Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-06-05
Women and Children the Great
est Sufferers.
FATAL CRUSH AT A FEAST.
The Gar Had Prepared Pubic
Feast, Which a Half Million Peo-
nIe Attended-Beer Mugs We're
Given Away as Sou snirs or the
Occasion.

rhe closing days OF the coronation festivi-
nes ot Moscow have been marred by a dis
tressing calamity which has cost over 2,OOO
lives and has thrown the whoio city into
gloom. The popular fetc Of tn cremation
economics was hcli on the khOdynskl
Plain ,,,oolte the Petrofsky Palace, and it
IS estimated that fully 100000 persons at
tended. For days past the city has been
iul Of peasants from many parts Of the
country. all awaiting the free feast, and eX-
pectation had reached the highest point, for
it was known that the fetes would excel
anything Of the kind ever given in connec-
ton with the coronation Of the Czars.
Lcng before daylight the crowds began
pouring in tho direction Of the pain, whilo
at an early hour all sorts Of mcrrymaking
were indulged in. Great booths had been
constructed on the plain, and from them
were distributed free food, free boer and
also mugs az souvenirs Of the occasion This
free fcast, which has always been the popu-
lar features Of coronGtions has hi, herto been
the occasion of good deal Of crowdinS and
good-na,ured nghting for places on the part
Of the hundreds Of thousands OF guests OF
the city. but no such gathering was eyer
witnessed on the Khodynsd Plain, which
has always been tho scene OF The 39i3g!atF-
entertainments atte e1ding coronations.
HOW THE CALAMITY OCCURRED.
Everything progressed smoothly until the
distribution Of the food and gifts began.
Then the people in the rear began to crowd
forward Tut the police and soldiers checked
them and for short time there was COM
paIatiyc order. Soon. however. the crowd
IN the rear again became impatient and
surGed forward. despite oyery effort to hold
them back. Barriers had been erected in
tho vicinity Of the booths TO prevent cxces-
siyc croYding, and under ordinary circum-
stances these would have been sufficient for
the purpose The people in front we're
swept against the barriers, whore the cnor\l
nous weight of the surgng mass ia the
was thrown directly against theU
with pain anil fright the people
crushed against the barriers s1Iff0g.5ls1 ~ 3 :
away, but their attempts wero friitless.
One story is that few souvenirs were
thrown from one Of the wagons carrying
them to the booths. and this started the
scramble, which soon'resulted in paui,
Suddenly the barriers gave way and with
rush the immense lhrong swept forward.
Hundreds OF men. women and children weNe
thrown down, and to stGube and fall me'N
death or serious injury, for no power cot
check the croTl, many of whsm were ina
condition Of panic
The authorities were helpless and fora time
the scene ballisl description. Many persons
were killed by being crushed AGAINST the bar
riers before they gave way and q great num-
Der met their death by being trampled upon.
The cries and shr.eks Of the inj Ired con "a Do
heard above the tumult Of the clowd, and
the effect was heartrendiDg.
TROOPS TO THE RESCUE.
Additional troops were called upon to a3-
sist in quieting and dispensing the people.
This they finally succeeded in doing. when
every effort was male 10 succor the Injured
Cossaeks were placed at the entrance OF the
500 booths on the plain, and into these struc-
lures were carried the bodies Of the Aesl, 4
While the crush was most intense and the
curses. shleks and howls Of pain were at
their height, an unknown woman was drliy-
cred of a child on the field. No attention
was paid to them by the maddened crowd,
and the mother and the infant were tramped
to death.
Every facility was given for the identiil'e-
tion Of the dead, but in most cases it was in
possible to recognize them, 50 badly were
they crushed and disGgured. 1t Is highly
probable that many Of the victims who came
from a distance will never be Identified.
These bodies will be inferred by the govern
ment In fact. it IS believed that most Of
those who were killed were moujiks from
the provinces. All the victims belong to the
poorest class Of the population.
The disaster has cast gloom over the fes,
tiyi,ies these being the first fatalities that
have occurred during tho cornaton cere-
monies The Car and Czlrina. when in
formed Of tie extent Of the disaster. express
ed profound sorrow. and the Gar gave or
ders that everything should be done 10 ale
yiate the suffering Of the injured.
The calamity WAS not due to any lack Of
precaution on the part Of the authorities,
bat arose entirely from the eagcrness Of the
people to caioy the hospitality Of the Gar
THE DEAD AND INJURED
It is now said that the fatalities will
amount to between two and three thousand
but it Is impossible yet to ascertain ae'u
rately the extent Of the disaster. An o0i,ll
statement places the number Of deal recoy
cred at 1886 and the seriously or fatally in-
jured at 2S6. But, in contrast with this oll-
ciaI statement. there are l.2S2 corpscs lying
at the cemetery besides the many ndrel
deal AMI injured that are known 10 have
been removed from tie ill-fated Geld by
frienis.
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