Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-06-04
CRUSHED TO DEATH
IN A WILD PANIC
A Terrible Tragedy Attends the
Coronation Programme in
Moscow Saturday.
A MIGHTY RUSH FOR FOOD
Arrangements Made TO Banquet Half a
Million People.
CROWDS WAIT FOR THE FEAST
And Sweep Forward In An
Awful Panic.
MANY PERSONS TRAMPLEO TO DEATH

Moscow, May 30. "A terrible panic,
resulting from the great crush of peo-
ple at the popular feast in honor of the
coronation of the Gear, caused the
trampling to death Of many people, in
GLIDING a woman who was delivered Of
child during the excitement.
In anticipation OF the grand holiday
and popular banquet on the IIodynsli
plain, tens Of thousands of people
began trooping towards the PotrovslSy
Palace, in front of, which the plain il
situated, during the earliest of hours
this morning. In fact, so much inter
est was taken in the open air banquet
that thousands reached tho ground last
evening and camped there or in the
immediate vicinity during tho night,
in order TO make sure of obtaining
good positions to-day.
On the Ilodynski or Khodijnske
plain tit is written both ways) rough
lines Of tables. flanked by roushet
benches, had been erected. In the dis
lance these lines Of tables looked like
immovable regiments Of soldiers or the
trenches of someextensive Notifications.
1t was at first arranged to accommo-
date 100, 600 people, but in view Of the
immense crowds assembled in and
about this city for the coronation feteH,
extra tables aud benches were hastily
erected aud every effort was made to
provide seating room and hearty meal
for 500, 600 people. Twice that num-
her were DESTROYS Of taking part in the
feast, but the authorities decided that
there must be limit to the nlmber
10 be entertained, and 80 the figure was
fixed at $500, 600.
To feed this multitude an army of
cooks and walters was gathered together
and the army bake houses were tested
to their utmost capacity, while 500, 600
mugs, each bearing portraits of the
Gar aud C2arina, were ordered and
man ufactuIed for presentation to the
people taking part in the great ban
quet. Thousands of cattle, train loads
| o. provisions and shiploads Of liquid
refreshments were sent TO the Hodynski
plain during the week and this morn
ing all was in readiness for the gigantic
meal.
In anticipation of tho assembling of
an immense crowd and the possibility
of disorder. strong forces Of police wero
detailed for duty on the plain which
ia some three miles outside Of this city,
and on the road to st. Petersburg. In
addition several detachments of in
fantry and cavalry were stationed in
the vicinity, in order to support the
police, should such a step be necessary.
BY dawn to-day the mass Of peasants
| about tho tables was really enormous
and they were all desperately hungry,
some of them having tasted by choice
or necessary for nearly "a hours The
police did everything possible to keep
back the crowd, but suddenly the
masses, controlled by some inexplicable
impulse or impatient to get at the food,
pressed forward, swent everything be-
fore them and overturned tables and
benches as il made of grass, trampling
hundreds under foot and crushing the
life out of great number of people.
Tho old and weak naturally suffered the
most, and one poor woman, who gave
birth to a child during the excitement,
was tramped to death. The fAto of tho
infant is not definitely known, but il is
believed to have shared the fate of it's
mother. The exact number of people
killed is also not ascertained as this
dispatch is sent, for the police and
military eventually succeeded in restor-
ing order and carting away the dead
and injured, after which preparations
were made 10 proceed with tho banquet
as if nothing unusual had happened.
The Car and Czarina, when in
formed of tho disaster, were much dis
tressed, sent physicians to the scene
and issued instructions that full 70.
port Of the tragedy is 10 he made, in
order that the distressed families NAV
be relieved.