The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-06-19
SUNDAY TELEGRAMS.
Further Details Of the Tragedy at
Sunderland, England.
Charlie McComas TO be Restored TO his
Friends.
Miscellaneous Events Of The Sabbath.
The Sunderland Horror.

The Sunderland Horror.
LospoS, June 1.-THE terrible calamity
Saturday evening is the subject of univer-
sal unhappy comment. The hall has been
surrounded to-day by distressed and ex-
cited crowds. The stairway from the gal.
lery at the top OF the landing on which oc.
Cured the pressure which led TO the acc-
dent, is from five to six feet wide, and the
gallery door through which the children
were allowed to pass only one at time,
which circumstance is regarded as the
direct cause, was fitted with a bolt which
lodged in hole in the floor, thus narrow
ing the passs &c way for the purpose of facii-
tating ticket-taking when the audience was
entering the hall. The janitor says the
scene behind the gallery doors was fearful.
Some children were fixed upright in heap,
and actually gasping for breath, so great
was the pressure of the crowd behind them.
The majority of the children in the hall
were under twelve years Off age. When the
disaster happened the janitor and wife and
several others hastily summoned, went to
work to give the sufferers relief They first
sent out of the building, by the other exit
ways, The little ohes who were still in the
halls, bv this means avoiding fears of fur
ther crush. Those who went to the
rescue OF the suffering found work in re-
moving the heap of bruised and crushed
bodies, no easy task. Two hundred children
were rescued from the pile who were prac.
tically uniDjured. Many others were found
in an unconscious condition, but number
were restored and immediately taken to
their homes. Nearly all who were dead
with number whose wounds were regarded
as fatal, were laid out in the main hall,
- H. sy, Ia,, nd aua rxt
effort to restore those In whom life could be
lying, shorJ distance from each other, the
ueau bodies OF seven children. Many of
those who came to assist in removing the
dead and to rescue the living, were utterly
overcome by the distressing sight of so
many dead and dying children. A number
OF deaths have occurred since the first re-
port, and the fatal list is now placed at 1870
One of the persons who responded immedi-
ately to the call for help says many who
volunteered to assist in rescuing the chill
dren sickened at the spectacle and fled from
the distressing scene. The rescuers' first
efforts were directed towards reaching the
children who were apparently alive but so
tightly iammed together that IL was regard.
ed as dangerous to drag them out of the
helpless mass. The least effort would re.
suit in the pulling off the limbs of the lv-
ing children as well as mutilating the
matically TO lift OIL the topmost. A few of
those who were beneath had survived and
their maining and low cries of
pain could be distinctly heard
amid the excitement and cries
Oi the bereaved parents and friends who
were thronging the adjacent streets. The
disaster was referred to in all the churches
in Sunderland today and by many preach
ers in London, and prayers were offered for
the parents and friends OF this section.
The stair case from the gallery was a
winding one. Both the audience and the
oiAciaia VINO were in the hall ut the time
were unaware for some considerable time
Of the terrible tragedy being
enacted at the door. They were
not informed till Graham, the hall
keeper, who was strolling near the scene,
was attracted by the groans and gave the
alarm. Mr.. Fay, who gave the entertain
ment, was busy packing up his apparatus
70 depart, when man rushed up to him
and informed him Of the disaster, and he
Immediately Tell down senseess in fit.
The queen sent telegram to the mayor Of
Sunderland expressing her grief at the dis
ester. The children Of various Sunday.
schools also sent kilograms Of sympathy
Flags were at hslf-mast on Sunday. The
school lost thirty-six scholars by the catas
trophe. Many survivors had their arm.
broken or crushed; others are suffering
from broken ribs or rupture of interna
Orcons
The scene on the inside during the alden
tihcation Dhtlles description 1t was painful
IN the extreme. The faces OF the dead chill
dren were almost in every case black ant
swollen from suffication the legs were crack
cd and parched, and the noses bleeding. Pa
rents, rushing wildly about, would tall up
ON the bodies OF their dead children, an,
with loud wailings and weeping, clasp tn,
Unconscious forms in their arms, vainly en-
deavoring to note any sign of life. Man,
poor mothers swooned, at the frs
sight of the dead Will,
others were wild and almost violent In thei
hysterical grief. The removal of the dea,
from the hall to-day was the occasion 10
the renewal OF lamentation and confusion
Many parents crushed through the polio,
Gordon appointed for the preservation o
order, and there was scene of great con
fusion. Some of the witnesses stated tina
Tor the first few minutes there was grea
lack of assistance and from this cause alon,
there were certainly 100 lives lost. Tn,
weather was warm and the passage wa,
was very close. --latest reports to-nirh
figure up 1888 dead and the gravest fears ar
felt the number will be shown to have in
creased.