Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1906-01-24
PANIC IN A Church
Eighteen COLOBEB PERSONS
met horrible death.
A Woman Shrieked "Fire" in Baptist
Church, Located on Eighth Street in
Philadelphia, and Everybody eolted
for the Door-Disaster Occurred
While Collection Was Being Taken.


following loud Shrek of fire"
brought death to IS colored persons
and injuries to nearly two score of
others Sunday night In st. Pauls Dap.
tist church on the west side Of Eighth
street, between Poplar street and Gi.
rard avenue. The terrible rush to
gain the street was of brief duration,
and that more were not killed in the
stampede probably was 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 ac.
commodating 600 to 700 people. The
fire was tritling one and was ex-
tinguished before the firemen arrived
The smell Of smoke added to the panic
and despite the heroic work of the
Rev. Mr.. Johnson, pastor Of the
church, who tried in vain to allay the
fears of the frightened worshippers.
the terror stricken people made a des-
perate rush to leave the church, only
to be chOked up on the narrow stair
way. Those In the rear leaped over
the prostrate forms of those who fell,
and when the rush was over 1S lay
dead on the first floor and stairs of
the building. Death in nearly every
case was due to suffocation or tramp
ling.
Following is a list of the identified
dead: Sarah Ruflng. Mrs. Lawrence.
Mrs. Patton. Ruth Framer, John Ber-
ry. Anna Alexander. aged 40; Mamie
McKenney, Susie Holmes, Mrs. Mary
Weblock. Charles Gardiner. aged IA;
Mamie Mccall, Ambrose Slaughter,
years old; Cathrine Sewell. Ruth
Trainor.
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 collection there was
to have been a baptism. Some Of the
colored people had left the church and
the others we're about to go. AS the
pastor was arranging the pulpit pre-
paratory to beginning the baptismal
service woman In one of the front
rows gave loud shrek OF Fire" In
stantly all those about her were on
their feet looking for the blaze. There
were no flames in sight. but those
near the pulpit smelled smoke. and
started down the aisle toward the pull
pit. Then followed a half dozen cries
OF "fire," and the whole congregation
became panic stricken. The pastor by
this time realized the seriousness OF
the situation and. In loud voice
which only added to the confusion,
called to the terror stricken people to
be seated. No one listened. and de-
spite his frantic appeals rush start
ed that meant death to many who
were in It.
At the rear OF the church. on the
second floor. there is wide doorway
which leads to a stairway to the east
size Of the building. Each stairway
has a sharp bend, which proved to be
the principal contributory cause for
the Jam. The front door on the first
floor Is wide and easy of exit.
When the rush started those In the
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 ter
rible rush down the stairs. For some
unknown reason every body tried to
get down the left side OF the building,
comparatively few attempting to leave
by the right stairway.
The horrible shrieks sent UP by the
PROSTATE persons added to the con-
fusion, and by this time even the cool
er ones in the rear Of the fighting
mass, men. women and children. be-
came 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
bends of the stairs became SO great
that the ballustrade, which was only
frail wooden affair. gave way. There
was a terrific crash as half hundred
persons we're precipitated to the floor,
a distance of 10 or ~ feet. This
heightened the intensity of the panic
and the rush became an awful jam.
When those who came down the
front stairs had left the building, a
terrible sight presented itself to the
rescuers. The FIRST floor and the
stairway to the bend were covered
three deep with the dead and dying.
On the street hundreds were shrek
ing for help and looking for their
missing ones. The rescuers did not
know which way to turn first. but Po.
lice Captain Hamm and q policeman
who arrived at the scene just as the
last Of the panic stricken people were
rushing from the edifice. took charge
apd turned in a general alarm for
ambulances. policemen and fremen.
With the help Of scores OF colored
men and white people who we're at
tracted to the scene, the dead and In.
tured were extricated from the ter
y1boe aioon Of humanity and laid ON
ne s61sjpolks Of Eighth street.
The ~ was . most trifiing affair
A dselr1ss nue stss.sd small aEs y