Omaha daily bee., 1906-01-22
CRY OF FIRE STARTS A PANIl
Eighteen Psrssns Crushed to Death in
0olored Church in Philadelphia.
FORTY ARE EokE OR LESS INJURED
Pastor Had Just Finished sermon ON
"Why Set We Here Until We
Dies" when Rush
began.

PHILADELPHIA. Jan. ia wild panic
following loud shrek OF '.fire brought
death to eighteen colored persons and in
iuries to nearly two score Of others to-
night in ST. Pauls Baptist church on the
vest side OF Eighth street. between Poplar
street and Girsrd avenue The terrible
rush to gain the street was of brief dura-
ton, 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 sgo
persons were the second floor Of the
building which witt the gallery was cap
able ut accommodating sOo to 700. The fire
was n trifing one and was extinEuished
before the fremen arrived The smell OF
smoke added 70 the panit and despite tho
heroic work Of Rev. Z. w. johnson. the
pastor Of the church. who tried in vain 10
allay the fears Of the frightened worship
pers. the ter-or-strfcken people made
desperate rash to leave the church only to
be choled III on the narrow stairway.
Those in the rear leaped over tho PROSTATE
forms OF -hose who fell. and when the
rush was over eighteen lay dead on the
first floor and stairs OF the building. Death
in nearly every case was due 10 sufIoca-
ton ur trampling.
Following is list of the identified dead
SARAH RUFING
NDS J,AwpFNC-T
MIS- PATTON
pr---r1 ITO AAFFp
JOHN BERRY.
ANNA Alex ANDER. aged an
NAIVE NTICTNNFT
SrrSrF HOT NEc
Mrs MARY wHR1 OCE.
CrIArT &c 1tp0INER aged Il years.
NhN-F M'CATI..
CA r-Ivr-r, rN-ur or-V-FTI.
RUTH TRAINER.
The disaster occurred while collection
was being taken up. The pastor had lust
concluded his ss--~or. the text ~ which
was. why sit we here until we die?'
woman Cries fire.
Following the collection there was to
| have been q ba9tism OF d man and wife.
Some Of the colored people, owing to the
lateness Of the evening. had left the church
I and others were about 10 go. AS the pas
7 tor was arranging the pulpit preparatory
I to beginning the baptism service woman
! IL one Of the front rows of the left side
OF the altar gave a loud shrek Of Fire! -
Instantly all those about her were on their
/ feet looking for the blaze. There were no
/ flames in sight, but those in the pulpit
/ smelied smoke and started down the aisle
\ toward the pulpit. Then followed hall
! dozen cries of Fire and the whole con-
! gregation became panic-strcken. The pas
| tor by this time realized the seriousness
of the situation and in a loud voice, which
! only ADDED to the confusion, called 10 the
! terror -stricken peaple- 10 be seated. No one
: listened and. despite his frantic appeal .
rush started that meant death TO many
! that were in it,
At the rear Of the church on the second
! floor there is wide doorway which leads
1 10 q stairway TO each side OF the building
! Each stairway has sharp bend, which
proved TO be the principal contributor!
cause for the jam.
RaIustrade Breaks.
The horrible shrieks sent up by the pros
/ trate persons added 10 the confusion. anC
| by this time even the cooler ones in tht
rear Of the fighting mass Of men, womeI
and children became terror-stricken. Stronl
men in fear that the building falling
leaped over the heads of women and chill
dren and fought only for their own safety
The terrible crush in the bend OF the stain
became SO great that the balustrade, whicl
was only d frail wooden affair, gave way
There was u terrible crash as half a hun
dred persons We're precipitated TO the hoor
a distance OF about ten or twelve feet
, IIlS htlSultntu llit lultIHllA Ol lllt pain
and the rush became an awful jam. Tn
pastor Of the church. man OF powerful
physique and strong voice, continued L
appeal to the crowd in the rear TO stO
their rush. but none would heed. Owe
the PROSTATE forms the crowd went, crush
ing the life out OF those who were unabl
TO extricate themselves. In the confusion
some OF the worshippers thought Of IN
narrow door the right side of the pul
pit and made a quick exit that way, whic
action on their part probably saved In
lives Of a number Of those who had beel
caught In the crush.
John z Taylor, superintendent Of police
arrived on the scene a short time after IN
panic was over. A rumOr was current tina
the church had been overcrowded, but thi
could not be confirmed by the superin
tendent who had made preliminary in
vestigation Of the disaster.
Flat Building in Chicago.
, CHICAGO, Jan. Flour persons wer
injured in a fire which destroyed five -four
story fiat buildings in Cottage Grove ave
nue.. near Oakwood boulevard tonight, an
created a panic among the tenants c
seventy fats IN an adjoining apartmer
building. The FIRE was caused by the c1
plosion OF a gasoline stove. The loss
estimated al $4,000