The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-12-25

bration by copper mine strikers In an
italian hall because Of q needless pam
ic caused by false alarm Of IRE.
While several hundred miners and
their wives looked on. scores Of chill
dren pressed eagerly toward the stage
stuck his head In at the door Of the
hall and yelled. Fire"
The cry Of alarm was at once taken
up by those in the hall. Everyone
started for the doors. The crush pre-
vented movement.
The weaker were thrown to the
floor and those behind tried to climb
over them.
In q few minutes the panic was
stopped by the fact that the stairway
blocked SO effectually that those inside
could not get out and those without
could not get in to aid the MANNED
and remove the dead.
The alarm was spread outside the
hall by few persons who had been
near the door and had escaped unhurt.
A crowd soon assembled and the work
of clearing the hall was begun. The
only regular exit was a narrow stair
way at the back Of the hall. When
this had been cleared of the bodies
that filled it to the top and O quick
found that seventy-four corpses had
been piled up beside the hall building.
1t was thought that probably a dozen
more had been carried away by
friends
The dead included 81 girls, ~ boys,
IS women and men. The excited
relatives stood about the building.
some daZed by the sudden change
from holiday festivities to tragedy,
others calling Historically for a miss
ing child and few even threatening
violence to the rescuers for keeping
them back from tho long row of
bodies.
Little for Doctors to Do.
There was not much work for the
doctors. for those who were not killed
in the first rush were held upright and
safe by the very force Of the onrush
towards the exit Only three injured
persons were taken to hospitals and a
few went home with the assistance of
friends.
For many days the children of the
copper mine strikers had waited anx-
iously for the Christmas tree exercises
that had been arranged by the wom-
ans auxiliary OF the Western FEEDER
alton Of Miners. The entertainment
was set for early evening. and the
hail. which is on the second floor,
was filled to its limits. The children
selected to recite Christmas selections
and sing carols had finished their part
of the program and the man selected
to play the part of Santa Claus had
appeared to distribute the presents
that were piled around the large tree.
The children were instructed to march
up the aisles to the tree SO the pres
ents could be handed them. The aisbes
were filled with the eager boys and
girls when mans head appeared at
the door of the main hallway. The
man yelled, Fire and the stampede
.. began.
Mrs. Caesar Of 431 Kearsage street.
Laurium, who was near the door.
realized the danger of the act and
seized the man by the shoulders and
tried to counteract the alarm. 1t was
useless. The man tore loose from her
grasp and dashed away. The fatal
word had reached the ears Of many
in the hall and it was repeated
throughout the room.
Death Came Quickly.
Fire" was shouted in several LAM
v,,a pes as parents rose and rushed for
ward to get their children.
The lives were crushed out IN a,
most a twinkling. Tnen the pnysac at
brought the panic-stricken persons to
their senses. 1t was realized. TOO iate:
that there was no fire, but most "
those in the hall could not get OUT
of the jam that they had caused.
Policemen and f1remen hurr1eo 20
the building, only to find the nanWay
i'm nassable because Of the congestion
- hodies- Several officers climbed
the fire escapes and entered the nall
hv the windows. In short time the
,,niniured and the faint nao oee"
nulled from the tangle.
other men rescued the Dooles !ron.
the stairway and placed tnem ~
row beside the building. rms ols sd
+ior Of the crumpled bodies was 1oun ~
..nav,.ahle because of the hysteria II
cou.ed among the spectators. Ane e
t,oS;o. were carried back into the han
a 4. soon as it was emptied OF the fright
a,,eS nersons Within an hour nearly
evervone in Calumet was as near the
scene as it was possible to get. Inc
nolica kept back the croWo. AAee.
much effort a lane was opened tnrousn
the crowd and the bodies OF the cnll.
dren were carried to the Red jacket
village hall. ~ ~.
bodies were identified.
During the confusion several bodies
of children were wrOngfuliy loentIneo
by mothers and taken away only 10
be returned later by the parents. VINO
happily had found their own onsprine
safe. In other cases. parents ran about
uncertain whether their children were
dead or alive. Many mothers tainted
while fathers cursed all who inter-
fered with their mad search for lost
! little ones Women ran through streets
calling for their children. Many fran
tic women were taken into homes that
had not been bereaved that they might
have proper attention. In this way
some times husbands and wives were
/ separated.
| OF the 100 persons in the hall. more
than three-fourths were children. many
Of them having gone without their par
ents. These fathers and mothers rush.
| ed to the scene and added to the con-
] fusion. They did not understand what
! had taken place and hindered the res
cuers by insisting on Information as to
| what was the matter.