Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-01-23
WILD SCENE FOLLOWS GIRLS
FRIGHT AND MANY DEATHS
RESULT
HEROIC WORK is IN VAIN
The Pastor, Rev. E. w. Johnson, TRIES
to Outlet the Panic Stricken Crowd,
But No One Heeds-stalrway Scene
Of Many Horrible Deaths--Dead Lie
Three Deep,

Three Deep,
Philadelphia, Pa, Jan. pa wild
panic following loud shrek OF fire.
brought death to eighteen persons and
injuries to nearly q score of others
Sunday night in st. Paul's Baptist
church on the west side Of Eighth
street, between Popular street and Cir
ard 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
800 persons were on the second floor
of the building, which with the gallery
was capable Of accommodating 600 to
4 700. The fire was triiing one and
was extinguished before the fremen
arrived.
Tho smell of smoke added to the
panic and despite the heroic work OF
4 Rev. p. w. Johnson, the pastor of the
church, who tried In vain to allay the
4 fears of the frightened worshipers, the
terror-stricken people made a desper-
ate rush to leave the church only to
be choked upon the narrow stairway.
1 Eighteen Dead on Floor.
Those in the rear leaped over the
prostrate forms Of those who fell and
4 when the rush was over eighteen lay
{ dead on the first floor and stairs Of the
VI bu,s,| ing. death In nearly every case
Il wH : Is Sd.focarton Or s4aniphhg.
5 ISt. 4 rs is one Of the largest colored
. churches In the city, n
: Following is a list Of the identified
. dead:
) BUFING, SARAH.
4 LAWRENCE, MRS.
J. PATTON, MRS.
Il TRAINER, RUTH.
BERRY, JOHN.
4 ALEXANDER, ANNA, aged 40
M'KENNEY, MAMIE.
HOLMES. SUSIE.
: WEBLOCK, MRS. MARY.
: GARDINER, CHARLES, aged IA.
M'CALII, MAMIE
SLAUGHTER, ABOz, 3 years old.
SEWALL, CATHARINE.
TRAINER, RUTH.
u The disaster occurred while collec.
ton was being taken up. The pastor
had just concluded his sermon, the
text Of which was: 'Why do we sit
here until we die?"
Following the collections there was
to have been baptism Of a man and
: wife. Some of the congregation, owing
to the lateness of the evening, had left
( the church and others were about to
GO. AS the pastor was arranging the
pulpit preparatory to beginning the
baptismal service a woman In one oil
, the front rows on the left side Of the
altar gave loud shrek Of Fire
), Pastors Efforts Vain.
s Instantly all those about here were
. on their feet looking for the blaze.
> There were no flames in sight, but
! those near the pulpit smelled smoke
u and started down the aisle toward the
y pulpit. Then followed half dozen
IS cries Of "F'ireH' and the whole congre.;
9 cation became panic stricken.
3 The pastor by this time realized the
q seriousness Of the situation and in
s. loud voice which only added to the
confusion, called to the terror-stricken
10 people to be seated. No one listened
" land desipte his frantic appeal a rush
IS started that meant death to many that
i. were in it.
). At the rear of the church on the
second floor there is wide doorway
which leads to stairway to each side
= of the building. Each stairway has a
y sharp bend, which proved to be the
!. principal contributary causes for the
:, Jam. The front door on the first floor
= is wide and easy of exit.
u When the rush started those In the
s. rear of the church did not fully realize
what was wrong and were slow to
move. The frantic shrieking of the
women and children became louder
and more general and many were
knocked down in the two aisles of the
, church. Then came the terrible rush
I down the stairway For some unknown
reason everybody tried to get down the
IS left side of the building, comparatively
is few attempting to leave by the right
sr stairway.
" stairs Become damned.
VI One eyewitness says that perhaps a
al dozen persons got safely down the
ID stairs when several people tripped and
e. fell caused the narrow way to become
Re jammed Several men on the first
!; floor attempted to hold the people
" back, but were knocked down and
s. then the human stream came tumblins
lt down. The weaker ones fell, only to
u be trampled upon and crushed by
20 those coming from behind.
y, The horrible sbrieks sent up by the
le PROSTATE persons added to the confu.
n sion and by this time even the cool.
e er ones in the rear of the lighting mass
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