The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-06-17

About 100000 People Were Gathered to
Receive Their Rulers Bounty---A Re.
sistiess Crowd Swept Forward to the
Boaths---IIen, Women and Children
Trampled Under Foot.
Moscow. Russia. June Ia terrible acct-
dent, resulting in the loss Of a large number
of lives, occurred here Saturday. It was at
the popular fete of the coronation ceremon.
les, held on the Hodynsky Plains, opposite
the Petrovski Palace. and which, 1t Is esti.
mated, fully 500, 900 persons attended.
Many wild estimates were at first made as
10 the number Of persons who had lost their
lives. 1t was impossible for some time to OBJ
tain any official information as to the num-
Der, but at last It was learned that the loss
Of life will exceed 1888.
For days past the city had been full OF
peasants from many parts OF the country. all
,waiting the free teast. Many Of the peas
ants had walked long distances In order to
% present. while others, more fortunate.
aad arrived in the city In vehicles OF evs-y
description.
Great booths had been constructed on the
plain. and from them were distributed free
sood. free beer and also mugs as souvenirs
If the occasion. This free feast, which has
always been the popular feature OF corona
ions, has hitherto been the occasion OF
great deal Of crowding and good natured
lighting for places on the part OF the hun
ireds of thousands OF guests OF the city.
From an early hour the people had begun
10 move in thousands on to the Hodynsky
Plains. The crowd was greater than had
been anticipated, and by 6 O'Clock ugly
iushes began to be made by bodies of work
men coming in from the manufactures. The
pressure grew worse and worse. Presently
women began to utter piercing shrteks and
,ries, and some OF them fell.
Hearing the noise In front, the mob behind
pushed forward all the more eagerly, think.
Ing that those In front were getting all the
good things, for by this time the people had
Broken into the booths and we're looting
them. All at once there was frantic rush,
and the crowd surged forward like IN ir.
resistible and gigantic wave Of human be-
lngs. A correspondent saw man ald his
wife fall screaming together, but almost be.
lore they had uttered sound thirty others
we're piled upon them, while hundreds more
were being hurled upon these blythe massive
force behind.
Shrieks, yells and curses rent the air:
Higher and higher the mass of dead and
dying was piled, and 1t seemed impossible
to do anything to prevent the tragedy from
growing every moment more terrible and
work In trying to rescue the people.
All this happened at point where the
booths formed curve. and into this angle
the seething mass was pushed hopelessly
forward. Here. within a distance OF one
hundred yards, large numbers OF unfortu
mates perished. They formed confused
mass, struggling convulsively for few
moments in the death agonles, but every
where within q radius Of five hundred yard:
people were falling and being crushed te
death. Many more we're livid with fear, moi
q few were bleeding profusely and still more
we're fghing In wild anger with one another
They felt and acted az those who were bat
ling for life. All along the line Of the othel
booths, which extended out southwark fol
three hundred yards, the Victims OF thu
crush were falling with despairing shrieks
While all this was going on those IN front
regardless or ignorant of the dead and dying
pillaged and robbed.
After the crush the ground was strewr
with boots. broken sticks and umbrellas, and
large wagons were still being filled with the
dead, In some cases relatives we're pleading
10 be allowed to accompany the corpses. Ont
man actually allowed himself 20 be shut II
with them. The scene resembled q battle
aeld. Many relatives Of the victims sal
among the dead watling lamentations OF
looking stoically into space, and many sal
thus throughout the night and until the
bodies were removed this morning.
Investigation shows that there have been
about as many women as male victims
Some Of the men were giants In statue; some
were mere youths. The scene at the buria
ground was appalling. The dead were laid
In long rows and hundred OF peasants were
working as thoagh for life, excavating huge
trenches, extending nearly the entire length
Of the churehyard. Hundreds were buried
during the night, but the hillside was still
covered with rough cof1ns. Everywhere
wailing chant which the Russian peasants
sing over the dead. In one spot stood
a biz watering cart. Male and female deaG
were being washed by their relatives there
IN the open field. Around Q long table sa
a score Of clerks writing orders for collins
Hundreds OF bodies, however, are unrsoog
nized and these were placed side by side II
trenches.
The Gear has been greatly moved by the
disaster, the full extent OF which was broker
to him gently by degrees.
His Majesty has ordered thar the sum O.
1000 roubles be paid to each family that ha!
lost member through the catastrophe. II
addition, the State will pay the expenses o
burying the dead, while the physicians al
the hospitals and elsewhere have been in
structed to spare nothing to alleviate the
sufferlngs OF the injured.
Although the official report places the
number Of those killed In the disaster at 1l3S
Il Is highly probable that the exact number
OF victims will never be known. The Vice
Mayor reckons that 1888 persons were KILLED
and 2s6 seriously, perhaps fatally, injured
The official accounts, however, do not In
clude many dead and injured who were re-
hu frfanfe