Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1902-09-21
TERRIBLE DISASTER
Attends National Convent 0
Colored Raptis;s at
Birmingham, Ala.
1~1f~
SEvENTY-E;GHT ARE DEAD AND
MANY INJURED AS RESULT
STAMPEDE.
IDeIegates Thought That tie Church
Was On Fire and Rushed for
Exits.
PINE BLUFEiANS IN THE CRUSH

Birmingham: Ala. Sept 20.-In an
awful crush of humanity, caused by a
stampede in the Shiloh negro Baptist
church, at Avenue G and Nineteenth
sons were killed and about eighty
seriously injured
The calamity occurred at 9 O'Clock
just as Booker 7. Washington had
concluded his address to the National
Convention Of Celored Bapitsts. and
for three hours the scene around the
church was indescribable Dead bodies
were strewn in every direction, and
the ambulance service of the city was
utterly incapacitated to move them
until after | a. m. The injured were
first looked after. and dozens of bod
les We're arranged in rows on the
ground outside the house of worship,
waiting removal to the various TN
dertaking establishments, while more
than a score more were laid out on the
benches inside.
The church is the largest house oi
worship for negroes in Birming-
ham, and the pastor says there were
at least 1900 persons in the edifce
when the stampede began. Instruc-
tons had been issued to allow no one
else to enter. but the negroes forced
their way inside the building and
were. standing in every isle. and the
entrance was literally packed
Just as Booker T. Washington con-
cluded his address Judge Bilou. a
negro lawyer from Baltimore. engaged
in an altercetion WIN the choir lead
er concerning an unoccupied seat, and
it is said that blows were exchanged.
Some one in the choir cried, They're
fghting,"
Mistaking the word fighting for
fire the aggregation arose en- masse
and started for the door One of the
ministers quickly mounted the rostrum
and admonished the people to keep
quiet. He repeated the word quiet
several times. and motioned to his
hearers to be seated. Again the eN-
cited congregation mistoOll the word
quiet for fire, and rushed pell nell to
the door. Men and women craWled
over benches, fought their way into
the isles, and those who had fallen
were trampled on like cattle. The
,nI ctN
stampede, but no power on earth
could stay the struggling, fighting
mass Of humanity.
The screams cf women and child
and through mere fright many per
sons tainted, and as they fell TO the
floor were crushed to death.
TIE level of the floor is about fifteen
feet from the ground, and long steps
lead to 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
this proved veritable death trap.
Negroes who had reached the ton of
the steps were pushed violently for
ward, and many fell. Before they
could move others were pushed upon
them, and in fifteen minutes persons
were piled upon each other to height
of ten feet. This wall Of struggling
mass of humanity blocked the en-
trance, and the weight of fifteen hun
dred persons was pushed against it.
More than twenty persons lying On
the steps underneath the heap of
bodies died from suffocation.
Two white men who were in the
rear of the church when the rush be-
gan, eseaned and realizing the ser
iousne9s = - situation. rushed to a
corror ...aea :. and turned in fire
alarm The department came quickly
ana the arrival & the wagons served
to scatter the crowd which had gath
cred around the front Of the church,
A squad Of policemen was also hasten
ed to the church and with the fire
men, succeeded in releasing the ne
groes from their Dinioned positions
in the entrance.
The dead. bodies were quickly mov-
ed and the crowd inside, finding an
outlet came pouring out. Scores
lost their footing and rolled down the
long steps to the pavement, sustain
ing broken limbs and internal injuries.
In an hour the church had been prac-