The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-06-01
|PA|N AND DEATH
Eleven Hundred Killed at the
Coronation Of the Gar
Of Russia.
HODYNSKY PLAIN TRAGEDY
Mon, Women and Childr3n Perish
Before the Cars EyeS--Ona
Thousand Rubles to Be Paid to
Each BeraaVd Family.

Moscow, May 31.--A terrible accident,
resulting in the loss of between LOO
and $500 lives, occurred here yester-
day. The popular fete of the coronation
ceremonies was held today on the Hod-
ynsky Plain. opposite the Petrofsky
palace. and it Is estimated that fully
100000 persons attended.
For days the city has been full of
peasants from many parts of the coun-
try, all awaiting the free feast that was
given today Many of the peasants
had walked long distances in order to
be present. while Others, more fortunate
had arrived in the city in vehicles OF
every description. Expectation had
reached the highest point, for 1t was
known that today's fetes would eAcel
anything of the kind ever given in con-
nection with the coronation of the czors.
Long before daylight the crowds be-
gan pouring in the direction of the
plain, while at an early hour all sorts
of merrymaking was indulEed in. The
scene was one to be long remembered.
Great booths had been constructed on
the plain and from them were distrib-
utcd free food. free beeer, and also
mugs as souvenirs Of the occasion.
This free feast, which has always been
the popular feature of coronations, has
hitherto been the occasion OF a great
deal of crowding and 2ood-natured
fighting for places on the part OF the
hundreds of thousands of guests OF the
city, but no such gathering was ever
witnessed on the llodynsky Plain,
which has always been the scene of the
popular entertainments attending cor
onations, as that which assembled to-
day.
Everything went smoothly until the
a twill ;h,,ti OF 1n food "a N.
Then the people in the rear began to
crowd forward. but the police and sol
diers checked them, and for short
tinle there was conn arative order.
CROWD SURGES FORWARD.
Soon. however, the crowd IN the rea,
again became impatient. and surSed
forward despite every effort to hold
them back. Barriers had been erected
in the vicinity of the booths to pre-
vent excessive crowding, and, under
ordinary circumstances. these woulo
have been sufficient for the purpose
The people in front We're swept against
the barriers, where the enormous
weight Of the surging mass in the real
was thrown directly against them.
Mad with pain and fright, the peo'
people who were crushed against the
barriers struggled to get away, but
their attempts were fruitless. Thei!
shrieks were heard, and this had the
effect of further melting those in thu
rear to rush forward Suddenly the
barriers gave way. and with a rush the
immense throng swept forward. Hun
dreds of men, women and children wer'
thrown down, and to stumble and fal
meant death or serious injury. for M
power could check the crowd, many o.
whom were in a condition of panic.
The authorities We're helpless, and fol
a time the scene bafiled description
Many persons were killed by being
crushed against the barriers before the!
gave way, and a great many met thei
their deaths by being trampled upon
The cries and shrieks of the injured
could be heard above the tumult Of tn,
crowd, and the effect was heart-rend
ing.
TROOPS OUELL THE PANIC.
Additional troops were called upon T.
assist in uuieting and dispensing tn
doing, when every effort was made t,
succor the injured. Cossacks wer
placed at the entrances of the 900 booth
on the plain. and into these structure
were carried the bodies Of the dead.
A large number of the dead were car
ried away in anibulances and on fir,
trucks, but many bodies are still in th'
| booths. IT Is highly probable tina
many Of the victims who came from
a distance will never be identified
These bodies will be inferred by th
government. In fact, 1t Is believed
| that most Of those who were killet
were Moujiks from the provinces. AL
| the victims belonged to the poores
class of the population.
The number of injured is large, ant
1t is though that many Of them viii
| die. In some cases men had thei
arms, legs and ribs broken, and sew
eral had their skulls fractured by tn
heavy wooden shoes of the peasants
The authorities and members of tn
Russian Red Cross society are taking
the best of care Of the injured. Th
disaster has cast gloom over the fes
| tivities, these being the first fatalitie
that has occurred during the corona
| tion ceremonies.
The czar and czarina. when informe
of the extent of the disaster. expresse,
| profound sorrow. and the czar gave or
ders that everything should be done t
alleviate the sufferings Of the injured
His majesty has taken a practice
way Of showing his sympathy wit
| those families who lost member In tn
calamity. He has ordered that tn
sum of 1000 rubles be paid to each be
reaved family.
The calamity was not due to any lac
| Of precaution on the part of the au
thorities, but arose entirely from tn
eagerness Of the people to enjoy tn
hospitality Of the czar.
EFFORTS AT IDENTIFICATION.
The officials made every effort an
offered every facility for the identif
cation Of the dead. but the bodies 1
hundreds Of instances are utterly un
recognizable. the faces having been lii
orally crushed out OF all semblance (
humanity. A careful search Is mad
of each body for papers to establish II
identity and record Is made of tn
clothing ON each corpse for the sam
purpose. 1t was officially announce
this morning that the total number {
victims was 1.138. Most of them wei
Moujiks from the provinces, a. poe
class Of people, but among the numbe
were many of the poverty stricken res
idents Of Moscow and villages In tn
neighborhood of the city. The fete wa
play for the benefit OF this class OF tn
population, and the middle class gel
! rcnrt'npet ~ Pare 4,
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