Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-09-27

~~~---
pede Convention of Negro Baptists
with Horrible Consequences-know
Dead 7S, and 100 More Are Injured.
In a wild panic caused by a belief the
building was on fire eighty persons. many
from distant points, were killed by a
stampede in the Shiloh Negro Baptist
Church in Birmingham, Ala, at the close
Of an address made by Booker L. Wash
ington to the national convention of Bap-
lists, which was there in session. Nearly
100 persons were injured, and it was
three hours before all the wounded could
be attended to and the dead taken to I'M
dertaking establishments.
The ambulance service of the city was
utterly incapable of moving the injured
without great delays, which in many
cases proved fatal. Dozens of dead
bodies were arranged in rows on the
ground outside the church, while more
than a score were laid out on the benches
inside.
The church is the largest house Of wor-
ship for negroes in the city, and there
were over 1900 persons in the edifce
when the stampede began. Instructions
had been issued to allow no more to enter
but the negroes forced their way inside
the building and were standing in every
aisle; even the entrance to the church
was literally packed.
Mistake eight" for "Fire."
Just as Booker I. Washington conclud-
ed his address Judge Ballou, a negro law
yer from Baltimore, engaged in an alter
cation with another delegate, and it is
said blow was struck. Someone in the
choir cried Flight! Eighth
Mistaking the word fight for "fre,"
the congregation rose ina body and start
ed for the door. One OF the ministers
quickly mounted the rOStrum and admon-
ished the people to keep quiet.
He repeated the word quiet several
times and motioned to his hearers to be
seated, but the excited congregation mis-
took the word "quiet" for fire" and with
redoubed exertions renewed the struggle
to reach the door. Men and women
craWled over benches and fought their
way into the aisles, and those who had
fallen were trampIed 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 fell to the floor were
crushed to death.
Entrance Death Trap.
The level Of the floor is about fifteen
feet from the ground and long steps lead
to the sidewalk from the lobby just out
side the main auditorium. Brick walls
extend on each side of these steps for
six or seven feet and this proved a verit-
able death trap.
Negroes who had reached the top of the
steps were pushed violently forward and
many fell. Before they could move 9th"
ers fell upon them, and in fifteen minutes
there was a struggling, shrieking mass CT
men and women and children piled to a
height Of ten feet. This wall of torture
blocked the entrance and the weight OF
the 500 persons remaining in the church
was rammed against it. More than twen-
ty 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 began es-
capped and, realizing the seriousness Of
the situation, rushed to a corner near by
and turned in a fire alarm. The depart
ment 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 hast
ened to the church, and with the fremen
finally succeeded in releasing the negroes
from their pinioned positions in the en-
trance.
During the stampede Booker T. Wash
ington and several other prominent ne
groes were on the stage and were TN
willing witnesses to the frightful catas-
trophe. None of those in the choir Or in
the pulpit were injured in the least.