Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1896-06-05
TRAMPLED TO DEATH
AN APPALLING DISASTER At THE
czARs CORONATION

The List Of Dead May Reach Three Thou
sand-PltifuI Scenes Tn Connection with
Rescue Of the Injured and Removal Of
the Dead.
Moscow. June 1.-The disaster on the
Hodynsky plain, caused by panic among
the vast crowd in attendance at the free
feast given by the ozar, is constantly gain
ing In proportions as the Investigations
by the authorities continue. These are
made under difficulties, as the recovery Of
the victims was conducted by hundreds Of
volunteers. and many were carried away
before they we're enumerated. Many ad-
ditional deaths Of the injured who we're
carried away are occurring, which are only
added to the enumeration after some time
1t is now said that the fatalities will
amount to between 1000 and 5000. but
1t is impossible to ascertain accurately
the extent Of the disaster. An official
statement places the rrmber Of dead re-
covered at 1885 and the seriously or ia
tally injured at 2s6. Bum contrast with
this official statement y here are 1 ,262
corpses lying at the cemetery, "A des the
many dead and dying that are Siown TO
have been removed from the Ill fated field
by friends.
Mass For the Dead.
A requiem mass was said on Sunday In
a ohapel Of the Kremlln, at which the ozar
and czarina and all the members Of the
| imperial family attended.
The city is filled with grief stricken
crowds. 1t is a striking evidence Of the
vast multitude who took part in the fetes
that there were large numbers who were
totally unaware of the number of lives
among them that had been crushed out
| and who proceeded with their merry max
ing throughout the day without having
| grasped the fearful proportions Of the dis
| aster.
Thousands of persons are orowding to
the Hodynsky plain searching for rela-
tives and friends The work Of identifca-
! tion is most difficult, both on aooount Of
the large number Of victims and the tram
| pied, torn and mutilated condition Of
many Of the corpses, some Of which ere
crushed quite beyond the possibility Of
recognition and almost beyond semblanoe
to humanity. The majority Of killed were
persons from outlying villages, though
the clothing Of some indicated that they
were persons Of wealth and distinction.
The bodies of a number Of women clad in
silks and fine linen were among those
found.
The full force Of polioe and flremen are
caring for the dead, pulling bodies from
heaps of the killed and injured and rang
ing them on the ground, which 10 covered
for hundreds Of yards with groups Of 10
and go begrimed, bloodstained and disfg-
ured corpses, among which the agonised
friends OF the missing wander in painful
effort to identify them. The injured who
were mixed with the dad suffered terribly
from thirst and the fever caused by theiI
i unattended injuries.
The forces at work on the plain disoov-
cred the mouth OF disused well in the
middle Of the field. the plank covering Of
which had given way in the mad rush oi
yesterday morning. In the well there
were 80 dead bodies, and wedRed in among
them and held down by their weight were
found two men alive and comparatively
uninjured physically. But the terror and
the hideous surroundings Of the night had
proved too great a strain on their minds
and they were ravinR maniaos.
Origin Of the Disaster.
Various versions as to the origin OF tn,
stampede and crush are current, but tn,
one to which most credenoe Is attached is *
the effect that the wagons laden with th'
OOO,uOO bOuNbnAfb WulOu Woro W 10 uls
tributed among the people were proceed
ing to the Hodynsky plain, followed by I
multitude of eager peasants, when the at
tendants, with view to pleasing the peo
Pile, threw q number of the souvenir
among the crowd. There was a wilC
scramble toward the point where the,
fell.
The news spread like wildfire mp anC
down the throngs OF expectant PEASANT
that the distribution had commenced
This resulted In q headlong, pellmell rusl
for the booths where the distribution O
souvenirs was to have been made later
The arrangements which 10 was intende,
to make TO keep the crowds in order dur
Ing the distribution had not been oom
pleted at that early hour, and the foro
on hand was powerless to stem the tide O
the on rush Of humanity.
What added greatly 20 the gravity of Ah
disaster was the circumstance that thes
booths were surrounded by ditches. Tn
foremost persons In the onooming GROW,
fell prostrAte IN these bitches, and the pee
pie following speedily trampled them b
death. Others stumbled over their bodie
and met the same fate And so the horro
grew. The pressure was 80 great upon th
sides of the booths from the struggles Q
the mass of mad humanity that they CAV
way, and hundreds of people were force
into them through the broken walls. On
mounted RendaFme near the booths wa
literally crushed to dsath, tossthsr wit
his rearing and plunging bozsa.
There were no Enalish people no
Americans among the Victims Many q
those who came for the coeonation had a.
ready left the oity, and In any event toui
lists attended the feto only in the afssl
noon, the disaster occurring In the forI
noon. Very few Of ths Victims, 10 ID an
nounoed, belong to the well 10 do ciasssl
Nearly all are mouths - PEASANTS ana
large proportion of the dead are Wome
and children.
The czar and ozarina, altar attsndin
the requiem mass In the chapel OF th
Kremlin, paid visit 70 the injured surviv
Ors in the hospitals, passing from cot
cot and addressing words OF sympsehy an
comfort Both Of the imperial pair weI
deeply affected by the scenes Of suffeFin
they witnessed.
The Sudan Ruler.
! The present ruler Of the Sudan wa
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