Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-09-20
FATAL STAMPEDE
| N A NEGRO CHURCH
rbs,e Were Nearly Eighty People
Killed.
As MANY MORE INJURED
-. of "rbey're FightIng'" Mis-
-" yos cr, of"Fires Caused the
terrible Catastrophe.

rerribie Catastrophe.
.,rgbam. Ala, Sept. 19.-In an
-, cr,sh of humanity caused by a
'o, .'neae in the Shiloh negro Baptist
s ''"'n At avenue G. and Eighteenth
s s,.ss, tonight, between 60 and 80 per-
s"s, wore killed and as many more Sc
sY 'ls.'y injured. The catastrophe oc-
a.rod At . o'clock, Just as Booker Il
washington had concluded his address
% ,he national convention OF Bap'is's'
a, three hours the scenes
,.d ,he church were indescrib-
ehle pead bodies were strewn In eV-
"S'' ,,,.otlon. and the ambulance SER
ga II The city was utterly unapIe 10
, Wv, them until after O'CLOCK l,oz-
ls .a ~ dead bodies were arranged In
eS ON the ground outside OF the
1--we NJ worship, awaiting removal 10
nDu'' ,orous undertaking establish
wy W. while more than score were
"a out ON the benches inside.
IDENTIFIED DEAD,
ma identified dead up to 2 o'clock
MS morning were a..
lnns Harris, Bessemer, Ala.
e. Williams, Pratt city. Ala,
40 I Adams. Fort Smith, ARK.
psv William stone, Greenyille, Ala.
psy $ /, Price. New Orleans.
sarah Peyton, New Orleans.
pey y II. Johnson. Weir Kan,
pev Mr.. Anderson, Roanoake, Mont
Rev, Mr.. Allen, Chattanooga.
The church is the largest one Tor ne
eroes in Birmingham, and the pastor
saws there were at least 2,OOO persons
,n Tho edlfce when the stampede began
Irstruetions had been issued to allow
IA more 10 enter, but the negroes
forced their way inside the building
and were standing In every aisle Even
he entrance to the church was literal
ly packed. - -,
Just as Booker T, Washington con-
Guided his address Judge Billou, me-
gro leader from Baltimore, engaged IN
On alteration with the choir leader
concerning an unoccupied seat, and II
Is sald a blow was struck. Someone III
he choir cried They're fghting''
Mistakng the word lighting for
FIRE" the congregation rose en- masse
end started for the door. one Of the
minister's quickly mounted the rostrum
and admonlshed the people to Keep
QUIET He repeated the word quiet
several times, and motioned to his
hearers to be seated. Again the ex-
cited congregation mlstook the word
quiet" for fire" and renewed the
struggle to reach the door, Men and
women crawled over the benches and
fought their way into the aisles, and
those who had fallen were trampled
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, ana
through mere fright many persons
tainted and as they fell to the floor
were crushed to death.
GENUINE DEATH.TRAP.
The jewel Of the floor is about 10 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 the steps for six
Or seven feet, and these proved a YER
liable death-trap. Negroes who had
reached the top Of the steps were
pushed Violently forward and many
lell Before they could move others fell
UPON them, and in 10 minutes persons
We're piled upon each other 10 a height
q " feet This wall Of struggling
humanity blocked the entrance, and the
weight OF 1900 persons was pushed
against II. More than 20 persons lying
On tne steps underneath the heap of
bodies del from suffocation.
Two white men who were In the rear
Ihe church when the rush began es-
'aled, and realizing the seriousness of
wes'uaton rushed TO corner near by
ell turned in fire alarm. The depart.
aeht came quickly, and the arrival OF
ue wagons served to scatter the crowd
SAch had gathered around the front of
,uschurch. A squad OF police was also
saNened 10 the church and, with the
aemen inally succeeded In releasing
we negroes from their positions in the
,,uuahce The dead bodies were quick
removed and the crowd inside, find
.s an outlet came pouring out Scores
" mem lost their footing and rolled
ven the long steps TO the pavement,
Injuries "N '''''a'
~ an hour the church had been prac-
@sy cleared, and the sights which
sVlel the eyes of those who had come
~, y 40 ihe injured was slckening. Down
, ~s s'ses and along the outside Of the
r lhe dead bodies OF men and wo-
~ were strewn, and the cries of the
a.; ,.nsd and crippled were heart-rend-
-s, IN few minutes the work OF re-
'".hg The bodies was begun.
n ehlloh church Is located lust on
w. @ge OF the South Highlands, the
ci.l unable residence section OF this
NV ana all the physicians living IN
s.'. part Of town went TO the assist
49, o. the Injured AS many Of the
M ,,Ig negroes as could be moved by
,,.i aNpulances were taken TO the hos
~ n.aE, and the rest were laid out on
se ground and there the physicians
,bea Them. At least Is died before
.ould be moved from the ground.
WING the stampede Booker T.
me-, ,,nngton and several other promi-
We. ~ negroes were on the stage and
NJ 49, unwilling witnesses to the fright
~. @Aslrophe. None Of those in the
N. NJ w IN the pulpit were injured in
,sn,,sassl For few minutes they at
nv 'sa 70 restore order, but seeing
~ Efforts were futile, waited until
ensr. juggling crowd had advanced far
ana 1, a lot them to pick up the dead
pb S,Vi. o. the dead are women. and the
falr,sia say In many cases the,
rs,y MAJ ana died OF suffocation. A re-
ira, ~ feature u the calamity IL
vle,l,HeO blood was seen on any Of the
dlss ~ They We're either crushed or |
rom suffocatlon.
IN : " frank II. oBrien. former sher.
mos, ss.uerson county and one OF the |
ham Iohlnent citizens OF Birmlng.
lie nv.a Witness Of the catastrophe.
ohu,sh within half n block OF ihs
wen, - and hearing the commotIon |
reachsJl ascertain the trouble. As he |
crowd s sue 'front.' OF the church the |
and /, Hsl begun blocking the entrance
WITT. describing N no eaId, 81 -.