Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1913-12-31

tempt to Escape From HaiI-Stair-
ways Are Piled High With Bodies
of Crushed and Suffocated Victims
Warning Factions of Copper Dis
t-ict Bound Together in Grief Over
Catastrophe.
Calumet. Mich, Dec. 25.-More
than forescOre persons, mostly chill
iren, we're killed Thursday night
na Christmas celebration of copper
mine strikers in Italian hall, because
of needless panic caused by a false
alarm of fire.
While several hundred miners and
their wives looked on and scores of
children pressed eagerly toward the
stage to receive Christmas presents
man stuck his head in at the door
Of the hall and yelled ''Firei" The
cry Of alarm was at once taken up by
those in the hall Every one started
FOR the doors. The crush prevented,
movement The weaker were thrown
10 the floor Those behind tried to
climb over them.
Trampie Out Tots Lives.
In few minutes the panic was
stopped b. the fact that the stairway
and the other avenues of egress were
blocked so effectually that those in
side could not get out nor could those
outside get in to aid the MANNED and
remove the dead.
The only regular exit was a narrow
stairway at the back of the hall.
When this had been cleared of bodies
that filed it to the top, and a quick
accounting had been made, it was
found that seyenty-four corpses had
been piled up beside the hall build
ing The dead included thirty-seven
girls, nineteen boys, thirteen women
and five men. OF the 700 persons in
The hail. more than three-fourths
we're children, many Of them having
gone without their parents. These
fathers and mothers soon rushed to
The scene and added to the confusion.
They did not understand what had
taken place and hindered the rescu-
srs by insisting on information as to
What was the matter.
Little Work for Doctors.
There was not much work for the
doctors Those who were not killed
IN the first rush were held upright
and 3Ie by the very force of the on
rush toward the exit Only three in
IlFed persons were taken to hospitals
and a few went home with the assist
a1ce Of friends.
The hall was filled to its capacity
when the panic occurred. The chill
Qfen selected to recite Christmas Sc
ectons and sing carols had finished
AelF part of the pl ogram and the
man selected to play the part OF
santa Claus had appeared to distri-
ga'e the presents piled around the
afge tree. The aisles were filed
With the boys anG1girls when a man
PaJ Ills head in at the door of the
nam doorway and yelled that awful
word. "Fire,"
Woman Siezes Panic Fiend.
4 woman who was near the door
realized the danger of the act She
seized the man by the shoulders and
Iled to cOunteract the alarm 1t was
useless.
lne man tore loose. from her grasp
anu dashed away. The fatal word
reached the ears of many in the hall
SUI II vas repeated throughout the
.Vom. Fret was shouted in sever
8. languages. Parents rose and rush
81 81 forward to get their children. The
ives We're crushed out in almost
-"iASHug. Then the physical i'm
possibility of further movement
drought the panic-stricken persons
10 their senses.
Alarm Proves to Be False.
1t vas realized too late that there
'a "a. no fire, but most of those in the
-"l- could not get out of the jam that
Icy had caused.
- o-ttemen and firemen hurried to
,1e building, only to find the hallway
L1tpaSsd5ie because of congestion of
sVu'eS- Several officers climbed FIRE
APES and entered the hall by win
US 1S.S. IN short time the uninjured
~ i-e faint had been DuIled from
~ ~ 1aAgle. The scores of.bodies were
r s'a1so IN the front of the hall Other
- rescued bodies from the stair
and placed them in a row beside