Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-19

times assembled on the Hodynsky Plain,
Moscow, on May 50. 1895. to participate
in the popular fetes incident to the present
cars coronation. It numbered half mil
lion, and when 1t was dispersed by soldiers
a few hours after 1t had collected, 1t left
dead behind variousdy estimated from /, 100
TO $500 and seriously wounded to the num-
Der of loo
All the night prior to the fete day the
horde of people, mostly peasants from Mos
cow and the provinces, streamed to the
vast plain on which Napoleon had massed
his army before marching into Moscow. BY
8 o'clock In the morning they were packed
about the five hundred booths from which
free food drink and souvenir mugs were
to be distributed to one and all. Barriers
had been erected In front Of each booth to
prevent undue crowding.
There are various explanations as to why
the fete was turned into day OF mourning
One Is that the crowd was greater than an
tfcipated, the crush in the res4 pinioned
those in the van against the barriers, which
finally gave way, and the people finding
themselves free, swept forward in great
wave tramping under foot all who were not
strong enough to keep their feet.
This was the first story. Later It was
said that there had been much stealing
of the funds set aside by the czar for gifts
to the populace, and with the idea OF COW
ering their guilt the officials In charge OF
the food distribution instructed the 1000
attendants to throw gifts at the crowd. Then.
when complaints were received that the
packages did not go around, the reply
would be that every effort was made to
serve the crowd, but 1t was much larger
than any one had thought of planning for
1t is a fact that packages of food and
mugs were thrown at the people by men
in the booths. but this may have been done
IN the hope that under such lombard
ment the fearless press would cease How
ever. 1t served only to increase the horror,
those In the rear leaping forward all the
more eagerly to get their share of the
There was q hollow in the ground at the
point of the greatest crush, and this proved
verftable death trap for scores of mou-
jiks So furious was the rush of feet that
in places the plain looked as IL it had been
freshly turned with plows. Hundreds Of
the dead were neyer identified. Hhe czar
betrayed the funeral expenses of the vic
) TINS and to each family that lost a member
substantial sum OF money was paid by
his direction.
A Famous Crowd of the Past.
In the days before the French made
colony of Madagascar, the capital of that
island was the point of assemblage for a
great crowd whenever the grand Kabary
was held
The last ruler to issue her commands to
and receive the homage of the chiefs at
this ceremonial was Queen RanovaIona Ill
sat with her chief councillors, and the
secondary platform. holding the chiefs,
was the great crowd filing the spacious
sacred Enclosure. a half mile distant from
the royal palace. To swell the crowd ON
these occasions, thousands Of natives trav-
eled from all parts Of the island, and the
capital turned out practically en- masse.
The grand Kabary crowd was one of the
most interesting that ever collected; SO
was the multitude that witnessed the
Durbar; while in this country the crowds
that took part In the peace celebrations in
our large cities following the close Of the
war with Spain will be remembered for
many years for their size and patriotic en-
thusiasm. The crowd that assembled in
New York to celebrate the centennial of
the adoption Of the Constitution was enor-
nous for that day.
The Dewey Parade Crowd.
Excepting the two inaugural crowds that
have assembled since then. the Dewey
parade in New York, In 1900, brought to-
gether our latest famous crowd. It was
even greater than the one that collected
to take part In the celebration of Columbus
day. seven years before. And that was
record breaker for tho metropolis, tens of
thousands coming from near and far to
gaze and cheer In unison with the natives.