Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1902-09-27
frighifgl Panic at Close OF Negro
Convention.
Is WERE SllLE?; MANY INJURED
stampede Begua When a Lawyer
Started Fight wi;h the Leader ~s
the Choir.

street. siXty-fve persons were killed
and as many more seriously injured
The disaster occurred at O'Clock just
as Booker T. Washington had con
cludcd his address TO the National
Convention OF Baptists and for three
hours the scenes around tho church
were incescribable. Dead bodies were
streWn in every direction and the am
Duiance service was not equal 10 the
tasA The injured We're FIRST attended
20 and dozens OF dead bodies were ar
ranged in rows outside the house OF
worship. awaiting removal 20 the va
rious undertaking establishments.
while more than score were laid ont
on the benches inside The church d.
the large house OF worship for negroes
IN birmingham. and the pastor SAYS
there were at least 1000 persons in
the edihce W. N tie stampede began
Instructions had len issued 70 al.
low no one else g. enter after the
building had been fned. but the Me-
eroes forced their way inside the
church and were standing in every
aisle. The entrance was literally pacA.
ed.
Just after Booker Washington con-
Guided his address. judge Iiiiou q
negro lawyer from Baltiro-o. cnea1el
in an alteration with the choir leader
concerning an unOccupied scat and 70
Us said blows We're struck. Some one
an the choir cried. They're fighting
Mistaking the word fighting Tor
fire the congregation rose en- masse
and started for the door one Cf the
ministers mounted the rostrum and ai-
monishci the people TO keep quiet. lIe
repeated the word quiet" several
times and mOtioncd TO his hearers o.
be seated. Again the excited congrD-
CATION mistoOk the word quiet" for q
second alarm OF FIRE" and rushed for
the door. Men and women crawled
over benches and fought their way
through aislcs Ike cattle The min
i:tcrs tried again % stop the STAN
pcdo. but no power ON earth could
stay The struggling. fighting mass o.
humanity.
A Crowded Death Trap.
The screams az the women and
children added 90 the terror OF the
scene ana many persons tainted and
went TO the floor 90 be crushed. Brick
walls extend on both sides Of the out
side steps and this proved a veritabla
death trap. NEGROES who had reached
The top OF the steps were pushed vi0-
lenuy forward and many fcll. Before
they could move others fen upon them
and in few moments persons were
piled upon each other 90 height OF
mainly blocked the entrance and the
weight OF 1900 persons was pushing
against &c. More than 20 persons fell
on the steps and were killed. White
men. Who were IN the rear ~ the
church. escaped.
Moving the Dead Bodies.
The fire department answered call
quickly ana the patrol scattered the
crowds which had gathered around the
HHH H
moved and the crowd outside. finding
an outlet. came pouring out. Scores of
al IN lost their footing and rolled
down the lons steps 10 the pavement.
Sus tanning broken limbs and internal
injuries Ia just an hour the church
has been practically cleared and the
sight which greeted those who had
access TO the building was most hor-
riDle. Men and women were strewn
around and the cries OF the wounded
were heartrending. In a few minutes
the work of removing bodies was be-
gun and the walls OF the relatives 0f
the dead who had waited ON the out
side could be heard for several
blocks
The Church Turned Into a Morgue.
The Shiloh church was turned into
morgue and all the physicians in the
city went 10 the assistance Of the in
jured. Al least 10 of those brought out
injured died before they could be
moved from the ground. None Of those
in the choir or in the pulpit were in
Jured In the least For a few minutes
they attempted 20 restore order. but
finding their efforts were futile. they
waited until the struggling crowd had
advanced far enough for them to pick
Their way out a remarkable feature of
the calamity is that no blood was
seen. The victims were crushed. or
died from suffocation.
All Died In or About che Entrance.
The Rev. DR.. T. w. Walker. pastor
OF Shiloh church. said: shiloh church
is a modern brick structure and has
been completed at a cost OF SIS 900.
There are four entrances TO the build
Ing and the main one is &c feet wide
The deaths were caused by every
body trying 70 rush out OF the main
entrance at the same time. Inside tho
church not a bench was overturned
and all OF those who were killed died
In or about the entrance. The people
up near the front OF the church were
not injured" Mayor Drennen said
Most OF those who were killed were
strangers but their bodies viii be
cared for until identified and claimed
by relatives"
Booker Wsshineton's Account OF II.
Booker I. Washington. when seen
after the accident at the resident Of
L. CO Mason. said: Il had Just finish
ed delivering my lecture On Indus.
try" and the singing had commenced
when some woman back OF me was
heard TO scream. A member OF the
choir yelled quiet which the gallery
understood 20 be Fire. This was re-
pcated and started the stampede |