Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-06-22
One Hundred and SsVen'y-e eight
Little Childrn C.ushsd to
Death,
Several Thouand Innocents Had
Gathered to See a Conjur-
er's Exhibition.
The Place was Victoria Hall,
Sunderland County,
Durh.m, Eng.
In Leaving the Building the Circum-
stances at Brooklyn Bridge were
Exactly Reproduced.

A terrible calamity, involving the
death of 17o children, occurred in Sun
derland, County of Durham, Monday
evening.
From the details received it appears
that entertainments were given in Vic
toria hall by a Onjurer, attended al
most altogether by children, several
thousand being II attendance.
The accident occurred at the close OF
the performance
TIE GALLERY.
The body OF the hall had been entire
ly cleared of occupants, when some
200 of the little ones came rushing
down stairs from the gallery.
At the top of ihe first flight of stairs
was a door which opened only twenty
inches, and thus but one child was per-
mitted to pass through at time.
At this point, while the mass of child
rem were pushing forward, one of them
fell and was unable to rise, owing to the
others crowdipg.
The result was that great number
were pushed down, trampled On, and
sufocated.
TIE SCENE.
The scene was terrible. No effort
could stop the mad rush Of the alright
ed children. They came on pell-mell,
though, strangely, without much shout
ing, and soon lis we're knocked down
and sufocated to death by others
trampling upon them
The greater number of bodies, which
were badly mangled from trampling,
ID !, seven 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 unfor
tunates, shows the terrible nature of
the struggle.
WEE LITTLE ONES.
Toe ages of the 178 children known
to be killed ranged irOm to IA years.
The excitement inthe town when
the news of the disaster spread was ter
rife. Great crowds rushed to the scene,
until 10000 persons surrounded the
hall. The feeling was so intense that
the autlIUIfsfrs C4Ips~d .ha Siyiy-
eight Infantry to preserve order.
THE DEAD.
The work of getting out the bodies
negan Immediately. They were laid
out in the hall, and the parents of those
killed were admitted to identity the
bodies of their children.
There were most heart rending
scenes while the identification WAS in
progress. The mothers of the dead
children constantly uttered piercing
shrieks, and many tainted on discover
ing the bodies of their little ones.
SCENE OF THE CALAMITY.
Sunderland is seaport town, at the
mouth of the Wear, on the North Sea,
thirteen miles northeast of Durham.
The town proper of Sunderland occu-
pies peninsula between the expansion
of the Wear and the sea. 1t has one
good and broad street, and fine market
place, but elsewhere consists mostly OF
narrow lanes. The principal edieces are
two fine parish churches, numerous
chapels the exchange, athen@um found
ed in 1910, theatre, assembly rooms,
barracks, custOmhouse, excise Office,
infrmary, and various alms-houses. 1t
has a mechanics institution, horticul-
tural and polytechnic societies, and
several masonic lodges. Sunderland is
one of the principal ports of England
for the shipmentof coal; it has, besides,
a large export of lime to Scotland and
Yorkshire, and Of glass, e4rthenware,
rope, chemical products, made in the
town and vicinity, in and around which
are also fax and saw mills and grind
stone quarries. Mercantile shipbuild-
ing is more extensive than at almost
any other English port. The fishery OF
Sunderland is important. The borough
is governed by q Mayor, thirteen Alder
men, and forty.two Councillors, and
sends 8 member to parliament. The
town is irequented as bathing place
1t gives the title of Elrl to the Duke of
Marlborough.