Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-05-31
SACRAMENTO THURSDAY MORNING. MAY 81, 1883.
do nothing. AS soon as I heard of the
crush 1 ordered the roadways open, and the
people are going across that way now"
THE SUNS" REPORT.

do nothing. As soon as 1 heard of the
crush 1 ordered the roadways open, and the
people are going across that way now."
THE suns" REPORT.
From the Sun extra the following is taken
There was crush at the steps of the New
York approach of the Brooklyn bridge this
afternoon. A panic followed, and at least
fourteen people were killed and many
wounded. The crush began shortly before 4
o'clock, at which hour there were thousands of
people on the bridge, most Of them coming from
Brooklyn. The air was clear and brisk, and
the people were rapidly walking. AS the
crowd approached the short flight OF steps
those in front pushed back, for fear they
would be precipitated over the steps, dis.
tance of about six feet. These people, IN
draw ok fro the steps, made the
nucleus /, r the thousands behind
them pushed %. unheeding. Almost in.
stantly the people began to shout, 81 Stand
back p and "Give us room I" Meanwhils
the crowd from New York. which was at the
foot of the steps. got blocked. The men at
the head cf the New York crowd fought
their way back, leaving a clear space at The
foot of the steps. The crowdirg and shout
ing from the Brooklyn side in
creased. 1t was utterly inexplicable. The
people in the advance guard of the Brooklyn
crowd were pushed toward tha steps. They
seemed to have q horror of going over the
steps, although the light ia only five to six
feet. They locked arms and pushed furi-
ously back against the thousands coming
steadily over from Brooklyn. In few min
utes there was slow yielding to the frightful
pressure from behind, and tha front of the
crowd was forced nearer and nearer to the
edge of the steps. where
CHILDREN WERE SCREAMING FOR HELP
And shouting confusedly. Umbrellas, par.
GELS and canes were thrown over the rails by
people who needed their hands to fight their
way out of the desperate crowd. At last,
with single desperate shrek, that cut
through the ciamor of thousand voices, a
young girl. who lost her footing on the peril.
Gus edge, fell headlong. She struck the
hatchway at ths foot Of TIE steps, and lay for
a moment. She raised herself on her handz,
and would have got up, but in another mo-
ment she was buried four deep under the
bodies of others who fell over the steps after
her. She Was dead when they got her cut,
more than half an hour afterwsrd. Men
spr2ng rpon tie rails at the ride and waved
the crowds baclz from Che New York and
Brooklyn eides, but the people continued to
crowd on toward the steps. No police were in
sight, and the exciteE ent grew wore. Men
in the crowd lifted their children above their
heads to save them from the crush. People
were still paying their pennies at both gates
aud squeezing in. At last the people at the
New York end Of the bridge understood what
WAS happening. The gates were closed, and
word was sent to Brooklyn to close the gates
there. Messengers were sent to the police
station in Oak street, but before any outside
help came the bridge police. assisted by citi-
zans, impressed two grocers' wagons into am
hulance servics. They were
LOADED UP WITH THE DEAD AND DYING,
And driven off the bridge, followed by crowds
of distracted men and women. AS the
| wagons came cut On the street they were
obliged to stop to allow briiliantIy.uni-
formed band, playing music. to pass up
Chatham street. Twelve dead bodies had
been laid in the basement cf the Chambers
street Hospital at 6 o'clock. Two of the dead
were identified as George Smith and Ellen
Riordan. Among the wounded were f. E.
Dale, Wilhemina Loewe, Thomas Reardop,
EIrs. Charles Vogelor, Mamie Sn1itb, Ellen
Requa and Frank Barnet. Among the un-
conscious wers two unidentified men and
women and boy and girl: It was not until
the dead wagons came out that the public
knew anything of the catastrophe. The
wagons were followed off the bridge by women
crying for their children, and men crying for
their wires. Several Of the women were half
naked, and many had on only rags. One
woman had both her shoes torn off, Almost
all wers disheviled and crying. Their faces
were white, and in many instances were GOV.
cred with dust and dirt. Mrs. Edward
O'Colburn, of Brooklyn, came into Chatham
street with her baby in her arms, when the
crowd rushed over her. The baby was found,
but the mother is missing.
STATEMENT OF ANOTHER EYEWITNESS.
H. Abercrombie. of skaneateles said !:
AFTER seeing the parade I went on the
bridge. At $3.50 P. NJ. I was twenty-five
yards from the steps, and walked toward
them. l noticed jam on the steps, and stood
waiting. There was an immense throng. A
man got on the iron-work and beckoned the
crowd TO go back. He was not policeman.
I saw no policemen there heard a scream,
crowd surged back, and 1 jumped over the
fence. The jam censered on the steps. l
went along the eide and walked along and
hung to the railing with one hand. Just as l
got up on tie north side of the fence, the crowd
swayed toward New York, and threw girl
down from the right hand corner. She went
over sidewise and forward, and fell on her
face. Then four men and woman fell on
her. The crowd cried Everybody come
over, and get away, for Gods sake have
been used TO handling small gangs of men,
and yelled for them to get over the rail, and
pulled a man over. I got him over, and q
woman next to him, and after hard struggle
got them so that they stood along the iron
work. Meantime the throng WAS wedged at
the scene of the accident. The tide was
coming from Brooklyn, as the New York
entrance was closed to all but reporters and
those engaged ia carrying off the dead and
wounded. 1t was not until quarter Of
that squad Of police were sent on the
bridge and the crowd was thinned"
PARTIAL LIST OF THE VICTIMS.
Two more bodies, one boy of Is and the
other young woman, are lying st the police
station unidentified also f. E. Dale, of No.
70 Henry street; Wilhemira Loewe, Of No.
100 Monroe street; two unknown women !;
Mrs. G. Vogle, of No. 80 West Twenty-sixth
street; Minnie Smith, of No. 2i5 Boston
street; Ellen Resan, of 62 Horatio street !;
an unknown boy and girl; Matte A. Styles,
of 257 Grove street, jersey City. Following
is partial list OF the wounded Frank Bar
rett, of 10 Mott street, left arm broken his
littla boy and his rnnther xvsra With him