The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-07-05

Chene-st., IL years old, badly
bruised and tramped on, but no
bones were broken; thought she
may be injured internally; has
been taken horne.
Mary Rudensky, No. sig Hastings
Ct, aged 80, said to have jumped
from q second-story window into
an express wagon on the Safest.
side, 10 badly bruised and uneon.
scious; expected that she will re-
cover; In ST. Mary's hospital.
Marietta MonaceIli, Of No. 435
Russeii-st., aged 80, knee crushed
and was badly bruised; taken
home.
An alarm Of fire given Dy an excited
woman on the second floor OF Kresge' 5
nve and ten-cent store at Woodward
ave. and State-st., at S:l5 Saturday
morning precipitated panic which
resulted In the probably fatal injury
or one baby, the serious injury or four
older persons and slight injuries to
forty or fifty others who were caught
IN the rush.
There was no fire in the store, the
scare being caused by womah who
heard the whistle OF fire engine 60
Ing TO a fire some distance away. Her
cry was caught up by twenty others
In second, and the rush for the stairs
resulted. which forced several hun
dred people into a struggling. fighting
mass on the broad stair landing be-
tween the first and second stories.
Men and women became frantic
with fear and in moment frenzied
people were leaping from the rear
windows into the alley and from the
fire escape at the side. That dozen
or more persons were not killed in the
mad rush seems miraculous.
The back windows were kicked out
and many persons jumped out into
the alley before a check was put TO
the panic. II took Is minutes after
the rush was over to- rescue the peo-
pie jammed together on the stairs and
landing.
A second panic occurred when the
fire engines which had been summoned
dashed up outside the building The
fremen put up their ladders and car
ried people down from the landing
windows and also pulled them back
to the second story from the landing.
There was a terrible rush on on the
first floor when the stampede occurred
above and many persons were Knocked
down. but the terrible scenes on the
landing were not repeated there, be-
cause IL was possible for al 10 make
their escape.
Second Panic Occurs.
The big store was jammed with peo-
pie at the time the panic occurred.
1t had been opened TO the public for
the first time an hour before. and
was filed with bargain-seekers, most
ly persons or foreign birth. Aisles
were packed with pushing, showing
people, and every one was more or
less excited. The crowd CONSISTED
mostly OF women and girls, with only
q few men interming,ed
There's a fire." a woman suddenly
cried.
In such q gathering fear was con-
tagious, and the high-pitched exclama-
tion OF a startled woman as she heard
the whistle OF a fire engine several
blocks away was enough TO send the
shoppers pell-mell In frantic drove
TO the back OF the store, where the
narrow stairs are A broad stairway
leads up to the landing from the first
moor, and narrower stairs go up on
either side OF this TO the second-story
Over these stairs is q hanging bal
cony used as a resting space, and on
one side thelanding is fianked above
by the hardware and caps counters.
The first rush Of women. girls and
men down the narrow stairs brought
the two streams OF people together at
the head OF the wider stair and some
Sci 10 40 boH frOr 4 IN
nrst floor and there was a mix-up
meantime other people had crowded
down the stairs onto the landing.
crowding 1t.
Balustrsde Gives Way.
At this moment the balustrade OF
the stairs at the right gave way and
q dozen or more people fell bodily
upon the struggling mass at the head
OF the wider stair, knocking others
down and forming a jam which held
back the crowding throng on the land
ing. II seemed that many of the
shrieking, fighting women would be
, hurt and their screams only crazed
the frightened crowds above From
the hanging balcony and the counters
ut the side, men and women began u
Jump down upon the heap OF humanity
below, until the landing presented the
sight OF writhing mass OF faces
bodies, legs and arms.
There was rain of human beings
from above until the people were
piled up several deep Those who
saw the rush say that the men In the
crowd we're the most frenzied In their
EFFORT TO escape. Insane with fright
come OF them trampled ruthlessly
upon the fallen and made their way
over the top OF the crowd to safety
+ Naddened women beat at one another
!. with umbrellas and other articles they
had just purchased.
The employees OF the store stood a.
their places and tried TO restrain tn,
crowds, but without avail Officer:
4 Kolb. who Is stationed on the crossins
outside, and Detective Bert High. WHIT
was passing. ran in. and they wer,
4 1oined by other officers. Men EN-
ployed in the store joined these. an
they went to work 10 extricate tn,
. human beings wedged together on tn,
+ landing and stairs.