Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-12-25
HUNDREDS or CALUMET
CHILDREN CRUSHED
Continued From Page One.)
Crowd Cleared Hall.

.F-EN
Crowd Cleared Hall.
When the crowd assembled the
work OF clearing the hall began. The
only regular exit was a narrow stair
way at the back of the hall. When,
this was clear Of the bodies that filled,
it to the top and a quick accounting
had been made, it was found that "a
corpses had been piled up beside the
hall building. 1t is thought that prob
ably a dozen more had been carried
away by friends.
Relatives Were Frenzied.
The dead included 81 girls, 10 boys,
Is women and ) men. Excited rela.
tives stood about the building, some
dazed by the sudden change Of holi.
day festivities to u tragedy; others
calling Historically for their miss.
ing children, and a few even threat
ening violence to the rescuers for
keeping them back from the row Of
bodies.
Doctors Were Useless.
There was not much work for the
doctors as those not killed in the
first rush were held upright and safe
by the very force of the 0nrush to-
ward the exit. Only three injured
persons we're taken to hospitals, and
a few went home, with the assist
ance Of friends.
III The entertainment, arranged by
the Women's Auxiliary Of the
Western federation Of Miners,
had reached the point where
the man selected to play Santa Claus
appeared to distribute the presents,
piled around the tree. The children
were instructed to march up the
aisles to the tree, SO the presents
could be handed them. The aisles
We're filled with boys and girls when
the false alarm was sounded by the
nan A woman realizing the danger,
seized the mar and tried to counter
act the alarm, but the man tore from
her grasp and dashed away.
Then Swore Vengeance.
OF the 700 persons in the hall more
than three-fourths We're children, and
many were without the parents.
These parents soon rushed to the
scene and added to the confusion &C
companying the Identification and dis
posal of the bodies Of the victims.
Death in most cases a due to suffO-
cation under the weight of those who
fell upon them. A few corpses bore
marks of. injury. The bodies were
crumpled and broken, but the fea-
lures were not cut or bruised. 1t
was a%scertained that there was no
fire in Or ear the building to cause
the false alarm. Many mel in the
crowd about swore vengeance if the
man responsible for the disaster
could be found.
Citizens Render Aid.
Even children were seized with
panic, but smaller ones, many under
s., soon deprived of fear with
the snufing out Of their lives under
the heels of larger persons, who blind
", or because impelled by those be-
behind them, trod their very offspring
to death. One man was seen to stoop
and take up his little girl, whom he
pushed forward and then trod her be-
meath him. A woman an to grab up
three small boys ans was crushed to
death with them.
The coroner began impaneling a
jury for a thorough investigation.
Citizens of Calumet and Houghton
rallied tonight to aid bereaved by 8
O'Clock. Residents of Hought0n pledg-
ed $780, and a committee was APP
pointed to take charge of additional
subscriptions. Arrangements already
are under way for a public funeral,
and the suspension of all work in the
copper mining district during the ex.
ercises is probable. Thorough search
for the man who caused the catastrO-
pho is being made and. though ey-
eral miners say he is a member of
the Citizens Alliance law and order
organization. this is denied by the
Alliance.