Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-04-17
PANIC At FIvE-cENT STORE

To advertise the opening Saturday of
new five-cent store in Philadelphia the
management announced tnat it would
sell umbrellas worth one dollar for a
nickel. wash boilers worth ten times as
much for similar trifliDg SUN, and
other articles necessary in most house
holds equally as cheap. As result
thousands of persons gathered about the
store and in the wild fight for admis-
sion scores of the weaker were trampled
under the feet OF the more robust bargain
hunters.
Two women and two girls were taken
to the hospitals unconscious from contu-
sions and shock, and many others were
restored to consciousness by physicians
from the several hospitals stationed near
the building.
That hundreds of women and children
were not crushed TO death is due to the
efforts of the reserve squad of City Hall,
who we're ordered to the store early in
the day.
The store was opened at Q o'clock Sat
urdav morning. Long before that hour
Market street was blocked by hundreds.
No sooner was the store thrown open
than the women surged forward, pushing
and jostling one another. Within three
minutes the store Was filled. Then t e
doors we're closed while they made their
purchases.
Margaret Kiblin, who was squeezed
bet@ cen hundreds Of women in the store,
swooned She was carried to the Com
merce street entrance Of the store, and
then removed to Jefferson Hospital.
When the doors were opened for the
second time Market street was lined
with several thousand women and child
rem. The rowd extended over the car
tracks and blocked traffic Some of the
bargain seekers stool f hours with in
flnIs in their arms. Fighting, scratch
ing. screaming, they struggled fercely
to enter the store. Women were
trampled to the pavement and babies
were t.rn from the arms OF their mothers.
Dresse and hats we're ruined, and
pocketbOoks were snatcbed from the
hands. The police seemed powerless.
Once inside the store, the women and
few men literally battled their way to
the various counters, Men with wash
boilers in their hands pushed against
women with pitchers; clothes baskets
and other kitchen utensils were thrown
about tAe store, landing upon the heads
of the purchasers. The salespeople were
powerless to prevent the destruct on.
Hundreds of articles were stolen in the
scrimmaee, and the management ordered
the doors closed again.
Crowded TO sufiocaIiop, many OF the
salesgirls tainted, Women shrieked
historically to get out, but the mob at
the rear doors was equally as great as
that in The front, and for nearly half an
hour hundreds of women were jammed
immoyable in the store. AS fast as they
tainted the women were carried to the
rear of the store, where some of the
salsgirls organized temporary medical
ward.
Captain Donaghy learned of the rush,
and hastened to the store. When he
saw the condition of affairs he ordered
the management 10 open the front doors
Immediately, and sent for the entire re-
serve squad. Ambulances from the JET
ferson, Pennsylvania and Hahnemann
Hospitals and two patrol wagons were
hurried to Market and Commerce streets.
Hundreds of persons came running
from all directions, and the crowd in
creased in Market street until the trolley
cars and wagons were compelled to halt.
When the doors were opened for the third
time nearly three thousand persons tried
to force sn entrance The policeman
could not stem the awful rushes.
Once inside, the crowds jumped over
the counters, took all kinds Of goods
nm the tables and the saleswomen, and
.c -~oAv to reach the street.
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