Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-06-08
IIl{ SIRE Dress.
THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE HOR-
ROR.
How the Panic Occurred - Dreadful
scenes and Incidents

exactly what caused the fatal panic on the
Brooklyn bridge, Wednesday, says the New
York Herald, though it is most miserably
true that the probable cause was cry raised
by pickpcCkets. AS is well known, the foot
path on the bridge proper is raised above the
fooipath on the two approaches The eleva-
ton is reached by two short flights of steps.
On the brooklyn side there are eight of these
steps, or two flights of four steps each. On
the New York side there are fourteen steps,
or two flights Of seven each, with a landing
seven feet wide between the two flights.
As is also well known there is u gentle de
scent from the middle of the bridge, so that
those who were coming toward New York ct
the time were walking on n down grade-not
Il steep onC--toward the top of these II steps.
The path they were ON is 16 feet wide, but a
little more than 800 feet back from the steps
there is narrower space only 10 feet wide,
the difference being caused by the cncroach-
mCui ui the two inlner cables on the path
way. Between the cables there had been,
only few minutes before the panic,
one of the bcckades tnat have been,
mhappiy, common ON the bridge at
This par ocular point. This blockade had
been broken by the active work of some of
the bridge policemen The stream OF peIes-
TRANS was steady and large although, from
ali that can lie learned there was no very
extraordinary throng moving in either direc-
ton nj the time. There was, however, an
unusual crowd in this particular section Of
the bridge, resulting from the blockade just
broken above, and it seems 10 have been just
at the time that this crowd reached the
steps that the disaster occurred.
Somebody fell or was thrown down the
steps.
Ii was, perhaps, an accident. Some say
Child was thrown down by Il gang OF pick
pockets, who was credited with having made
the first blockade with evil intent. Others
say man fell first, and that such n triiling
accident might easily happen is perfectly ap-
parent 10 any one who will watch the crowd
for IL few moments rs they pass down the
steps. The boards are already worn as
smooth as glass by the constant ,ramping OF
hundreds Of thousands Of feet. The steps
are not Noticeable until one reaches them.
They are narrow (only IL inches wide and Z
inches higl(, and one coming suddenly down
the first step is likely TO fall. As the reporter
stood after the accident watching the crowd
he saw several slip and nearly fall, one OF
them being a policeman.
The Panic.
Over the PROSTATE body of the first to fall
another fell. Over HIM fell another. In an
instant there was wild confusion. The crowd
added to it by wild, mad push forward
from above and before any one realized
the gravity of the situation the half Of the
crowd on the steps was Pre- tratc and the
crowd from above was tramping the fallen to
death.
1t might not have proved q serious calami-
ty if the rush from above could have been
IgI L. in, oil IN tl,n
struggling, confused mass that had choked
up the stairway those that had fallen might
have escaped with bruises or, al the worst,
broken bones. But from above came cur.
rent a. Iosistlcss and as cruel as Niagara's.
The people coming down knew nothing of
what was happening until They were right
upon the steps. There was no one to stop
them. Ii there had been one strong voiced
enough and clear headed enough to Shout out
behind that there had been an accident aud
all must stop, aud ii the crowd would have
needed and not pushed forward in curiosity,
there would have not been so terrible story
TO tell.
As il was, there came the crush Of the
crowd from behind and above. augmented
by the rush of Il panic and the malicious
cries of thieves, for it is almost beyond ques-
ton that they were pant Of the trouble if
not the sole cause. Tie space on the steps
was speedily chokcd and filled up, 50 that,
incredible as il seems, those above walked
or rushed over an inclined plane madt by the
PROSTATE bodies, to the walk below. Stall
wart mcn broke over the restraint that others
sought to impose and trampcd their way
over the upturncd faces OF those who lay
PROSTATE. Shreks and moaGa, cries Of chill
drcn and oaths of men rang ont in horrid
discOrd, and the happy crowd Of II moment
laI. Al UTNl ~ fNl.
dying mass of convulsivc humanity.
The Panic Arrested
For few moments there was 10 help. Or
and on came the crowds. Dcnser and high.
er the str. cling bodies were piled Flcrcei
and more deadly the struggle grew. The
scene appalled, these who were unhappy
enough to witness it and the rapidly increas
ing horror OF it was almOs. parayZine
Presently however, assistance came, although
for u full quarter IF an hour il was impossi
BILE to drag out the dead and dying, hell
away the wounded and subdue the panic
The bridge policemen, several Of whom wer,
at hand, did good service Five Contra
Office detectives, who CHANGED TO he togeth
er within less than one hundred feet of til,
spot, with their greater experience, did evel
better, and l.. ID. Drake, Il tall, powerful
man, superintendent Of the electric lighting
system OF the bridge did yeoman's work.
1t was hard task, but with the aid of tn
sworkmcn on the bridge sections of the railing
on either side Of the tootpath next to the step
were torn to ribbons, Hats aud Eoanets /,
the number Of over u huadrel were IN tn
trampled debris that was picked up after
ward. Umbrellas, canes, iewelry, fans
braids of hair, combs and pins strewed tn
ground until there were several barreliuls c
fragments that were afterward taken to til
Fourth precinct police station. A pos
pedler that was picked up amoug the dea
had had his basket on his arm packed wit
stationery. This was strewn over the steI
and path.
In addition to the fifty or more men VII
were taken to the hospital there were. as v
said great numbers who made their We
home with or without assistance. Blecdin
manned and ragged, they limpcd out, the W
men and childSD crying bitterly and Il
men with q stunned haf-slGpid expression
wondt their faces. Bloodwas spatteredhe
and there, and lay in pools around the ste
until it was washed up by the wOrkmeu.
The bodies of the dead-shapeless al
broken in outline, gashed aud bloody, bac
ened and distorted with aslhyXia us to I
face-lay for some time exposed to the ga
of all before decent covering could be pi
yided. a little boy, scarcely more than
baby, lay on the railroad on the northeI
side Beside him lay two men and thu
women. In the pathway, next the fence,
two women, partly Gcnudcd and horrit
distorted. Some kindly hand had plac
some covering over the faces. Two groce
wagons that were passing the bridge cntrar
as the news reached that point were sci2
by the police and pressed INTO the service
REMOVING the bodies. They were hast
driven up the roadway and quickly load
and returned 10 the street. As they emery
from the bridge entrance they were stop
by n band Of mnsic NJ the head of one Of