Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1896-06-04
DEATH AT A BANQUET.
Thousand Persons Killed at the
Moscow FeteS.
Crush Of Peasants to get at Tables Causes
an Awful Panic.

London, June 1.-The pomp and pag-
entry of the coronation festivities at
Moscow have been followed by a harvest
of death.
Early Saturday morning, while thou
sands were assembled on the plain of
Khodijnskoje to partake of Il free din
ner. the crush of the people resulted in
Il terrible panic. and last night the
morgues. hospitals and churches in the
old Muscovite capital We're filled with
dead and dying.
Latest reports from the scene of the
awful calamity give the number of the
killed as 1913. At least ten times that
number We're wounded more or less Sc
yerely, and the deaths yet to result can
not be estimated.
In anticipation of the grand holiday
and popular banquet Oh the Hodynsky
plain. tens of thousands of people began
trooping toward the Petroysky palace,
in front of which the plain is situated,
during the earliest hours this morning.
In fact SO much interest was taken in
the open air banquet that thousands
reached the ground last evening and
camped there or in the immediate yicini-
ty during the night in order to make sure
of obtaining good positions today. The
majority of these people came on foot
but some came in the oldest kind of We
hlcles, country carts and turnouts of the
most primitive description, and Others
Travelled on horseback On the Hobby
sky or Khodijnsloje plain lit is written
both ways) long lines of rough tables,
thanked by rOugher benches, had been
erected.
Long Rows of Tables.
In the distance those lines of tables
looked like immovable regiments of sol
diers on the trenches of some extensive
series of Notifications. 1t was at first
arranged to accommodate 100000 people,
but in view of the immense crowds as
sembed in and about this city for the
coronation fetes extra tables and benches
were hastily erected and every effort
was made to provide seating room and Il
hearty meal for all who came. Twice
that number was DESTROYS of taking part
in the feast. but the authorities decided
that there must be Il limit to the number
to be entertained and SO the figure was
fixed at 100000. To feed this multitude
an army of cooks and walters was gath
cred together, the army bakehOuscS were
taxed to their utmost capacity and 800
coo mugs, each bearing portraits Of the
Gar and Czarina, were ordered and
manufactured for presentation to the
people taking part in the great banquet.
Thousands of cattle, tranloads of pro-
visions and shiploads of liquid refresh
nents were sent to the Hodnysly plain
during the week, and this morning all
was III readiness for the gigantic meal.
IN anticipation of the assembling of
an immense crowd and the possibility of
disorder, strong forces of police were
detailed for duty on the plains. which
like the Petrovsky palace it fronts. is
some three miles outside of this city and
on the road to st. Petersburg.
In addition several detachments of in
fantry and cavalry We're stationed in the
vicinity in order to support the police,
should such step be necessary.
Make a Rush for the Tables.
BY dawn today the mass of peasants
about the tables was really enormous
and they were all desperately hungry,
some of them having tasted by choice or
necessity for nearly twenty-four hours.
The police did everything to keep back
the crowd but suddenly the masses,
controlled by some inexplicable impulse
or impatient to get at the food pressed
forward. swept everything before them
and overturned tables and benches as if
made of grass, trampling hundreds under
foot and crushing the life out of Il great
number of people.
The oldest, weak naturally. suffered
the most. and one poor woman who gave
birth to child during the excitement
was trampled to death. The fate of the
infant is not definitely known. but it is
believed to have shared the fate of it's
mother. The exact number of people
killed is diSO not aSceFtdIueU as InlS UlS-
patch is sent. for the police and military
eventually succeeded in restoring order.
carted away the dead and injured and
preparations We're made to proceed with
the banquet as if nothing unusual had
happened.
The Gar and CZarina, when informed
of the disaster. were much distressed
and sent additional physicians to the
scene to care for the injured and Issued
instructions that a>fefii report of the
esagedy is to be made in order that the
dlssessed families may be relieved
Asthis iSthe first serious accdent<re.
ported SiLlAe the festivities commenceH
II mas atractcd much attention and has
cast qui'S gloom over the city.
Daned Amid Scenes of Death.
SATURDAY evening. after receiving depu-
tatlons, I'M Gar and Czarna attendc.'
ana dances at the brilliant ball at tt
Irencn embassy. 1t is asserted IT.
$to'o0U WaN expended on the supl>
aiol,e. oelcloS fruits and vegetables be-
ing nrouSht Inn the most distant clinics
70 add 70 the Weights of the feast. while
Erarce furnisl4d the costliest and most
elegant fabrics pd furniture to set off
the beauties or Me palace. where the
embassy Is lodged. The Czarina was not
informed OF the disaster owing to her
While the dance NNAa mid al tho
aecompaniments of nNN ,dS.aa,asolate
friends and relatives wa 6as W AAA<le
| looj<f'S, WIS., in vain, TON 'heir NSa
! fSunday a requiem mass Mas ..
! .Gaapel of the Kremln. at which Tht
!. and Czarina and all the members on
imperial family attended. ~