The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1896-06-05
over uue Thousand Dead.


resulting in the loss of between 1000 |
and 3. 500 lives, occurred here to-day.
The popular fete of the coronation cere-
monies was held to-day on the Hodyn
sky Plain, opposite the Petroffsky palace,
persons attended.
For days the city has been full of peas
ants from many parts of the country,
all awaiting the free feast that was given
to-day. Many of he peasants had
walked long distances in order to be
present, while others. more fortunate,
had arrived in the city in vehicles of ev-
cry description. Expectation had reach
ed the highest point, for it was known
that to-day's fetes would excel anything
of the kind ever given in connection
with the coronation of the czars.
Long before day light the crowds began
pouring in the direction of the plain,
while at an early hour all sorts of merry
making was INDUCED in The scene
was one long to be remembered. Great
booths had been constructed on the
plain and from them were distributed
free food, free beer, and mugs as souve-
Mrs of the occasion. This free feast,
which has always been the popular fea-
ture of coronations. has hitherto been
the occasion of a great deal of crowding
and good-natured fighting for places on
the part of the hundreds of thousands f
guests of the city, but no such gather
ing was ever witnessed on the Hodyns-
ky plain, which has always been the
scene of the popular entertainments at
! tending coronations, as that which as
sembled to-day.
Everything went smoothly until the
distribution of the food and gifts began.
Then the people in the rear began to
crowd forward, but the police and SOL
| diers checked them and for a short time
there was comparative order.
Soon, however, the crowd in the rear
again became impatient, and surged for
ward despite every effort to hold them
back. Barriers had been erected in The
/ vicinity of the booths to prevent eIces-
| sive crowdiug, and under ordinary cir
| cumstances there would have been suffi-
l cient for the purpose. The people in
/ front were swept against the barriers.
| where the enormous weight of the surg
/ ing mass IN the rear was thrown direct
l ly against them.
Mad with pain and fright, the people
who were crushed against the barriers
struggled to get away, but their attempts
were fruilless. Their shrieks were heard.
and this had the effect of further incit-
/ ing those in the rear To rush forward.
l Suddenly the barriers gave way, and
| with a rush the immense throng swept
| forward. Hundreds of men. women
and children were thrown down, and to
/ stumble and to fall meant death or seri-
Gus injury, for no power could check the
/ crowd, many of whom were in a condi-
/ ton of panic.
! The authorities were helpless, and for
| time the scene baffied description.
/ Many persons were killed by being
crushed against the barriers before they
! gave way, and a great number met their
deaths by being trampled upon. The
cries and shrieks of the injured could be
heard above the tumult of the crowd,
and the effect was heart-rending.
Additional troops were called upon to
assist in quieting and dispensing the peo-
pie. This they finally succeeded in do
ing, when every effort was made to sue
cur the injured. Cossacks were placed
at the entrance of the 500 booths on the
plain, and into these structures were
carried the bodies of the dead. The rep
resentative of the United Press, who
was an eye witness of the whole affair,
saw heaps of bodies in the booths.
Many wild estimates were at first made
as to the number of persons who had
lost their lives. 1t was impossible fol
for some time to obtain any official in.
formation rs to the number, but early
this evening it was learned that the loss
of life will exceed l 100. Some reports
place the number of dead as high as
$500.
While the crush was most intense,
and the curses, shrieks and howls OF
pain were at their height, an unknown
woman was delivered of a child on the
field. No attention was paid to them by
the maddened crowd, and the mother
and the infant were tramped to death.
Every facility was given for the iden-
tifcation of the dead, but in most case:
it was impossible to recognize them, SC
badly were they crushed and disfgured