Democratic messenger., 1906-01-27
EIGHTEEN KILLED
In CHURCH PANIC
Cry of Fire Caused Wild Rush In
Colored Baptist Church.
AWFUL JAM IN THE STAIRWAY

Philadelphia, Jan. ga Wild panic.
following "A loud shrek Of "Fire!"
brought death to Is colored persons
and injuries to nearly two-score OF
others in ST. Paul's Baptist church.
ON the west side of Eighth street, near
Girard avenue. The terrible rush to
gain the street was Of brief duration.
and that more were not killed In the
stampede was probably due to the fact
that the church was not crowded. At
the time the disaster occurred not
more than 300 persons were on the
second floor of the building, which.
with the gallery. was capable OF &C.
commodating 900 to TOO. The fire was
n trifling one. and was extinguished
before the firemen arrived. The smell
of smoke added To the panic. and de-
spite the heroic work of Rev. +. w.
Johnson. the pastor of the church.
who tried in vain to allay the fears Of
the frightened worshippers. the 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 prostrate
forms of those who fell. and when the
rush was over Is lay dead on the first
floor and stairs of the building. Death
in nearly every case was due to suf-
location or trampling.
The disaster occurred while a col
lection was being taken up. The pas
tor had just concluded his sermon.
the text OF which was: why sit we
here until we die?" Following the col
lection there was to have been bap-
tism of man and wife As the pastor
was arranging the pulpit preparatory
to beginning the baptismal service.
woman In one of the front rows OF the
left side of the altar gave loud shrek
of fire. Instantly all those about her
were on their feet looking for the
blaze There were no flames in sigh
but those near the pulpit smellea
smoke and started down the aisle
toward the pulpit. Then followed a
half dozen cries of fire. and the whole
lnbtunNls bNtuhN Phh
stricken. The pastor by this time
realized the seriousness of the situa
tion. and in a loud voice. which only
added to the combustion called to the
terror-stricken people to be seated. No
one listened. and despite his frantic
appeal a rush started that meant death
10 many that were In II.
The horrible shrieks sent up by the
PROSTATE persons added TO the confn-
sion. and by this time even the coole
ones In the rear of the fighting mass
OF men. women and children became
terror stricken. Strong men. in fear
that the building was falling. leaped
over the heads of women and children
and fought only for their own safety
The terrific crush in the bend of the
stairs became so great that the balus-
trade which was only frail, wooden
affair. gave way. There was terrible
crash as half hundred persons were
precipitated to the floor, a distance of
about 10 or ~ feet. This heightened
the intensity OF the panic. and the
rush became one awful jam.
When those vino came down the
front stairs had left the building a ter
rible sight presented itself to the res
cuers The first floor and the stairway
to the bend were covered three deep
with the dead and dying On the
street hundreds were shrieking for
help and looking for their missing
loved ones.
The ringing of the fire bells. the
clang of the ambulance gongs. the al
most total darkness and the thick fog
added to the grewsomeness OF the
scene. and caused utter confusion for
a time. Order was soon brought about,
however. and every one who could not
stand was placed in ambulances and
rushed to hospitals. No time was ta-
ken up to see II any victim was dead
and within an hour after the disaster
occurred the street had been cleared
OF the mass of people and the church
door ciogad