The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-05-31
A FRIGHTFUL DISASTER.
A PANIC-sTRIcKEN CROWD on TnE
BROOKLYN BRIDGE.
Men, Women, and Children Crushed to Death.
and Many Others Woundcd-Thc Bridge
Closed by the Policc-Renioving the yictim..


Men, Women, and Children Crushed to Death
and Many Others Wounded-The Brida
Closed by the Police-I,cniovingt the Victim.
NY telegraph 10 the Dispatch.l
NEW YORK, May 30.-A terrible disaste
occurred on the Brooklyn bridge at half
past O'Clock to-day. The bridge wa
crowded to ITS utmost capacity. On th,
platform at the New York tower the ian
became so great that many persons tainted
A cry OF distress was raised. and a dread
full struggle began between the panic
stricken crowds coming and going east anC
west, and number were, il Is reported
crushed to death. In the end the crowd
coming from the Brooklyn side prevailed
and rushed towards the New York anchor
age, trampling down everything in its way
Men, women, and children were troddeu
under foot, and falling down the steps lead
ing to the tower platform were buried I'M
der the mass Of struggling humanity many
| leet high. As soon as the news OF the disaster
was conveyed TO the New York station by
the onset OF the panic-Strlcken crowd the
police were call. aud the bridge was
closed. The work OF removing the crushed
and wounded then began. Anumber were
taken TO the City-flall police station, and
others 10 the Chambers-Street hospital,
| The police report that at least ten or fi-
teen were killed; but as vet il is impoSsi-
BILE TO say who or how many. OF seven
wounded who are In the City-Ilall station,
one-B. Reichcrs, cigar-maker, OF No. 33j
Delaney Streets now dying. The eX-
citement at the entrance to the bridge is
intense.
A Full and Graphic Account OF the
Calamity.
NEW YORK, May 30.-Broolslyn bridge
received a dreadful baptism to-day. In a
crush that occurred, apparently by acci-
dent on the New York anchorage, a num-
Der OF persons, mostly women and chill
drcn, were crushed, some to death, some
fatally, and still others severely.
SCENE OF TERROR
reigned FOR fully fifteen or twenty minutes
that battles description When It was
over carloads OF wounded and crushed
| human beings were taken ont OF the New
York entrance OF the bridge. 4 small
mountain Of torn and abandoned clothing
was gathered up by the police. The acct
| dent occurred on the New York anchorage,
where the solid bottom OF the middle foot
way ends and two flights OF seven steps
each, with an intermediate landing, lead
up to the plank-walk between New York
anchorage and the tower. 1t was shortly
after O'Clock. The bridge was crowded
from one end to the other, so that there was
hardly ebow.room on the ioOtway. Awo-
man who was ascending the lower flight OF
steps stumbled and fell on the landing.
The crowd pressed upon her, and she
shriekcd. Bridge-Oflicer Frederick Rich
ards, who was on theSplank- above,
seeing her danger, elbowed his way TO the
spot and lifted her up, when the crowd
closed upon them both, and they went
down. With desperate effort Officer
Richards got upon his feet once more,
dragging the woman after him. She
screamed again in despair and fright. and
the crowd above and below pressed to-
ward the spot to discover the cause OF the
connection.
THE CRUSH THEN BECAME FEARFUL.
Those on the approach below the steps
were carried forward in a solid mass.
Many stumbled, and unable to resist the
pressure from behind the crowd passed
over them. From above, the crowd coming
from Brooklyn was carried to the edge OF
the steps, and then fell over and down
upon the struggling mass below. \ terri
bic struggle for life began. Men and wo-
men fought with the strength Of despair
against each other. Escape was impossi-
Die with the pressure from both sides
growing at every shout OF anguish that
went up from the dying and those
who saw death before their eyes.
Fear and despair on one side,
curiosity on the other, fought for mastery.
The frightful crush was qenser than ever,
when after nearly fifteen minutes score Of
militiamen OF the Twelfth regiment, COM
handed by Lieutenant Hart and Sergeants
Couldock and Costello. marched up the APP
proach toward Brooklyn. and the yells Of
the crowd attracted their attention. At the
foot of the steps the
WALL OF HUMAN BODIES
was piled higher. The dense mass surged
about it and in ii. The soldiers saw two
policemen vainly struggling against it..
Sergeant COuldOck took in the situation at
glance. and at his word OF command his
men scaled the fence and railroad track
separating them from the fOOt-walk, and,
wedging into the mass OF people near
the scene OF disaster, drove back the
crowd at the New York entrance at
the muzzle of their guns. 1t fell
back slightly. and the militilmen,
following up tine advantage gained, forced
il back until the approach was cleared.
Then, forming front across the ioot-walk,
they prevented the crowd from passing
back. while as many OF their number as
could be spared ran toward the scene OF
the accident to help in
ExTMCATIyG THE DEAD AND SAVING THE
LIVING.
An alarm had mean while been given at
the bridge entrance. a general call ior
all hospital ambuances was sent out, ana
nolicemen were hurried over upon the
bridge from their station beside City Hall.
Firemen OF a hook-and-ladder company
followed to assist. The crowd on the foot
walk above the steps was constantly receiv-
ing accessions, and still pressing on and
over the heap on the anchorage. The bodies
of dead and diving lay here so firmly wedged
together that to eXtricate them was next
70 impossibe. To beat back the crowd
was equally impossible. Relief was posi-
BILE only by making room for the crowd to
snread sideways. 1t was quickly done.
| Willing hands tore away the iron railing
dividing the footway from the railroad
track on both sides, and dragged those who
were nearest in the crush through the
opening. Room was made for the police
men to reach the
FRIGHTFUL HEAP OF HUMAN FLESH,
and the work OF clearing away began. A.
soon as a portion OF the obstruction was
removed from the steps the crowd was
eased and Il portion was let through to the
NeW York station. The rest was forced
tLocL, until Fall of the bodies had been