The state herald., 1902-09-26
AWFUL CHURCH ACCIDENT.
Cry Of Fire Causes Stampede That
Costs Scores of Lives.

Birmingham, Ala, Sept. 10.-In an
awful crush of humanity caused by
stampede In the Shiloh Negro Bap-
tist Church Mt Avenue G and Eight
teenth street tonight, between seven
ty and eighty persons were killed and
as many more seriously injured. The
catastrophe occurred at 0 o'clock, just
as Booker Il. Washington had conclud-
ed his address to the national conyen-
tion of Baptists, and for three hours
the scenes around the church were in
descrlbable. Dead bodies were strewn
in every direction and the ambulance
service of the city was utterly unable
to remove them until after ] o'clock.
Dozens of dead bodies We're arranged
in rows on the ground outside of the
house of worship awaiting removal to
the various undertaking establish
ments, while more than score were
laid out on the benches inside.
The church is the largest one for
Negroes In Birmingham, and the pas
tor says there were at least 1000 per-
sons In the ediflce when the stampede
began. Instructions had been issued
to allow no more TO enter. but the ne
groes forced their way inside the build
ing and were standing In every aisle.
Even the entrance to the church was
literally packed.
Just as Booker T. Washington con-
cluded his address, Judge Blllou, n ne
gro leader from Baltimore, engaged in
an alteration with the choir leader
concerning an unoccupied seat and, it
is said, blow was struck Some one
in the choir cried, "They're fighting!"
Mistaking the word fighting" for
fire" the congregation rose en- masse
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 several times, and motioned to
his hearers to be seated. Again the
excited congregation mistook the word
quiet" for fire" and renewed the
struggle to reach the door Men and
women crawled over benches and
fought their way through the aisles,
and those who had fallen were tramp
led upon like cattle. The ministers
tried again and again TO stop the STAN
pede but no power on earth could stay
that struggling, fighting mass of hu-
manity. The screams of women and
children added to the horror of the
scene, and through mere fright many
persons tainted, and as they fell to
the floor were trampled to death.
The 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
these proved veritablc death trap.
Negroes who had reached the top of
the steps We're pushed violently for
ward, and many fell. Before Ihey
could move others fell upon them. and
in fifteen minutes persons were piled
upon each other TO height OF ten feet.
The wall of struggling humanity
blocked the entrance, and the weight
Of l,500 persons was pushed against II.
More than twenty persons lying on
the steps underneath the heap OF bouies
died from suffocatlon.
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 10 n corner near
by and turned in fire alarm. The de-
partment came quickly, and the arrival
of the wagons served TO scatter the
crowd which had gathered around the
front OF the church. A squad OF police
was also fastened to the church. and
with the flremen finally succeeded in
releasing the negroes from their posi-
tlons in the entrance. The dead bodies
We're quickly removed and the crowd
inside, finding an outlet, came pouring
out. Scores OF them lost their footing
m nj t.aIlnI An ct 10
pavement, sustaining broken limbs
and internal Injuries.
The Shiloh church is located Just on
the edge of the South Highlands, the
fashionable residence section OF this
city, and all the physicians living In
that part OF town went TO the assist
ance of the injured. As many of the
suffering negroes as could he moved
by the ambulance We're taken 10 the
hospitals and the rest were laid out on
the ground. and there the physicians
attended them. At least fifteen died
before they could be moved from the
ground.
During the stampede Booker T.
Washington and several other proml-
ncnt negroes wenc on the stage and
were unwilling witnesses 10 the fright
full catastrophe. None OF those In the
choir or IN the pulpit was Injured In
the least. For few minutes they at
tempted 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
nhyRicians say IN many cases they
tainted ard died from suifocaiion. A
remarkable feature OF the calamity Is
that no blood was seen ON amy OF the
victims. They were either crushed or
died from sufocatlon.