The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-06-18
SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS.

LONDUN, June ia ttiIlDic Cdidulity
involving the death of 17S children, oc-
cured in Sunderland, County of Durham,
this evening.
From the details received it appears
that entertainments were given in Victo-
ria Hall by conjurer, attended almost
altogether by children, several thousand
being in attendanc. The accident occur
ed at the close of the performance. The
body of the hall had been entirely clear
ed of occupants, when some ], 200 of the
little ones came rushing down stairs from
the gallery. At the top of the first fight
of stairs was door which opened only
twenty inches, and thus but one child was
allowed to pass out at time. At this
point, while the mass of children were
pushing forward, one of them fell and
was unable to rise, owing to the others
crowding The result was that great
number were pushed down, trambled on,
and suffocated The scene was terrible.
no effort could stop the affrighted chill
dren They came on pell though,
strangely. without much shouting and
17S were knocked down and suffOcated
to death by others trampling upon them.
The greater number of bodies, which were
badly mangled from trampling, lay sew.
en- or eight deep. Many of the victims
and others who were not killed had the
clothing torn from their bodies. and this,
together with the bleeding bodies of the
unfortunates, shows the terrible nature of
struggle. The ages of the 17S children
known to be killed ranged from to IA
years. The excitement in the town when
the news of the disaster spread was terri
fic. Great crowds rushed to the scene
until 10000 persons surrounded the hall.
The feeling was so intense that the au-
thorities ordered the Sixty eight Infantry
to preserve order. The work of getting
out the bodies began Immediately. They
were laid ont in the hall, and the parents
of those killed were admitted to identify
the bodies of their children. There were
most heart-rending scenes while the iden-
LITIGATION was in progress. The mothers
of the dead children constantly uttered
piercing shrieks, and many tainted on
discovering the bodies of their little ones.
SUNDERLAND, June IA number of
deaths have occurred since the first report,
and the total list is now placed at 1856.
| One of the persons who responded quick
" to the call for help, says that many who
volunteered to assist in rescuing the chill
| dren, sickened at the spectacle and fled
Mortified from the distressing scene, The
| rescuers' efforts were directed towards
reaching,t children, who were apparently
still alive, So very tightly were victims
damned together that it was regarded as
dangerous to drag them out of the help
| less mass lest the effort should result in
pulling off the limbs of the living children,
as well as the mutilated dead They
| therefore proceeded steadily and sytemat
ically to lift off the topmost few of those
beneath who had survived. Their moan.
ing and low cries of pain were distinctly
heard amid the excitement and the cries
Of the bereaved parents and friends who
were thronging about.
One man and his wife entered the hall
| where the victims lay. and began to scan
the faces of the dead Recognizing one
of his children the father exclaimed,
That's one; passing on he recognized
another, and then third. Staggering in
fit of agony. he cried: MY God All
my family goner and fell to the floor.
In some homes five children are dead.
Queen Victoria sent telegram to the
mayor of Sunderland, expressing hel
grief Flags were at half mast. One
Sunday school loses thirty scholars.
Most of the faces of the dead were
4 black and swollen from suffocation, and
4 the lips were cracked and bleeding. The
first five minutes there was great lack Of
assistance, and from this cause alone there
were certainly one hundred lives lost. The
weather was warm and the passageway
| close so that the horrible sickening stencil
soon came from the main outlet of the
hall after the catastrophe. The --latest
reports make the dead 1873, aud it is
feared that the number will reach al
least two hundred The eagerness of the
children to depart from the hall was due
to their desire to receive the prizes prom
Used them. Graham throws the blame oil
the calamity upon the man connected
with the entertainment, who fastened the
door half open in order that the prizes
might be gwen to the children, one at 8
time, while leaving the hall. A lad was
sitting on the railing ON Murton street
crying. A passer by inquired the cause
of his grief. why, SIR" said he, Il was
10 that place there, and when was com
ing out a boy that was dying bit my
hands, and that's him.
II