The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1883-06-09
THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE PANIC.
Fifteen Killed and Many wounded.

lives were lost and it is not known
how many others may die from their
wounds. The New York Sun extra
gives the following account of the
sad calamity:
There was crush at the steps of the
New York approach 10 the Brooklyn
bridge this afternoon. A panic fol-
lowed, and at least fifteen people were
killed and many wounded. The
crush began shortly before o'clock.
AT That 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
walking rapidly. As the crowd APP
preached short flight of steps those
IN front pushed back, for fear they
would be preelpitated over the steps,
distance Of about six feet. These
people, in drawing back from the
steps, made the nucleus for lam, for
the thousands behind them pushed
forward and almost instantly the peo-
pie began 10 shout, 'tStand backln
and "GiNe Us roomin Meanwhile.
the crowd from New York, which was
at the foot OF the steps, got blocked.
The men at the head ofthe New York
crowd fought their way back, leaving
aelearspace at the steps. The shout
lug and crowding from the Brooklyn
SIDE increased. The pane was utterly
inexplicable. The people in the ad-
vance guard of The Brooklyn crowd
were pushed forward. They seemed
10 have a horror of going over the
steps, although the In : ht Is only five
or siN feet high. They locked arms
anu pushed furiousiy back against
the thousands coming steadily over
from Brooklyn. There was slow,
yielding, frlshtful pressure from be
mind, aud The front of the crowd
forced nearer The edge OF the steps.
" omen aud childrea we're CRYING for
help and men shouting confnsealy.
Parcels ans canes were thrown aside
~ tne people, wno needed their hanus
IL light tneir Nay out oi the desperate
croed.
AT last, with a single shrek that cut
through the clafnor OF Thousand
volces, young girl, who lost her loot
ing on the perilOus edge, fell head
long, struck the hatehWay al The foot
Of the steps anu lay still fora moment.
she thon raised herself Oh her lauds,
and would have got up, bat in an
other moment she WAS buried four
deep under the bodies OF others who
fell over the steps after her. She was
dead when they got her out, more
than hall an hOur after. Men sprang
upon the rals At the side and waved
the crowd back from the New York
and Brooklyn sides, but the people
continued to crowd toward the steps.
No police were in sight. The very
great excitement rapidly grew worse.
Men IN the crowd lifted their children
above their heads 10 save them FROM
the crush. People were still paving
their pennies at both gates and crowd
ing III. At last the people at the New
York end of the bridge understood
what was happening. The gates were
closed and word sent to brooklyn TO
close the gates there. Messengers
We're sent To the police station on Oak
street, bat before any outside help
came tie bridge police, assisted by
ons into ambulance service. They
were loaded up with the dead and dy-
ing aud driven off the bridge, followed
by crowds of distracted people. As
the wagons came out on the street
they were obliged TO stop TO allow
brilliantly uniformed band playing
gay mucic 10 pass up Chatham street.
Il was not until the dead-wagons came
out that the public knew anything of
the catastrophe. The wagons were
followed OH the bridge by women
crying for their children and men
crying for their wives. Several the
women were half naked. Many had
on only rags. One woman had both
her shoes torn off. Almost all were
bareheaded. There were hundreds Of
them dshevele1 and crying. Their
faces were white and in many instan-
ces were covered with dust and dirt.
The scene at the City Hall police
station was simply terrible. Women
were screaming and wringing their
hands. Men with torn clothing and
bleeding faces, badly wounded, and
many unconscious, were lying beside
the walls. Every now and again
frantic mother would rush in, inquir-
ing for some lost one, but there were
none to answer her, for the revival of
the inscnsible occupied all thoughts.
The Jingle of the ambulances added
to the confusion, AS wagon after wagon