Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20
SEVENTY-E|GHT KILLED
Terrible Panic at Negro Bap-
fist Church
IN BIRMINGHAM, ALA.
A FIGHT STARTS AN ALARM OF
FIRE.
Most Of the Victims Suffocated or
Trampled to Death at
Entrance.

morning says:
In an awful crush of humanity, caused
by a stampede in the Shiloh Colored Bap-
fist Church Avenue and 18th street, to-
night seventy-eight persons were killed
and as many more seriously Injured.
The disaster occurred at 9 o'clock, just as
Booker T. Washington had concluded his
address to the national convention OF Bap-
lists, and for three hours the scenes around
the church were indescribable. Dead bodies
were strewn in every direction, and the am
bulance service of the city was utterly IN
capacitated to move them until after 1
o'clock am. The injured were first at
tended to, and dozens of dead bodies were
arranged in rows on the ground OUTSIDE
the house Of worship, awaiting removal to
the various undertaking establishments,
while more than a score were laid out on
the benches inside.
The church is the largest house of wor-
ship for negroes in Birmingham, ana the
pastor says there were at least 100 per-
sons in the edifice when the stampede De-
gan. Instructions had been issued TO allow
no one else to enter after the bulldlns hau
been filled but the negroes forced their way
inside the church and were standing in
every aisle, the entrance being literally
packed.
Booker Washington Present.
Just as Booker Washington concluded
his address Judge Billou, negro lawyer
from Baltimore engaged in an alteration
with the choir leader concerning an unoc-
cupied seat, and 1t is said a blow was
struck Some one in the choir crleo'
They're fighting" Mistaking the word
"fghting" for fire" the congregation
rose en- masse and started Tor the ooor: 49,,
One of the ministers quickly mounted the
rostrum and admonished the people to- Keep
quiet. He repeated the word quiet sew
eral times, and motioned to his hearers 10
be seated. Again the excited congregation
mfstook the word quiet for a second
alarm of fire and rushed for the door. Men
and women crawled over oehcnss IN, anu
fought their way into the aisles, ana tnose
who had fallen were trampled upon ike
cattle. - .ha
The ministers tried again to stop the
stampede but no power on eartn couLu stay
the struggling fighting mass OF hun'a9 N.Y.
The screams of women and chloreh aoueu
to the horror Of the scene, ana throusn
mere fright many persons tainted, ana as
they fell to the floor were crushed TO oeatn.
The level of the floor is about hltsen Sc
from the ground and long steps lead TO tne
sidewalk from the lobby, just opposite the
main auditorium. Brick walls extend on
each side Of these steps for Six OF seven
feet, and this proved Vertaoie oea ~ up
Negroes who had reached the top OF the
steps were pushed violently forward ana
many fell Before they could move others
fell upon them, and in a few moments per
sons were piled upon each oliei " e
of ten feet. ,z
This wall Of struggling humanity blocked
the entrance and the weight OF Low per
sons was pushed against It, More tnah
twenty persons lying on the steps u seea
meath the heap Of bodies died from suHoca-
ton.
Two white men, who were In the rear OIL
the church when the rush began, escaped
and realizing the seriousness of the sltua-
ton. rushed to corner near by, and turned
in a fire alarm. The department answered
quickly, and the arrival of the wagons
served to scatter the crowd which had gath
cred around the front of the church.
A SQUAD of police was fastened to the
church, and with the firemen finally sue
ceeded In relieving the negroes from their
pinioned position in the entrance.
The dead bodies were quickly moved, and
the crowd inside, finding an outlet, came
mourning out Scores of them lost their foot
ing and rolled down the long steps TO the
pavement, sustaining broken LIMBS ana IN
ternal injuries In an hour the church hdu
been practically cleared, and the sight
which greeted those who had come to aid
the injured was sickenlng. Down tne aisles
and along the outside Of the pews the dead
bodies Of men and women were streWn, ana
the cries of the MANNED and crippled were
heartrendng. In a few minutes the work
of removing the DOQleS was pcSui, oiio eiio
walls of the relatives of the dead who had
waited on the outside could be heard for
severa! blocks.
The Shiloh Church Is located just in the
edge of the South Highlands, the faShiona-
BILE residence section Of this city, and all
the physicians living In that part OF town
went to the assistance of the injured.
AS many Of the suffering negroes as could
be moved by the ambulances were taken to
hospitals and the rest were laid out on the
ground, and there the physicians attended
them. At least fifteen of those brought out
injured died before they could be moved
from the ground.
Women Among the Dead.
During the stampede Booker 7. Washing
ton and several other prominent negro lead
ers were on the stage and were unwilling
witnesses to the catastrophe. None OF those
in the choir or in the pulpit was injured In
the least. For few minutes they attempt
ed to restore order, but seeing their efforts
were futile, waited until the struggling
crowd had advanced far enough for them
to pick up the dead and injured.
Most Of the dead are women, and the phy-
sicians say in many cases they tainted and
A. A al h a