The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-09-20

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Il an awful crush of humanity
caused by a stampede in the shl-
loh Negro Baptist church at Avenue
G and Eighteenth street tonight be-
tween sixty-five and seventy persons
were killed and as many more seri-
ously injured. The catastrophe oc-
Cured at o'clock. just as Booker T.
Washington had concluded his ad-
dress 10 the national convention OF
Baptists, and for three hours the scenes
around the church were indescribable.
Dead bodies were strewn in every d.
rection. and the ambulance service OF
the city was utterly unable 10 remove
them until after / o'clock. Dozens OF
dead bodies were arranged in rows on
the ground outside Of the house OF
worship awaiting removal TO the vari-
Gus undertaking establishments. while
more than a score were laid out on the
benches inside.
Church Was Packed.
The church is the largest one for ne
groes In Birmingham. and the pastor
says there were AT least 1000 persons
In the edifice when the stampede be-
gan Instructions had been issued 10
allow no more to enter, but the ne
grOes forced their way inside the
building and were standing in every
aisle. Even the entrance to the church
was literally packed.
Just as Booker 7. Washington con-
eluded his address, Judge Biiiou' a
| negro leader from Baltimore, engaged
| in an alteration with the choir leader
| concerning an unoccupied seal, anu
II is said, a blow was STRUCK Someone
In the choir cried; They're hghtins.
Wild Rush For the Door.
Mlstaking the word fighting for
| fire" the. congregation rose enmasse
and started for the door. One Of the
! ministers quickly mounted the rostrum
/ and admonished the people 10 keep
4 quiet. He repeated the word quiet
! several times, and motioned 10 his
| hearers to be seated. Again the exclt-
ed congregation mistoOk the word
"ouiet" for FIRE" and renewed the
! struggle to reach the door. Men and
| women crawled over benches and
fought their way into the aisies, and
| those who had fallen were trampleo
upon like cattle. The ministers tried
| again and again TO stop the stampede
| but no power on earth could stay the
! struggling. fighting mass of humanity
| The screams OF women and children
added TO the horror of the scene, and
| through mere fright many persons
| tainted. and as they feli 10 the iiool
| were crushed 10 death.
Awful Death Trap.
The level Of the floor is about fifteen
feet from the ground and long steps
lead 10 the sidewalk from the lobby
Just outside the main auditorium. Brick
walls extend on each side of these steps
for six or seven feet. and these proved
a veritahle death trap. Negroes who
had reached the top Of the steps were
pushed violently forward and many
fell. Before they could move other:
fell upon them. and in fifteen minutes
persons were pied upon each other K
| a height of ten feet. This wall OF
struggling humanity blocked the en-
/ trance. and the weight of 800 persons
was pushed against il. More thar
twenty persons lying on the steps an
derneath the heap of bodies died from
suffOcatiOn.
White Men Escaped.
Two white men. who were in the rea
OF the church when the rush began
escaped and realizing the seriousness
Of the situation, rushed 10 a cOrne
near by and turned in a IRE alarm
| The department came quickly. and tn
arrival OF the wagons served 20 scat
ter the crowd which had gathered
around the front Of the church.
squad of police was also FASTENED &
the church and, with the firemen, final
ly succeeded in releasing the negroe.
from their positions ia the entrance
The dead bodies were quickly removed
and the crowd inside. finding an out
let. came pouring Out. Scores Of then
lost their footing and rolled down tn
long steps 10 the pavement. sustain
ing broken limbs and internal injuries
Heartrending Scene.
In an hour the church had been prac
tically cleared. and the sights which
greeted the eyes Of those who had com
to aid the injured was sickening. D0Wi
the aisles and along the outside OF III
peWs the dead bodies OF men and wO
men were strewn. and the cries Of III
manned and crippled were heartrend
ing In a few minutes the work Of re
! moving the bodies was begun.
The Shiloh church is located Just o.
the edge Of the South Highlands. m
|. city. and all the physicians living i