Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-09-20
ioHD FIGHT" IS MISTAKEN FOR "FIRE'
Stampede Follows Quarrel Between Dele
gatsi and Choir Master,
sUFFOcATIoN CAUSES MOST Deaths
PsrssnI Piled in Heaps Ten Feet High
at Doors.
BOOKER WASHINGTON ESCAPES UNHURT
Remains on Platform After FinishinE 3
AddreEs and SO Avoids the wild
Stampede - Injured Are
Being Attended.

Being Attended.
BIRMINGHAM. Ala, Sept. 1s.-seventy-
eight people known TO be dead and eighty
injured. some perhaps fatally. is the re-
suit OF a panic which occurred in Shiloh
negro Baptist church here tonight during
the evening session OF the national Bap-
tist convention. Fifteen hundred delegates
were crowded into the church, which had
only a seating capacity Of 400, when the
audience thrown into a stampede by
a conflict between two of the delegates in
the rear Of the church The cries of
"hght" the audience mistook for an alarm
OF are" and in the wild rush seventy
eight persons were crushed to death and
eighty more received injuries some of
which may prove fatal. The list of dead
and injured included only negroes in at
tendance. In the case of the visiting dele
gates the Identification has been difficult.
The catastrophe occurred at 9 o'clock.
Just as Booker 7. Washington had con-
cluded his address to the national conven-
tion of Baptists, and for three hours the
scenes around the church were indescrib-
able. Dead bodies were strewn in every
direction and the ambulance service Of the
city utterly incapacitated to move them
until after 10 o'clock. Dozens OF dead
bodies were arranged in rows on the grounds
outside Of the house Of worship, awaiting
removal TO the various undertaking estab
lishments, while more than a score we're
laid out on the benches inside.
The church is the largest house Of wor
ship for negroes in Birmingham, and the
pastor says there we're ct least 2,o0o per
sons in the house when the stampede began.
Instructions had been issued to allow no
more to enter, but the negroes forced their
way inside and were standing In every
aisle. Even the entrance to the church was
literally packed.
Words Are MIsunderstOOd.
Just as Booker T. Washington concluded
his address. Judge Billou, a negro lawyer
from Baltimore, engaged in an alteration
with the choir leader concerning an un-
occupied seat and II is said blow was
struck. Someone in the audience cried,
"They're lighting" = Mistaising the word
'hghting" for are" the congregation arose
enmasse and started for the door. One
OF the ministers quickly mounted the ros-
trum and admonished the people to keep
quiet. He repeated the word quiet" sew
eral times and motioned to his hearers to
be seated. Again the excited people mis-
took the word quiet for FIRE" and re-
newed their efforts to get out. Men and
women crawled over one another to get
10 the door. The ministers tried again to
stop the stampede. but no power on earth
could stay the struggling mass of hu-
manity. The screams Of women and chill
dren added to the horror OF the scene, and
through mere fright many persons tainted
and as they fell to the floor were crushed
to death.
The level of the floor is about fifteen
feet from the ground and long steps lead
IL oh
OF the main auditorium. Brick walls ex'
tend on either side OF these steps for six
or seven feet, and these proved veritable
death trap. Negroes who had reached the
top of the steps were pushed violently for
ward and many fell. Before they could
move others fell on them, and In hfteer
minutes persons were piled upon each
other to a height of ten feet.
Twenty sunOcate in "a Heap.
This wall OF struggling humanity blocked
the entrance and the weight Of 1,5O0 per-
sons was pushed against IT, More thar
twenty persons lying on the steps under
meath the heap OF bodies died from SUMO
cation. The two white men who were II
the rear Of the church when the rusf
began escaped, and realizing the serious
ness OF the situation, rushed TO a cornel
nearby and turned in a Are alarm. Th'
department came quickly and the arriva
of the wagons served to scatter the Grove
which had gathered around the front o
the church. squad Of police was ais
hastened to the church and with the fire
men finally succeeded In releasing tn
negroes from their pinioned positions fl
the entrance. The dead bodies wer
quickly removed and the crowd inside
finding an outlet, came pouring out. Score
of them lost their footing and rolled dow
the long steps to the pavement, sustainin
broken limbs and internal injuries,
In an hour the church had been prac
tically cleared and sights which greete
the eyes OF those who had come to aid tn
injured were sickening Down the aisle
and along the outside of the pews tn
dead bodies of men and women were scat
tered and the cries OF maimed and wounde
were heartrending
injured Are Attended.
The shiloh church is located Just on II
edge Of the South Highlands. the fashion
able residence section OF this city, and a
the physicians living in that part Of tow
went to the assistance OF the victims. A
many Of the suffering negroes as could |
moved by the ambulanees were taken
the hospitals, while the others we're la
out on the grounds and the physicians a
tended them there. At least hfteen di'
before they could be removed from Il
grounds.
A During the stampede Booker r. wasl
ington and several other prominent negro
were on the stage. None Of those in Il
choir OF in the pulpit was injured in Il
least. For a few minutes they attempts
10 restore order. but seeing their effor
were futile. waited until the struggliI
crowd had advanced far enough for the
20 pick up the dead and injured. Most
the dead are women. and the physical
say in many cases they tainted and di
from suffocation. A remarkable feature
the calamity lie that no blood was seen
any of the victims. They were eth
\ crushed or died from sunocation.
Mother Escapes with Baby.
Captain Frank P. o'Bren former sher
NJ IaNeraou county ana one Of fha nronfna