Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1883-06-18
|. TERRIBLE CALAMITY.
vwO HUEDRED rUihDREN
rMAnPLED To DEATH IN A
PIHLIC NALL.

TMAnPLED To DEATH IN A
PUBLIC HALL.
LONDON, June ia terrible Gala
unity, involving the death of Us chil
Iren. occurred in the town of Sunder'
land. in the county of Durham, thi'
ave- ing. From the details thus far re
ceiyed it appears that an entertainment
had been gwen in Victoria Hall by Z
copiuror, which was attended almos
aitopether by children, several thou
sand being in attendance. The acci
dent. which was 80 direful in its effects
acquired at the close of the perform
ance. The body of the hall had beer
entirely cleared Of its occupants. wher
some 200 of the little ones came rush
ing down stairs from the gallery. Al
the top OF the first flight of stairs there
was door which opened only twenty
inches, and thus only one child was
wrmiit al to pass through at time
At this point, while the mas, o' rhil-
,lren we're pushing forward, ~n'ae OF
them fell and were unable to rise, ow.
ing to rhn others crowding on The re-
suit was that great number were
pusA al down. trampled on and sulloca
ted,
The srcne was terrible, and no effort
could stop the wild rush Of the alright,
ened children. They came on peli nell,
Il thoUgk strangely without much shout
iny. and soon l7Softhem were knocked
dow and snti;ocatel to death by others
Il transuing upon them, the greater mum.
her vi The h11ia4, which were badly
mang'pd tfom the tramping, laid seven
or ely Il deep. Many otthe vicin, aud
other, who were not killed had heir
cIothlug torn rom their bodies, and
this, together with the bleeding bodies
of the uutortnatcs, shows the terrible
nature of the struggle. The ages Of the
l7S children known to have been killed
rangeh from 20 IA years.
The work Of getting out the bodies of
the victims was begun immediately
They were laid ont in the hall, and the
parents Of those killed were admitted
Tor the purpose of identifying the bodies
/ of their children.
LATEST PARTICULARS.
LONDON, June 1.-THE terrible ca
/ lamity that occurred Saturday evening
/ in the Victoria Hall, at Sunderland, is
the subject of universal comment. The
hall las been surrounded to-day by dis
tress'Man,l excited crowds. The stairway
from 'Ile gallery at the top landing Of
which occurred the pressure which led
to six feet wide, and the gallery door
through uich the children We're allow
| ed to pass Only one at q time, which cir
cum>iann is regarded as the direct
cals" g: ne calamity, was fitted with a
bolt which lodged in IL hole iu the floor,
thus tarr"Wing the paSsageway for the
purp -" u: facilitating the tlcket-taking
wheH ne audience WIS entering the
hall
Tn auitor says the scene behi nd the
galley door was fearful. Some of the
chi,'frn were fixed upright in Il heap,
and actually gasping for breath, so great
was fh" pressure Of the crowd behind
them. The majority Of the childre in
the ltrlt were under twelve years of age.
Wh"N the accident happened the
jani'Hr and his wife and several hastily
SUNNI med bystanders went to work
immediately to give the sufferers
reilrE. They first seat out of the build
who we're still in the hall, by thisavert-
ing the fears of a further crush. Those
who vent to the rescue of the nnfOr.
tnnate sufferers found the work of re-
moving the heap Of bruised, crushed
and atfocated bodies no easy task
Two hWndre'l rhildr'n were rescued
from III" pill, none of whom We're seri-
ouSIy Il AZ all, injured.
Maur others were found in an un-
con~i"us condition, but Of these a nun
Der wtm restored and immediately
takcr t" their homes. Nearly all Of
thoSr " De- were dead, with Il number
who's" ""indS were regarded as fatal,
werr laG nut in the main hall, where
tht ''% i doctors in attendance used
every + mt 70 restore those in whom
ASp.h of .il' could be detected On.
eyr-N JilrS> states that he saw lying on
the As, r,ol!r., short distanc. from III"
bottnn # The stairs, the deld bodies o!
scv"', chi Nr,r Many OF those who
"ailr Z" assist in removing the dead and
r"scH'rE the wing were utterly over
zone !y the distressing sight ofso many
dead and dyi, Z children.
udinhrr u.' deaths have occurred
hii''' ti+ hrs' report, Ani the E,taIltlaS
are n"" placed at 1856. One Of the per-
son@ whn responded irnmrdiately to
70 h" call for il'lp says that many who
volunteered to assist in rescuing tn"
rss''!Trn sickrned a. the spectacle, and
hei hpsriti"d from the dist ressing scene.
IN" rr~'uerS' first efforts were directed
towaEs reaching children who were ap.
Par"''jiy alive, bu; so tightly were the
Vic' l"s joined together that it was re-
gard'Nt as dangerous to drag them out
OF VIZ helpless mass, lest the effort
shor''' result in pulling off the limbs
OF thNnig children as well as mutilat-
ing i" dead. They therefore proceed
"l N'"ahily and systematically to lift
of' III" tupiEost A few Of those who
wer" '=neath survived, and their means
ana "'w cries Of pain could be distinct
~ heard amid the excitement and cries
Si o"rraved parents and friends who |
Wcte thyonging the adjacent streets.