Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1885-10-08

"details OF the Terrible Caianiy "n'o"
Followed the Appearance OF Nine. MIS-
son Before the PopuIace OF the Capitai OF
Her Native Land-A Crush That Ehoeu
In the Loss of q Vast Amount OF Human
Life.
STOCKHOLM, October 2.-No event 10
many years has so profoundly agitatea
"the Venice OF the North" as the caiam-
ity following Nine. Missions enthusiastic
reception by her countrymen here on
the oath nit. Since the occurrence,
Nine. Nilsson has been SO completely
prostrated that she has felt obliged to
cancel many engagements. King oscar,
who has taken very deep interest In
the matter, has been active 10 extending
sympathy and relief to the afflicted fam
lilies. So great was the confusion Iol-
lowing the calamity, that the officials
have not yet recovered from the dazed
condition produced by Its awful sudden
ness, and 1t was only yesterday Tor the
first time, that the particulars could be
obtained with any degree OF deiniteness.
Owing probably to the fact that Nine.
Nilsson had recently bought handsome
house in London, and announced her In.
tentIon of making her home in England
permanently hereafter, the great singers
visit to the beautiful capital OF her ma
tive land was regared as farewell one,
and the popular excitement attending
her arrival was intense. Crowds OF her
enthusiastic countrymen welcomed her
at the railway station Thursday morning
and attended her carriage to the Grand
Hotel. She gave three concerts, and de-
lighted the populace after each perform.
ance BIZ singing home ballads In froat IL
the hotel. As early as seven O'Clock In
the evening people were streaming
toward the broad quay opposite the
Grand Hotel from even the most dlhtant
part Of twelve Islands upon which Stock
holm is built. When Nine. Nilsson ar
rived, shortly after nine o'clock, 1t Is es-
timated that the dense mass OF people
closely packing the q"ay and the wide
street of Charles XII for some dis
lance on either side, numbered not
less than 10000 persons. Deafening
cheers created the diva's arrival Una
BILE to reach the principal door OF the
hotel, she, with some difficulty, man.
aged to gain admittance at side en-
trance, and presently was bowling to
probably the largest and most excited
audience she had ever looked upon. After
hearing two songs, "Vierzehn Yaehre,"
and "Wermland Weiser," The crowd be-
gan to disperse homeward. The first
movement OF the living mass caused
frlghtful crush, which was horribly in
tensifed by the pressure of number OF
fresh arrivals on the outskirts of The
crowd. rascally gang of roughs help
ed still further to precipitate the calam.
ity BY trying to work their way through
the confused and chaotic multltudes.
With a rush like the flow of q mighty
river, the excited mass of people direct.
ed itself toward some newly built houses
on the side OF the old Mindre Theater.
The pavement In front of the house had
been torn up and the ground was strewn
with building stone, lime and sand.
just before this uneven place was reach
ed the stone pavement ended at an
abrupt desc 1t in the grade OF the street.
Here those 10 advance OF the crowd halt.
cd an instant, but pressed forward by
the thousands behind, they stumbled
and fell, the crowd swarmlng on with the
entire absence of reason or control char
acterstic of such crowd In an emer.
gency. Men, women and children were
instantly piled one upon the other in one
great crushed, bleeding, shrieking and
undistipguishable mass of humanity. The
horror of the scene was increased by the
| demoniacal yells OF the roughs, who took
advantage of the moment to attack and
plumber people right aud left. To add
to the confusion, the only lamp that
Illuminated that part OF the street was
turned out by a street boy, who had saved
himself by climbin. the post. Many
others saved themselves by breaking the
| windows and entering the new houses,
though they were cut severely by the
broken glass. When the police finally
forced a passage and removed the dead
and injured it was found that eighteen
persons had been killed In the mad rush.
Most OF these were women. Many pco-
pie arc believed to have been injured
seriously early In the panic by being
tramplcd under the feet OF horse,
which, with a light wagon at his heels,
tore through the crowd. Others were
pushed from the quay into the Norr
Strom outlet Of the Malaren into the
Saltsion and drowned, prominent
citizen was separated from his two
daughters, one ten and the other twelve
years old. He afterward found their
dead bodies trampled almost beyond
recognition. Heaps of torn clothing,
hats, umbrellas, shoes and mantles were
taken to tho police station. A hatless
woman, excitedy searching for hel
child, broke into loud cries on seeing tho
row of corpses, and 1t was found that
she had suddenly gone mad. The pc
lice, numbering 200, were utterly power
less to prevent the accident or govern