Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-06-05
TWO THOUSAND DEAD.
Counting the Victims Of the
Great Moscow Disaster.

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Moscow, June 1.-The disaster on the
Hodynsky plain, caused by a panic a
mong the vast crowd in attendance at
the free feast given by the car, is con-
stantly gaining i'm proportions as the
investigations by the authorities con-
tinue. These are made under difficult
ties, as the recovery Of the victims was
conducted by hundreds of volunteers,
and many were carried away before
they were enumerated. Many addition
al deaths of the injured who were car
ried away are occurring, which are
only added to the enumeration after
sometime,
1t is now said that the fatalities will
amount to between 1000 and 1900, but
it is impossible yet to ascertain accurate
ly the extent OF the disaster. An
official statement places the number of
dead recovered at | 1886 and the seriously
or fatally injured at 2j6. But in con-
trass with this official statement there
are 1882 corpses laying at the cemetery
besides the many dead and dying that
that are known to have beeu removed
from the fated field by friends.
The car and czariana attended and
danced at the brilliant ball at the French
embassy Saturday night. Preparations
had been made on most elaborate scale
for this ball, and it is asserted that $7O.-
600 was expended on the supper alone,
rare viands and delicious fruits and
vegetables being brought from the most
distant climes to add to the delights Of
the feast, while France furnished the
costliest and most elegant fabrics and
furniture to set of the beauties of the
palace where the embassy is lodged.
The czarina was not informed at first
OF the disaster owing to her delicate con-
dtion. While the dance within the
French embassy continued amid all the
Accomplishments Of luxury and gayety,
disconsolate friends and relatives
wandered over the de.olate plain among
the dead and the suffering dying look
ing often in vain, for their missing ones.
ORIGIN OF THE DISASTER.
Various versions as to the origin OF
the stampede and crush are current,
but the one to which most credence is
attached is to the effect that the wagons
laden with the 100000 souvenirs which
were to be distributed among the people !
were proceeding to the Hodynsky plain
followed by multitude OF eager peas F,
ants, when the attendants, with view
to pleasing the people threw a number
OF the souvenirs among the crowd. There /
was a wild scramble toward the point
where they fell.
The news spread like wildire up and |
down the throngs Of expectant peasants !
that the distribution had commenced.
This resulted in a headlong, pcllmell
rush for the booths where the distribu-
ton OF souvenirs was to have been made
later. The arrangements which it was
intended to make to keep the crowds in
order during the distribution had not
been completed at that early hour, and
the force on hand was powerless to stem
the tide OF the on rush OF humanity.
What added greatly to the
gravity Of the disaster was the cir
cumstance that these booths were sur
rounded by bitches. The foremost
persons in the oncoming crowd fell
PROSTATE in these bitches, and the peo-
pie following speedily trampled them
to death. Others stumbled over their
bodies and met the same fate. And so
thu horror grew. The pressure was so
great upon the sides of the booths from
the struggle of the mass Of mad human
ity that they gave way, and hundreds OF
people were forced into them through
the broken walls. One mounted gem
darme near the booths was literally
crushed to death, toge Their with his
rearing and plunging horse.