Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1896-06-04
MAD RUSH FOR FOOD
HUNDREDS OF RUSSIANS TRAM
PIED TO DEATH.

Moscow, June "A terrible panic,
resulting from the great crush of peo-
pie at the popular feast here today, in
honor of the coronation of the czar,
caused the trampling to death of many
people, Including woman delivered
of child during the excitement. 1t is
estimated that over /, 100 persons per-
ished.
In anticipation of grand holiday
and popular banquet ON Hodynsky
plain, tens of thousands of people be-
gan trooping toward Petrovosly pal
ace, in front of which the plain is stu
ated, this morning. In fact, thousands
reached the grounds last evening and
camped there, or in the immediate
vicinity, in order to make sure of OBJ
tanning good positions today. On the
plains long lines of rough tables, flank
ed by rougher benches, had been erect
ed 1t was first arranged to accom-.
modate 100000 people, but in view of
the immense crowds assembled in and
about the city at the coronation fetes,
extra tables and benches were erected
and every effort made to provide meals
for 100000 people. To feed the null
tltude an army of cooks and walters
were gathered together, the army bake
houses were taxed to the utmost and
500, 600 mugs, each bearing portraits
of the czar and czarina, were ordered
for presentation to the people taking
part i'll the banquet. Thousands of
cattle, trainloads of provisions and
shiploads of liquid refreshments were
sent to the plain, and this morning all
was in readiness for the gigantic event.
By dawn today the mass of peasants
about the tables was really enormous,
and all were desperately hungry, some
having tasted for nearly twenty-four
hours. The police did everything pos
sible to keep back the crowd, but sud.
denly the masses pressed forward and
swept everything before them. They
overturned benches and tables, trampl.
ing hundreds under foot and crushing
the life out of great number.
Among the dead found on the plain
were ladies evidently of high rank,
dressed in the finest silks and adorned
with jewels.
The police barracks to which the
bodies of the dead were taken by the
authorities are besieged by persol 9
seeking news of friends and relatives.
The scene at the barracks is terrible
i'll the extreme. The remains of the
dead will be conveyed to the cemetery,
where large morgue is located.
The disaster, as now explained, was
due mainly to the absence of the po-
lice, who had not arrived at so early
an hour. Fully 200, 900 persons of all
grades of society had gathered together
on the plain at the time the disaster oc.
CURED Only about 1000 attendants
were in charge, and they seemed un-
able to control the mob. Hoping to
lessen the pressure of the assembled
hundreds of thousands, all moving to-
ward common center. they tossed the
packages and presents into the midst of
the crowd. This seemingly precipitat-
ed the panic, since scramble to obtain
the gifts enused, and the hollow piece
VI 6iouhu hCdI tuo CtuItr lOTuGu
death trap for thousands.
The buildings ON all sides of the
plain. where Napoleon once concentrat.
ed his troops after moving upon the
city, are in many cases being used as
temporary hospitals, and the soldiers
have been rendering great service in
removing the dead.
Further time must elapse before ac-
curate figures as to the number actually
killed and the number of persons who
are victims of the disaster, but who are
only suffering from injuries, can be
ascertained.
The disaster occurred between 5 and
6 o'clock this morning. 1t was in
tended the banquet should commence
before noon. but the immense throng
that gathered became 80 dense that the
attendants were overpowered and
thrown to the ground in the mad strug-
gle which commenced for food, and
many of the attendants are among the
dead
n n