Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-25

was about the station, clamoring at the
ticket windows, or trying to get aboard.
Trains of a similar number of coaches,
all crowded to their utmost capacity,
were taken out at intervals of 10 or 20
minutes, until nine had been started
The railway officials estimated that
each coach contained on an average 100
people, so that the ninety carried 5000
persons.
The officials realized at o'clock that
1t would be impossible TO carry the great
crowds which wanted to CO. that it was
ordered that no more tickets be sold.
When the last train pulled out at s o'clock
over 1000 people were at the station
clamoring for tickets. and admission to
the cars.
THE AWFUL CRUSH.
The crush in the cars was fearful.
Standing was almost preferable to sitting,
for those who stood found too convenient
support upon the shoulders, and some
times the heads, of those in the eeats.
Ladies' bonnets, when the trip ended,
locked like a cyclone had gotten in its
work.
There were crowds at every station
but the trains swept by, for they were
already crowded almost beyond endu-
rance. At stations where stops for wa
ter had to be made desperate and some
times successful efforts were made 10
get aboard, much to the disgust OF those
already on for their comfort was very
seriously affected.
At Williamsburg 500 people met the
train which left Richmond at 7:l5. having
aboard the Governors stan the Young
Mems Business Association, members and
members-elect of the Richmond City
Council. and city officials The most de-
termined efforts were made to get ABOARD
and the wild scramble of men and women
was actually dangerous to life and limb.
Several lndiprDng Incidents occurred. no
tably one in which a tall daughter was
successful in getting into chair car,
while her short and stout mother was
left behind. Wild beckonings OF the
daughter from the window, accompanied
by assurances that there was plenty OF
room, and the applications of the mo-
Their to be helped aboard, finally induced
a brakeman to hoist the elder lazy 10
! the step and force her through the
crowd on the platform, from which she
entered the car, TO make the trip on
step-ladder and the oYercoat or a gen,
tleman who had not the courage TO tell
her she was running the only garment
OF the kind he possessed
The streets of Newport News were
crowded like those of metropolis on a
gala day Those who went TO the city
Yesterday could not get seat at
hotel table for love or money. RestaI-
rants soon became 50 full doors had 10
be locked TO prevent more coming IN
and those who did not have lunches had
TO 20 hungry. Many went 10 old Point
with the expectation of dining there bat
conditions were no better than in New
port News, for besides the hotels being
crowded with those who arrived Wednes-
day, many Norfolk people came there
and could get no further, owing TO the
inability of the electric cars and the
Chesapeake and Ohio railway, the latter
running trains at short intervals, TO
carry them.
FIGHT FOR PLACES.
The scenes about the Chesapeake and
Ohio station i'm the afternoon We're with
out precedent. The Richmond people be-
gan TO gather by / o'clock. and at $3.50
when the first return train of ten
coaches came in, it was filled while Ut
was still within several hundred yards
of the station The waiting-rooms. the
wharves at the terminus. the platforms,
the railroad cut for probably 2JO yards
up the track were packed and jammed
with people. fighting for places on the
train. Each train that pulled in was
forced to stop further and further from