New-York tribune., 1883-06-18
THE PANIC IN SUNDERLAND.
THE DEATH LIST swELLED TO 1se.


scrNrs OF HORROR ON TIE FATAL sTAIRwAf-i"~
yFpoRTs MADE TO SAVE THE CHILDREN
Tho scene Of the fatal panic in Victoria Hall,
Sunderland, England, on Saturday nigh@ wac
surrounded by sorrow-stIicken crowns yesVei
dav. The number of children VINO iost .ieli
lives in the terrible crush is now placed at 100
o;obt having died since the first report Mos'
Of those attending the performance were unuer
evolve wears of age. The scene when the
roscuers went to work was heartrendlng' ana
Inv Of them were overcome by the sickenlng
a;e.ht and fed from the building. The passage
,rov was so narrow that there was nearly
manic when the children were being admitted
to the hall.
now THE CHILDREN LOST THEIR LIVES.
THE SAD STORIES OF EYE-wITNEssEs-NEARLY
PANIC BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE.
IoyDoN. June 1.-THE terrible calamity that oc-
ourred on Saturday evening In victoria HAN aU
Sunderland, is tho subject OF universal unhappy
comment The ball has been surrounded to-day Dy
distressed and excited crowds. The stairway from
the gallery at the top landing of which occurred
the pressure which led to the accident, was from
five 10 six feet WIDE and the gallery door through
which the children were allowed to pass only one at
atme which Circumstance is regarded as the direct
cause of the calamity was fitted with BOLT which
lodged in hole in the floor, thus narrowing the
passage-way for the purpose Of facilitating the
ticket-takIng
When the audience was entering the hall, the
ianitor SAYS the see ne behind the gallery door was
fearful. Some of the children were fixed upright in
heap and actually gasping for breath, so great was
the pressure of the crowd behindthem Most of tho
children in the hall were under twelve years of age.
When the disaster happened the janitor and his
wife and several hastily summoned bystandeIs
went TO work immediately to give the sufferers re-
lief They first sent out of the building by other
exits the little ones who were still in the hall, by
this means averting the fears of further crush.
THE WORK OF THE REsCUERs.
Those who went to the rescue of the unfortunate
sufferers found the work of removing the heap OF
bruised, crushed and sufocated bodies no easy task
Two hundred children were rescued from the pile
who were practically uninjured. Many others were
found in an unconscious condition, but of these
several were restored and immediately taken to
their homes Nearly all of those who were dead.
with number whose wounds were regarded
fatal we're laid out the main hall, where the local
doctors in attendance used every effort to restore
those in whom spark of life could be detected.
One eyewitness states that he saw lying on the
hagstones short distance from the bottom of the
stairs the dead bodies of seven children. Many of
those who came TO assist in removing tho dead and
rescuing the living we're utterly overcome by the
distressing sight of so many dead and dying chill
dren.
HORRIBLE AND DISTRESSING SCENES.
number of deaths have occurred since the first
report and the fatal list is placed at 1s6. One
of the persons who responded Immediately to the
call for help says that many who volunteered to
assist in rescuing the children sckened at the spec
taele and fed horrihed from the distressing scene.
The rescuers' first efforts were directed toward
reaching children who were apparently alive but
SO tightly were the victims jammed together that
it was regarded as dangerous to drag them out of
the helpless lest the effort would result in
pulling off the limbs of the living children well
as mutilating the dead they therefore proceeded
steadily and Systematically TO lift off the topmost
few of those who were beneath had survived. and
their moaDiugs and low cries Of pain could be dis
tnctly heard amid the excitement and cries of be-
reayed parents and friends who were throngiDg |
the adjacent streets
The disaster was referred to in all the churches |
in sunderland to-day, and by many OF the preach |
ers n London and prayers were offered for the |
parents and friends of the victims.
HEARTRENDING INCIDENTS.
The staircase from the gallery a winding one.
Both the audience and the officials who were in the
hall at the time OF the disaster were unaware. for
some considerable time. of the terrible tragedy |
that was beng enacted at the door, Iney were |
not informed until Graham, the hal-keeper, |
who, strolng near by the scene of the calamity, |
was attracted by the groans and gave the alarm.
Mr. Fay, who gave the entertainment. was busy |
packing up his apparatus to depart when man |
rushed up to him and informed him of the disaster |
and Immediately fell down speechless
in a fit. Some of the families whose |
homes so suddenly darkened lost over
three children. One man and his wife pushed their
way into the hall in which lay the bodies of the vic
Tins and without betraying any emotion, began to
scan the faces of the dead. Recognizing the face OF
one of his children the father, pointing with his |
finger exclaimed: That's one" Passing on again |
be recognized another and then third.
Staggering Ia q fit of agony he cried |
Ny God All my family gomez; and overwhelmed
with grief sank to the floor. In some houses there
are five children dead.
TELEGRAMs OF SYMPATHY
Queen Victoria sent telegram to-day TO
the Mayor of Sunderland expressing her grief at
the occurrence of the disaster The children of va
riOus Sunday-scho0ls also sent kilograms Of SYM
pathy
Flags were at half-mast. One Sunday school |
loses thirty scholars by the catastrophe. Many of
the survivors had their arms broken in the crush. |
Others suffering from broken ribs or rupture
of internal organs. Graham, the hall-keeper.
SAYS that. children who were not twenty
yards from the door came pressing forward, un-
aware of the tragedy.