Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-15
Unveilin g of Mckinley
Monument Attended
by Throngs
President RooseveIt's Daughter Among
Those Injured, but All VIII Re-
coVer-Mrs. Longworth Has
Exciting Experience
By Associated Press.

COLUMBUS, O., Sept. 14-With a
panic threatened in crowd estimated
at $4,000 people, who were surging
about the stand erected in the capitol
grounds and frantic to secure q
glimpse Of Mrs. Nicholas Longworth,
the presidents daughter, the exercises
arranged for the dedication of the Nc
kinley monument were suddenly term
mated this afternoon after the statue
of the martyred president had been
unveiled by Mrs. Longworth.
The prompt action of the committee
on arrangements was indeed fortunate,
as the crowd was beyond control and
the checking of the women and chill
dren who were caught in the rush was
rapidly working the crowd into a
frenzy. Many women tainted, and
were carried out of the crowd by the
police.
Two were so badly hurt that they
had to be removed in an ambulance,
but both will recover.
Throughout the exciting scenes Mrs
Longworth remained cool and self
possessed, but afterward she said:
1T was the worst crush I ever wit
messed. I have seen nothing like it
in my trip around the world"
MIR. and Mrs. Longworth had an ex-
citing experience at the capital. From
the speakers stand they went through
a window overlooking the platform to
the governors office, but they were
scarcely inside when the people be-
gan to surge through the doors.
Then they attempted to reach an
automobile which was awaiting for
them on the street, but once outside
they were caught in 3. surging crowd.
Finding no Immediate avenue of es-
cape they fought their way out of the
capitol grounds and across Broad
street into the Outlook building. There
they remained until a carriage was Sc
cured and the police cleared a way
to it, and were then driven to the Hotel
Hartman.
Later they took train for Cincin-
natl
Expected Large Crowd
The committee on arrangements had
expected an enormous crowd on ac-
count of the presence of Mrs. Long
worth, but in view of the solemnity
and dignity of the occasion they be-
Iieved the crowd would easily be kept
in restraint. Under ordinary circum-
stances the police ARRANGEMENTS would
have been adequate, but the Officers
found quickly that they were powerless
to cope with the crowd.
Tiers of seats had been constructed
across the entire west front of the
capitol with the speakers stand in the
center.
Four thousand tickets were issued
for these seats to invited guests and
all were occupied
The Mckinley monument stands at
the west entrance to the grounds, fac
ing the street. and the crowd was
packed into this space between the
speakers stand and the monument.
The exercises were set for 2:30 and
began promptly ON time,
1t was not until the band was playing
the overture that the danger of panic
became apparent. Suddenly women in
the crowd next to the speakers stand
began to scream for help. Then sew
eral women tainted and were carried
up to the stand Rev. DR.. Washington
GLADDEN. rose to deliver the invocation,
but he spoke only a few sentences when
the roar of voices forced him to stop.
Governor Harris then attempted to
quiet the crowd. Keep back" he
shouted, you are crushing these people
in front to DEATH"
The governors voice could not be
heard twenty feet away however. on
account of the din. The commotion be-
came so alarming that those on the
stand asked Mrs. Longworth to come
forward, in the hope that a glimpse Of
her might satisfy the crowd. She came
to the front Of the stand, and 1t was
seen that something must be done and
1t was decided to unveil the statue at
once.
Statue Unveiled
Mrs. Longworth then pulled the rib
bon attached to wires which drew the
flags covering the statue aside. A man
hoisted on another mans shoulders
grasped the ribbons and the wire. and
they were quickly torn into fragments
by relic-seekers
| The crush was stopped for a few mo-
ments, but 1t soon renewed and Mrs.
Longworth again came to the front of
the platform and bowed to the throng.
In the meantime, however. the COM
mittee on arrangements had decided to
defer the addresses until evening at
Continued On page two.