The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-05-31

that the first official statement Of the disasS
ter was made public, some people claiming
that this done in order to avoid putting
a sudden stop 10 the festivities on the plain.
which might have resulted In a panic and
still more serious loss OF life. Even now thu
people In this city refuse to believe that thS
disaster is nearly great as the officials de-
clare.
bulletin given out about 10 o'clock said
that up to O'Clock this afternoon SS1 bodies
had been recovered and that 47O persons had
been injured But very shortly afterwardsf
at IL O'Clock exactly. an Official notice was
posted saying that the list of dead totaled
up LBS persons, including those who died
from the injuries after having been res
moved from the plain. The car has biven
orders that the sum Of 1000 roubles be given
to each bereaved family and that the vic-
tins be buried at his expense.
The panic which resulted In the loss Of
SO many lives occurred on Hodynski plain.
where great public feast was to be given
as one of the fetes attendant on the corona,
ton. In anticipation OF the grand holiday
and popular banquet
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE q
began trooping toward the Petrovsky palacss'
In front Of which the plain is situated DUR
Ing the earliest hours this morning In fact
so much interest was taken in the open aiE
banquet that thousands reached the grounds
last evening and camped there or in the im-
mediate vicinity during the night, in ordeH
to make sure of obtaining good positions
today. The majority of these people eama
on foot but some came In the oldest kind
OF vehicles. country carts and turnouts oi
the most primitive description, and others
travelled on horseback. On the plain lond
lines OF rough tables fanked by rougheH
benches. had been erected.
In the distance. those lines OF tables looked
ike immoyabie regiments Of soldiers ON the
trenches OF some extensive series of fortifJ
cations. In view of the immense crowds as%
sembled in and about the city for the coronaH
ton fetes. extra tables and benches wera
hastily erected, and every effort was made
to provide seating room and a hearty meal
for 100000 people. Twice that number werd
desirous OF taking part in the feast but the
authorities decided that there must be limit
to the number to be entertained. and so thu
figure was fixed at SOC, 900. To feed this mulyi
titude. an army of cooks and walters wasl
gathered together. the army bake housesl
were taxed to their utmost capacity, and
100000 mugs, each bearing portraits OF the czaS
and czarina were ordered and manufactured
for presentation to the people taking part inl
the great banquet. Thousands OF cattle train.
loads of provisions and ship loads of liquid
refreshments were sent to the Hodynski plaint
uuiiHs tH6 WEEK. anu tnlS morning all was
In readiness for the gigantic meal.
In anticipation Of the assembling of an inn
mense crowd and the possibility of dsorder5
strong forces of police were detailed for duty
on the plain, which. like the Petrovsky palace
1t fronts. is some three miles outside of thisl
city. and on the road to st. Petersburg mi
addition, several detachments of infantry andl
cavalry were stationed in the vicinity in orr
der to support the police, should such a stepl
be necessary.
By dawn today the mass of peasants abouti
the tables was really enormous, and they werel
all deplorably hungry. some Of them having
tasted. by choice or necessity, for nearlyl
twenty-four hours The police present did
everything possible to keep back the erowd,t
but, suddenly, the masses, controlled by some!
inexplicable impulse. or impatient TO get att
the food, pressed forward swept everything;
before them and overturned tables and beneh-d
es as If made Of grass. trampling hundreds
under foot and crushing the life out Of a great
number of them. The Oldest and weak naturS
ally suffered the most.