The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-10-09
THE STOCKHOLM HORROR.
welcoming NiissOn-Nany People
KILLED in II Panic.

No event in many years has so profoundly
agitated Stockholm, Sweden, the 'Nenice of
the North, as the calamity following Nine
Missions recent enthusiastic reception by her
countrymen there. Since the occurrence
Mime. Nilsson has been so completely pros
trated that she has felt obliged to cancel many
engagements. King Oscar who has taken
very deep interest in the matter, has been
active in extending sympathy and relief to
the afflicted families. An account of the ter
rible affair is as follows:
Owing probably to the fact that Nine
Nilsson had recently bought a handsome
house in London and announced her inten-
ton of making her home III England perna-
nenty hereafter, the great singers visit to
the beautiful capital of her native land
was regarded as "A farewell one, and the pop
Mar excitement attending her arrival was
intense. Crowds other enthusiastic country
men welcomed her at the railway station
and attended her carriage to the Grand
hotel. She gave three concerts, delightlng
the populaCe after each performance 10y sing
ing home ballads in front of the hotel. As
early as i'll the evening people were stream
ing toward the broad quay opposite the
Grand hotel from even the most distant part
of the twelve islands upon which Stock
holm is built. When Mme. Nilsson arrived,
shortly after Q O'clock, it is estimated that
the dense mass of people closely packing
the quay and the wide street Of Charles
MI. for some distance on either side num-
bered not less than forty thousand persons
Deafening cheers greeted the diVas arrival.
Unable to reach the principal door of the
hotel she with some difficulty managed to
gain adLlittance at a side entrance, and
presently was bowling to probably the largest
and most excited audience she has ever
looked upon After she sung two songs the
crowd began to diSpersc homeward.
The first movement of the living mass
caused a firightful crash, which was horribly
intensified 10y the pressure of number of
fresh arrivals ON the outskirts of the crowd.
A rascaly gang of roughs helped still further
to precipitate the calamity 10y trying to
work their way through the confused and
chaotic multitude. WITH rush like the flow
OF mighty river, the excited mass
of people directed itself toward some
I.ewly-built houses on the site of the old
Mindre theatre. The pavement i'll front of
the house had been torn up and the ground
was strewel with building stone, lime and
| sand. just before this uneven place was
reached the stone pavement ended at an alb
| rupt descent in the grade of the street. Here
those in advance of the crowd halted an in
slant, but, pressed forward by the thousands
| behind, they stumbled and fell
| The crowd, swarming ON with the entire
| absence of reason or control characteristic
| of such a crowd IN AN emergency, men,
| women and children We're instantly piled one
| upon another IN one great crushed, bleeding,
shrieling and undistinguishable mass OF hui
manity. The horror of the scene
was increased by the demonac
| yells of the roughs, who took
| advantage of the moment to attack and plum
der people right and left. TO add TO the con-
fusion the only lamp that Illuminated that
| part of the street was turned out by street
| boy, who had saved himself by climbing the
post Many others saved themselves by
| breaking the windows and entering the new
houses, though they were severely cut by the
| broken glass.
When the police finally forced passage
and removed the dead aud injured 1t was
| found that eighteen persons had been killed
in the mad rush. Most of these were women.