The times., 1899-10-03
IN A WILD STAMPEDE.
Crowds Break Through the Police
Lines to See the Admiral.

Lines To see the Admiral.
Anent the police arrangements for the
/ Dewey reception, little OF any noteworthy
! eharacter can be said. 1t must be stated
in al fairness that those of the Police De-
partnlsFsts who really labored labored well.
Z but in striking contrast to the handful of
( men. comparatively speaking. who bat LED
with the surging crowd was the laxity and
indifference displayed by many OF the po-
licemen- The chief difficulty in handling
( the crowd OF enthusiastic people appeared
to have occurred at the Pennsylvania Rail-
road station, and in the streets IN its i'm
mediate vicinity. Previous to the arrival
OF the special train conveying Admiral
Dewey and his escort the arrangements
were perfect. This was just as the matter
OF handling the crowd had been figured By
Major Sylvester and his aides At that
time. as in the incipiency OF the execution
Of the orders, everything scented perfec-
ton.
The Avenue from the Treasury Depart
ment to the Pennsylvania station and even
/ beyond to the Peace Monument was as
clear as possible. This condition of affairs
continued until Admiral Dewey's carriage
began the journey up Pennsylvania Ave
nue. en- route 10 the White House. AS the
carriage wheeled into the Avenue from
| Sixth Street, by common assent there ap-
! peared TO be an order for a stampede. One
solid mass OF surging, fighting, pushing,
/ crushing, shouting, and defiant humanity
came with a rush up Sixth Street in tie
wake Of the Admiral's carriage, while
another mass of a similar character
| cleared as with single bound the ropes
strung along the sidewalks and supposed
/ TO hold the enthusiasts in submissive
check. Those who were not agile enough
! TO get over the ropes. including many
/ women, crawled under and ALL which
means thousands OF persons, fled contemp-
| tuously by the guardians of the peace in
pursuit of the Admiral. and successfully
resisted all efforts 10 check them.
The scene was one that win long be re-
membered and one that struck dismay TO
the hearts of the several committeeman
who had labored for the prevention of just
such wild pandemonium. The Avenue,
| which had been so successfully cleared
and patroled only short time previous
was in a state of the widest confusion
| The once liberated crowd ran madly up
the broad thoroughfare unimpeded, until
| Ii reached the crossing at Ninth Street,
| where Lieutenant Amiss, Of the First pre-
! cinct with his detail of mounted and foot
police, yafniy attempted to offer resist
ance to the ever increasing throng. The
crowd broke when confronted by Lieuten-
ant Amiss' men, and several persons were
( forced to retrace their steps or get be-
4 hind the curbing lines. These persons,
however, were only small proportion of
the mass. Later, when the crowd crossed
I Fourteenth Street and moved on the re-
I viewing stand il was met by Lieutenant
Daley and his detail. Those persons who
/ succeeded in getting beyond the police
I banked themselves on either side of the
{ street al the corner of Fifteenth Street
and the Avenue. and could not be pushed
onto the overcrowded sidewalks. Those
who failed TO evade the police were banked
on the outer andeinner edges of the broad
+ turn at the foot of the Treasury building,
and there they were source of constant
trouble and annoyance to the police until
the van OF the pageant was almost opposite
! the reviewing stand.
The efforts of the police to properly ham
I die the latter crowd, while at first a mere
endeagor was later eficacious, but only
! after a hard struggle against great odds.
! The different police officials with their de-
! tails served as was originally intended, ap-
pearing at tlleir respective posts of duty
/ al the allotted time and taking charge of
I such men mounted or on foot, as had been
] ordered 10 report. Major Sylvester, with
Lieutenant Kenney, Sergeant Matthews,
/ and sixteen privates. all mounted, took
charge OF the crowd at the railroad station
] and cleared a passageWdy Ior tne commit
tee and the attendants upon the Admiral.
! Later the squad fell in behind the carriage
! Of Admiral Dewey and after coming up
Sixth Street proceeded down the Avenue
TO Second Street, where it acted as an es-
eort TO the parade. II was in the wake of
/ the oscorting squad of policemen ilat Che
/ crowd followed. thus obtaining access TO
The Avenue.
Other police details were as follows: In
| spector Cross, with thirty priyates. took
| charge of the crowd at the railroad sta
ton; Captain Austin. with Sergeant An
derson aRd squad, all mounted, took
charge of the crowd at the Peace Monu-
ment; Lieutenant Swindells, with Ser
geant Harry and squad, all mounted,