The Oskaloosa herald., 1906-01-25
|EIGHTEEN KILLED
IN CHURCH PANIC
FIFTY ovAmRs nAplY INJURED
AT pAlLAnELPAlA
ARR rsAMpLED uNDER Foor.
unfortunatc Victims Become Wedaed
At sharp Turn IN stairway and
Bannlster Gives Way un.

/
At sharp Turn IN stairway and
BannIster Gives Way un.
der stain.
Philadelphia. Pc, Jan, 22.- Eighteen
persona we're killed and probably halt
hundred injured N a panic following
the cry ot Are last night In stpaulis
colored Baptist church, The services
were being held on The second floor
OF the building. A defective flue set
flre TO the chimney, causing smoke TO
Issue through the crevicos In the floor
near tho pulpit A wild rush was
made for the stairs despite the efforts
OF Rev II. w Johnson, the pastor, TO
nllay the fears OF the frenzled people
The stairway 10 the FIRST floor had q
sharp turn IN X and the frightened
people became so tightly wedged in
thg bend CT the stairs that tho frail
w6cdcn bannistor gave away, precipl-
tating many to the first floor.
Tho crash and the screams and
shrleks Of the women and children
added TO the frenzy Of those above
They did not stop In their onward
rush to get out. Notwithstanding the
wide.open doors on the first floor lead
Ing 60 the street, the crash was so
great that eighteen persons had the
life stamped cut OF them before the
panic was ended.
The flrc was only trifling, the flames
being extinguished before the iireinen
arrived.
When those who came down the
front stairs had left the building ter
rIble sight presented itself to the
rescuers TIE first moor and the stair.
way to the bend woro covered three
deep with the dead and dying, On
tho street hundreds we're Bhrieking for
help and looking for their loved ones,
The rescuerc did not know which way
TO turn FIRST, but Police Captain Hamm
and a policeman who arrived en- the
scene just as the last panlc.stricken
people were rushing from tho edlhce,
took charge and turned In q general
alarm for ambulances, policemen and
flremen. With tho help OF scores OF
colored men and white people who
were attracted TO the scene, the dead
and the injured were extricated, from
the terrible mass OF humanity and laid
on the sidewalks Of Eighth street. Ev.
eryone who could not stand was placed
in an ambulance and rushed TO either
the Childrens', 81. Josepn's CT German
hospital.
Panic In Chicago Hotel.
Chicago, Jan. GA panic among
tho guests Of tho Windermere hotel.
Pifty.sixth street and Cornell avenue,
followed the explosion early today OF
a steam boiler in the basement, which
resulted IN the death Of John Rap.
koch, engineer, and the serious injury
Of Mrs. Seeta May, a guest. The OK.
plosion partially wrecked the hotel
building and damaged adjacent resi-
dences and apartment buildings. The
guests of the hotel were left In dark
ness by the destruction Of the light
ing plant, and many were obliged to
await the arrived Of iiremen, who bat
tered down tho doors OF their apart
ments and released them. Fire fol
lowed the crash out was soon under
control. The damage was estimated
at $4,000.
Two Factories Destroyed.
Baltimore, Md, Jan. 22.--Flre oc
cured this morning in the plant OF
the Baltimore Chrome works. More
than one-half Of the extensive plant
occupying about city block, was dc
stroyed. The loss will be very heavy
as much stock ready for shipment was
destroyed. BY $3.50 the fire was Tin
der control. The loss will be about
100000.
philadelphia, Pa, Jan. PA FIVE
story brick building, o portion OF the
plant OF the Pencoyd Iron works, was
destroyed by fire Of unknown origin
last night. The building was stock
ed with patterns and machinery. Ar
Official Of the Pencoyd company estI
mates the loss at 100000.