Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-09-24
TRAMPLED DOWN.
FOUR PEOPLE LOSE THEIR LIVES NAPANIO
MANEW YORK
Hebrew Tabernacle - Some ThOughtless Person
Yelled Fire and thousand People Made
Wild Dash for the Narrow Stairway.
Avail Scenes Of Struggle.

New York, September 9S.-In a
senseleSs panic in Ludlow street syne-
gogue four persons were tramPled 10
death this morning, and nine, so Tar as
known, more or less badly injured.
The panic was caused by some IDIOT
yelling "frs" when a candle fell over
on the pulpit and set fire 10 bit OF
drapery.
The congregation stampeded immedi-
ately. There are two other synagogues
in the building. Both were crowded.
The wOrshiDpers heard the rush on the
stairs aud Joined 10 il. When the three
streams Of wildly desperate men and
women met on the narrow stairs a
struggle ensued ia which the women
fell down under the feet OF the stronger
men. The life was trOdden out OF them
on the stairs. The scene Of the tragedy
was the six-story tenement, q Ludlow
street. There is q synagogue on each
of the first, second and third floors.
The one on the first floor is behind a
store. A narrow, dirty flight OF stairs
leads TO tins ones above. 1t was In the
Synagogue on the third floor that the
panic began. This synagogue like the
rest is a plain tenement room filed with
wooden benches. A partition divides it
crosswise In the middle. In the parti-
tion is a door just the width OF two
boards. Through this those who were
furtheSt to the front had to pass 70 get
within sight OF the stairs.
There are two other narrow doors at
the head of the stairs, which thence
descend abruptly with a break on the
second floor to the street.
AT the front partition door there was
q IAN, then a crash and a part Of the
board wall gave way. The mass poured,
fell, rolled down the steep stairway.
Three times as many persons were at
tending the service 10 the synagogues on
the lower floors. More than one thou
sand crowded the building. They heard
the rush overhead, the crash OF the
rendi6g boards, the shouts OF FIRE and
cries OF anguish and with a common i'm
pulse did what the others had done
ran for the stairs and for lifo.
At the second floor landing there is
sharp turn. There again the mass
stuck for a moment, but worked loose
presently and the first onset occurred.
The two bliad and maddened human av-
slancheS met, one coming down stairs,
the other cutting in under it and trying
10 get ahead.
A furious struggle ensued. Men and
women fought, dumb, but with the
madness ot despair, and the weakest
went down. The deadlock was broken
again ana again only to be renewed with
the same stress OF terror. Slowly the
solid mass filling the stairway from wall
TO ceiling, slid dow to the ground floor.
Cries and groans were smothered. When
all had been cleared out, four women
Jay dead on the stairs and nine more or
less badly injured. These were sent TO
the GOuveneur Hospital
Some one threw the candle that had
caused all the trouble out Of the window
upstairs, aud put an end 70 the fire.
OF tue four dead taken 70 the station
house, three were identified. They are:
Freda Becker, A years old, Russian
OF IS Ludlow street.
Naomi Rosenthal, 30 years old, OF IT'S
Ludlow street, married.
Truebe Boyum, aged so Of $50 For
syth street.
The fourth body is that of q woman
about GO years Of age.