Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1902-09-20
Awful Panic Occurred in Col
ored Babtist Convention,
at Birmingham, Ala.
FIGHTING" THOUGHT FIRE,
When Some Person Made the Cry
During an Altercation-cries to Ge
"ouiet" Also Mlsunderstood-Man,
TrampIed Under Foot.

Birmingham, Ala, Sept. 20.--In al
awful crush of humanity, caused by {
stampede in the Shiloh negro Baptis
church, at Avenue G and Eighteenth
street, last night, between rs and s,
persons were killed and as many NOR.
seriously injured. The catastroph,
occurred at 9 o'clock, just as Bookei
T. Washington had concluded his ad
dress to the national convention o
Baptists.
The church Is the largest church foi
negroes in Birmingham, and the pas
tor says that at least 1000 person.
were in the building when the STAN
pede began. Instructions had been
issued to allow no more to enter, bul
the negroes forced. their way insid
the building and were standing ii
every aisle, even the entrance to tn,
church being literally packed.
Panic Followed Washington's Speech
Just as Booker T. Washington con
Guided his address. Judge Billion, j,
negro lawyer from Baltimore, engages
in an alteration with the choir leade
concerning an unoecupied seat, and
it is said, blow was struck. Som,
one in the choir cried, They're fight
ing" Mistaking the word lighting
for fire" the congregation rose en-
masse and started for the doors. On,
Of the ministers quickly mounted tn,
rostrum and urged the people to keel
quiet. He repeated the word quiet
several times and motioned his hea
ers to be seated. The excited congre
cation mistook the word quiet" fol
fire. and renewed the struggle t.
reach the doors. Men and wome
craWled over benches. fought theil
way into the aisles, and those whc
had fallen were trampled upon. TIL,
ministers tried again and again To
stop the stampede, but no power or
earth could stay the struggling, fight
ing mass of humanity. The scream.
of women and children added to the
horror of the scene. and through mer,
fright many persons tainted and a.
they fell to the floor were crushed Il
death. The level of the floor is abou
Is feet from the ground, and lonf
steps lead to the sidewalk from tn.
lobby just outside the main audi
torium. Brick waHs extend on each
side of these steps for six or seven
feet, and this place proved a veritabl.
death trap. Negroes who had reached
the top of the steps were pushed VIC
lently forward and many fell. Befor.
they could move others fell upon then
and in Is minutes persons were piled
upon each other to a height of IL
feet This mass of struggling hui
manity blocked the entrance and the
weight of 1900 persons was pushed
against it. More than 20 persons ly
ing on the steps underneath the heal
of bodies died from suffocation. Two
white men, who were in the rear OF
the church when the rush began, es
capped, and, realizing the seriousness
Of the situation, rushed to a corner
nearby and turned in fire alarm
The department came quickly and tn
arrival OF the wagons served to scat
ter the crowd which had gathered
around the front of the church. A
squad Of police was also fastened to
the church and with the firemer
finally succeeded in releasing the ne
groes from their pinioned positions
and the crowd inside, finding an out
let, came pouring ont Scores of them
lost their footing and rolled down the
long steps to the pavement, sustain
ing broken limbs and internal In
juries.
CHASTITY Sight Met Their Eyes.
In an hour the church had beer
practically cleared and the sight
which greeted the eyes of those who
had come to aid the injured was sick
ening. Down the aisles and along the
outside Of the pews the dead bodies
of men and women were strewn and
the cries of the MANNED and crippled
We're heartrending. In few minutes
the work Of removing the bodies was
begun.
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
physicians attended them. At least
is of the injured died before they
could be moved from the ground.
Most OF the dead are women, and
the physicians say that in many cases
they tainted and died from suffoca
tion. A remarkable feature of the
calamity is that no blood was seen
on any of the victims. They were
either crushed or died from suffoea.
ton