly, while
those below who were on the asphalt
knew they were in no danger, and did
not move.
The bridge men fearing danger re-
moved a section of iron fence that was
nearest the steps in order to turn the
crowd into the carriage ways
A half dozen rough-looking young
men punched themselves together some
three hundred feet above the stairs.
They laid their hands on each others
sholders and forced themselves like
wedge into the crowd ahead. They
ahouted out. "The-Association can
make its way through anything"
In a few minutes, at the point just
above the steps, there was a slow yield-
ing to the frigl tful pressure from behind,
and the front of ihe crowd was forced
nearer and nearer to the edge Of the
steps. Women and children We're
screaming for help, and men were shout
ing confusedly. Umbrellas parcels and
canes were thrown over the rails at the
sides by people who needed their hands
10 fight their way out of the desperate
crash.
At last, with a single shrek that cut
through the clamor of the thousands of |
'oices, young girl lost her footing, and /
ell down the lower flight of steps. She |
ay for a moment, and then raised her
elf on her hands, and would have got /
Ip. But in another moment she was
,uried under the bodies Of others who
ell over the steps after her. She was
lead when they got her out more than
.alf an hour afterward. Men spraug /
ipon the rails at the side and waved the
rowdS back from both the New York
nd Bro klyn sides But the people
ontinued 10 crowd on toward the steps,
70 police were in sight. Men in
he crowd lifted their children above
heir heads to save them from the crush.
'eople were still paying their pennies at
10Th gates and swarming in.
1t took some time to show the panic
tricken crowd that they were pushing
ieople to death, aud then the police and
company Of the 18th New York infan-
ry went to work at tie pit. Twenty
eople seemed to be nearly dead. They
lere laid along on the north and south
ides of the pathway, and the people
rom Brooklyn passed on between them.
len and women turned faint at the sight
f the swollen and blood-stained faces of
he dead. -Four men; lad, six women,
nd girl of fifteen were quite dead, or
led in few moments. They had been
,und at the bottom Of the heap.
The police stopped grocers' wagons
1ming from Brooklyn, and, carrying the
odies of the wounded and dying down
le planks to the railroad, laid them in
le wagons, and told the drivers to hurry
, the Chambers Street Hospital. Six
odies were laid in one wagon. The
rivers whipped up their horses and
rove with full speed to the hospital. l
Vigorous efforts were made to resus-
tate those who still lay on the walk. J
,e water was brought from the New ,
ork entrance, and doctors who were in
lie crowd volunteered their services. As
e last body was placed in a wagon a S
,ok and ladder company came dashing S
, from Brooklyn. 9
The wagons were followed oil the \
ridge by women crying for their chill 9
rem, and by men crying for their wives.
everal Of the women were half naked, .
nd many were in rags. One woman had I
ad both of her shoes torn of, and al s
lost all were bareheaded. There were e
undreds of them dishevelled and crying.
heir faces were white, and they We're =
,vered with dust and dirt TWAS found
lat y persons were dead and many 9
ore seriously injured. Il
w KATIE WAS SAVED AND MAGGIE
KILLED. u
Seated by the coffin of her daughter
in apartments on the top floor O
No. 113 Monroe street, was Mrs Sui \
an and half dozen ladies. "Alar e
ret was one OF the most obedient chill
en-, - said Mrs. Sullivan, while the tears II
emed to choke her. sShe had only a d
" months ago obtained employment in G.
fancy card mandatory, and every b
turday night she was accustomed to &
ing her salary home to me sealed in an v
yelope That fatal afternoon she told :,
r younger sister Kate to dress herself .
d accompany her and her father on a r.
p across the bridge Z
g When the three reached the fatal
OF they decided to turn back. As they
I so the throng swept down upon them s.
e a cyclone, and my husband, seeing !,
at he could not save both his children, /,
deayored to rescue Katie by passing ="
r over to another man. This man held G
3 girl as long as his strength allowed d
n when he passed her to another man, p
10 in turn passed her to a third man. i
e was finally dragged out Of the mass