The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-01-22


church on the west side Of Eighth
Girard avenue The terrible rush to
gain the street was Of brief duration,
and that more were not killed in the
stampede probably was due TO the fart
that the church was not crowded. At
the time the disaster occurred not more
than 600 persons were on the second
floor Of the building which. with tn
gallery, was capable Of accomrceda.
ting 600 to 200.
Blaze Was Trifling.
The fire was a trihing one and vas
extmguised before the hremen arrived.
The smell Of smoke added to the panic
and despite the heroic work Of the
Rev. Johnson pastor OF the church,
who tried in vain to allay the fears
OF the frightened Worshippers, thu
terrOr-stricken people made desperate
rush to leave the church only TO be-
choked up on the narrow stairway.
Those in the rear leaped over the pros
trate forms of those who fell and when
the rush was over eighteen lay dead
on the first floor and stairs OF the
building. Death In nearly every case
was due to suffocation or trampling.
List of the Dead.
Following is a list of the identified
dead:
Sarah Ruling.
Mrs. Lawrence.
Mrs. Patton.
Ruth Framer
John Berry.
Anna Alexander, aged 20.
Mamie McKenney.
Susie Holmes.
Mrs Mary VVeJhIOcJz
Charles Gardiner, aged "A.
Mamie Mccall.
AbOse Slaughter, 3 years old.
Catherine SeweIl.
Ruth Trainer
The disaster occurred while a colIec-
ton was being taken up. The pastor
had just concluded his sermon, the
text of which was, why sit we here
until we dep
Woman Gave the Alarm.
Following the collection there was to
have been q baptism. Some Of the col
Ored people had left the church and
the others about to 20. As the pastor
was arranging the pulpit preparatory
to beginning the baptisna3 service, a
woman in one Of the front rows gave
q loud shrek Of fire" Instantly all
those about here We're on their feet.
looking for the blaze. There were no
flames in sight, but those near The
pulpit smelled smoke and started down
the aisle toward the pulpit. Then fol-
lowed a half dozen cries Of fire" and
the whole congregation became panic
stricken. The pastor by this time
realized the seriousness Of the situa-
ton and in a loud voice. which only
added to the confusion, called 10 the
terrOr-stricken people to be seated.
No one listened, and despite his fran.
tic appeals a rush started thar meant
death TO many that were in it.
Stairway Was Crooked.
At the rear of the church Of the Sec.
ond floor there is a wide doorway
which leads to a stairway to each side
Of the building. Each stairway has d
sharp bend which proved to be the
principal contributOry cause for the
Jam. The front door on the first floor
is wide and easy OF exit.
When the rush started those In the
rear of the church did not fully real
lie what was wrong and We're slow to
move. The frantic shriekinE Of the
and more general and many We're
knocked down IN the aisles Of the
church. Then came the terrible rush
down the stairs. For some unknown
reason everybody tried to get down the
left side Of the building, comparatively
Lew d+lCit4 pIltAS 10 iCdN0 DY the IlEf1L
One eyewitness says that
perhaps dozen persons got safely
down the stairs when several peODIe
tripped and fell, and caused the narz
row way TO become damned. Several
men on the first floor attempted to hold
the people back but were knocked
down, and then the human stream
fell only 10 be trampled upon and
crushed by those coming from behind.
sickening Scenes
The horrible shrieks sent I'D by the
PROSTATE persons added to the cOnfu-
sion and by this time even the cooler
0nes in the rear of the fighting mass
If men, women and children, became
-errOr-stricken. Strong men in fear
hat the building was falling Ie.ped
over the heads. of women and children
and fought only for their own safety.
The terrific crush in the bends of the
stairs became so great that the baIus-
-rade, which was only q fraiI. wooden
affair, gave way. There was a ter
'ific crash as half hundred persons
we're precipitated to the floor. a dis
ance OF about ten or twelve feet. This
heightened the intensity of the manic
md the rush became an awful lam
The pastor of the church, a man Of
powerful physique and strong voice.
continued to appeal to the crowd in
he rear to stop their rush. but none
would heed. Over the PROSTATE forms
he crowd swarmed, crushing the life
tut OF those who We're unable to ex-
ricate themselves. In the confusion
ONE Of the worshipers thought of the
harrow door on the right side of the
'ulpit and made quick exit that way.
which action on their part probably
aved the lives of a number of those
Who had been caught in the crush.
When those who came down the front