The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-06-01

Moscow. May s.-The disaster on the
khc1ijnskojs plain yesterday il constant
" gaining in proportion as the investiga-
tion BY the authorities continue These
are made under difficulties. as the re-
coyery OF the victims was conducted By
hundreds OF volunteers and many were
carried away before they were euurer-
rated Many additional deaths of the ;n-
jured who were carried away are occur
ring. 1t fs said nov the fatalities viii
amount TO between two and three thou
sand. but IL II impossible as yet to learn
exactly the extent OF the disaster An
ofncfal statement this morning places the
number of dead recovered ar Las and the
seriously or fatally injured at 2S But.
IN contrast with this official statement
there are &c corpses lying this afternoon
at the cemetery. besides the many dead
and dying that xre known to have been
removed from the Inflated field by frienda.
Last evening. after receiving aspusa-
tfons. the car and cxarina attended and
danced at the brilliant bah at the French
embassy Preparations had been made on
most elaborate scale for this ball and
II Is asserted that so. 90 was expended ON
the supper alone, rare viands and delicious
fruits and vegetables being brought from
the most distant climes to add to the de-
lights OF the feast. while France furnished
the costliest and most elegant fabrics
and furniture to set or the beauties OF
the place where the embassy Is lodged.
The ezarina was not informed yesterday Of
the disaster. owing TO her delicate con-
dition- While the dance in the French en-
bassy continued amid all the aecompari-
rnenfs OF luxury and gayety, disconso.ate
friends and relatives wandered over the
desolafe plain among the dead, the suf-
fering and the dying. looking. often In
vain. for their missing.
To-day . requiem mass was said In q
chapel OF the kremliR, which the car
and czarina and all the members of tho
imperial family attended The city Is
filed to-day with grief-stricken crowds.
1t Is . striking evidence of the vast null
titude who took part in yesterdays fetes
that there were large numbers who were
totally unaware OF the number OF lives
that had been crushed out among them.
and who proceeded with their merry
making throughout the day without having
grasped the fearful proportions OF the
disaster. Up to a late hour at night peo-
pie refused to believe there could have
been 50 many lives lost. But to-day thou
sands OF persons are crowding to kho-
dijnskoje plain. asking for friends and
relatives.
The work OF Identification is most din
of victims and the trampied. torn and
mutilated condition OF many of the
corpses, some of which are crushed quite
beyond the possibility Of recognition and
almost beyond sembiance to haussnity.
The majority Of the killed were peasants
from outlying places. though the clothing
of some indicated that they were persons
OF wealth and distinction. The bodies OF
number Of women clad In silks and fine
1frar
strangeness to the surroundings of many
| of the survivors who are seeking for
missing ones adds much to the confusion
and difiiculty OF Identification.
All day yesterday the fall force OF
police and firemen worked among the
dead. pulling bodies from heaps of the
killed and injured and ranging them on
the ground, which was covered for hun
| dresis of yards with groups of ten and
twenty begrimed and disfigired corpses.
among which the agonized friends of the
missing wandered in a painful effort TO
Identify them. The injured who were
mixed with the dead suffered terribly.
The work of carrying the bodies to the
cemetery. where it is Intended to inter
those who fail of Identification. continued
| all night and day. This morning the forces
| at work on the plain discovered the mouth
of a disused well In the middle of the
| field. the plank covering of which had
given away in the mad rush of yesterday
morning. In the well there were thirty
| dead bodies and weiged IN among them
| and held down by their weight were found
two men alive and evidently uninjured
| physically. But the terror and the hideous
| surroundings Of the night had proved too
| great a strain on their minds ard they
! were raving rnaniacs.
| There are many Incidents OF special
| pathos. one case being that OF party OF
fisty-fva humble peasants who had come
together from a single village for the mer-
rymaking at the czar's feast OF this
party ffty-three were killed
I Various versions as TO the origin o. the
| stampede and crush are current. but the
!, account to which the most credence Is at
| fached il that the wagons laden with the
| 5000 souvenirs which were TO be dsstrib-
uted among the people were proceeding to
| the Khodi jnskoie plain. followed by a
! multitude OF eager peasants. WREN the at
/ fendan.s, with a view to pleasing the peo-
! pie threw number OF the souvenirs
among the crowd There was a wild
scramble towards the point where they
fell and the news spread like wsiGfire Up
and down the thronxs OF expectant peas
ants that the distribution had commenced.
This resulted In a headlorg. pellmen rush
for the booths where the distribution OF
tAe scuven Mrs was 70 have been made later.
The arrangements which 10 was Intended
10 make TO keep the crowd in order DIR
ing the distribution had not been COM
ristea at that early hour and the force on
/ hand was powerless 20 stem the tide of
/ the crush OF humanity.
What added greatly 20 the disaster was
/ the fac; ;ha; these booths were surround
t ed by iitrhes The foremost persons in the
{ incoming crowds fen PROSTATE IN these
I d.tches and ths people following them
speedily trampled them TO death. Others
stumbled over their bodies and met the
same fate And 40 TIE horror grew TIE
pressure was 50 great upsn the sides OF
/ the booths from The struggles os the mass
/ of mad humanity that they gave 1sy ard
/ hundreds OF people were forced into them
/ through the broken walls One mounted
s%ndarrse near the booths was literally
| crushed TO death, together with his rear
inE and piunging horse
There were no English people nor Amer
I leans among the victims Many % tsaae
who came for the coronation had already
left the city and. IN any event. tourists
attended the sete only in the afternoon.
Very few os the victims. 1t is announced.
balorE 70 re weii-so-de classes. Nearly
al are rrou3iks. or reasanfs. and q large
proportion Of the dead are women and
! children
The car ard czariaa today. after at
/ s@aGing the requiem mass IN the chapel cs
/ the K-ernlin, paid a visit % the inf1rss.
I Survivors In the hospitals. passing from,
/ cot % cot and addressing words Of syn-
( vasnw and comfort Both OF the imperial
] rsair we-s 5sepiy affected by the scenes OF
/ suffering they Witnessed
A sss11ciai inquiry has 5ssn opened tnsa
/ the causes Of the disaster and an effort
VII be mate % fax the responsibility.