The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-05-31
MANY WERE CRUSHED
Fatalities Marred the Merrymaklng at The
Coronation Festivities.
MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN 1RAMPLED
The Grent HodynsEi:Piain Whereon
Napoleon Masscd His Troops He
fore Entering tho City of Moscow,
the Scene or the nisnstcr-A M,sss OF
Humanity Fight for Place.

Moscow. May S0.--The popular fe,e OF
rhe Coronation ceremonies at which be-
tween 100000 and 500. 900 y. ople were fed
una indulged In all sorts of merrymak-
ing; was held to-day on tha Hodynski
piain, opposite the PetroTsky Palace.
ana was the scene of the first fatalities
mat nave marked the Coronation festiyi-
ties. This f.Sfs feast have hitherto been
lne occasion of great deal of crowding
ana good natured fightrrg for places on
the part of hundreds of thousands of
quests, but no such gathering was ever
wnnessed on the iodynski plain as that
which ass snbled to-day. The crowds,
Wnich began coming long before day
eager to obtain access TO the f:ee food
and beer and ths, free amusements ,.ha,
theN could not be controlled.
Men, women and children w. re thrown
Town , ana trampied upon and were either
paoly in1ursu or killed. while others had
lheir lives brushed out of ,hsm by the
fearful pressure of the vast crowd The
police and military finally succeeded I'M
scattering tht' multitude so that there
waS no further danger. when N was
,ounu that a number OF persons had
been killed.
The feast was held in the presence, of
tne CZar and distinguished company
oi guests. who occupied seats In large
ratey decorated for the occasion The
great Hodynski plain. whereon Napo-
leon massed his troops bsfore marching
mo ':he city of Moscow. is nanked OF.
me SIDES by the exhibitions buildings
uNa ihe Moscow race course and extends
INDEFINITELY into th' country. upon 1t.
besides the multitude OF people who en-
1oyod the hospitality OF she city In eat
lnE, drl'Ioingland indulg!ng in all sorts
vi games ana Witnessing various p.r-
iolmarces. were encamped n vast amy
or soldiers. consisting of eighty-three
bastalions of infantry, thirty suuadrons
OF cavalry, seven So.tnaa of Cossa elk G
ana fourteen batrsrles of artillery which
me emperor VIII review on June 9TH. the
last day OF the Festivities. The part Of
tne plain devoted To tn, festivities was
directly In FROM OF the Palace. This
Wi;le ss'ass-cove'ed space waa enclosed
WIN Nene,ian masts. hung with bunt
ing. flags and sh!slds. bearing the arms
OF The various c.t!es and PROVINCES Of
fuSSia. anu within We're booths tables
open air THEATRES. merry go rounds. cir
chses' swings. etc, almost innuncrable
surrounding she's were hundreds az
wooden boo.hs flied with food such as
pread. cakes, sluSaEGps. ma; Iics ca
ware. etc, and in eaih booth was an
immei"te cask of NAL; fiquog. or mead,
the food and drink b ing free 10 all who
chose to come and pamakc of it,
throughout the night there was con
slant stream of people making their way
10 the plain in ord'r no be In the fore
'front.' when ;hc food and presents should
be ready for distribution. and so dense
mass of humanity as had gathered
there. oven In tn early hOu : of the
morning. was never before Witnessed i'm
Russia. While the crush was mos, in
terse anu she curs. s, shrieks ana howls
Of pain w>Ve at their height, an unkuown
woman was delivered of a child on the
field and ,:he mother and infant were
trampled to death