The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-12-31
FALSE FIRE ALAR STARTS A
CHRISTMAS STAMPEDE
.SEVENTY-TWO Are dead
While the Children Of Calumet, Mich
igan's Striking Miners Were
Around Huge Chris nas Tree
Some One Maliciously Shouted
Fire, Starting the Fatal Panic.

On the day Christendom has set
aside as one Of rejoicing over the
birth Of the Savior Calumet, Mich.
stricken to the heart by an almost
unbelievable catastrophe, stood
mourning by the side Of its dead
the seventy-two victims, most OF
them children, Of the frightful panic
on Christmas Eve in the Italian Hall
This panic followed false alarm
cry of fire during the progress Of
Christmas tree entertainment arrang-
ed for families Of thee opper strikers.
All bitterness and i'll feeling that
has existed in this strike-ridden COM
munity for months past is wiped
away by the one great, common af-
Fiction. Christmas day the people
Of Calumet only saw their neighbors,
their brothers, their sisters and their
little children staggering under an
almost unbearable burden Of distress
and grief.
A mass meeting of Calumet citi-
zens was held in the afternoon to ex-
press sympathy and devise ways and
means to ameliorate the suffering
and sorrow of those families on
which the hand Of death had fallen.
A committee of twelve was appoint
ed to visit each home and ascertain
what financial assistance was needed.
Funds are assured and no outside aid
will be needed.
The accident occurred wednesday
night while several hundred miners
and their wives looked on, the chill
dren pressed eagerly to the stage to
receive Christmas presents. At this
point man put his head in at the
door Of the hall and yelled "Fire!"
The cry was taken up by those in
the hall. Every one started for the
doors. The weaker were thrown to
the floor, and those behind tried to
climb over those ahead OF them.
The stairway and other avenues Of
egress were blocked so effectually
that those inside could not get out,
and those without could not get in to
aid the panic-stricken crowd in the
hall. The principal exit was a mar
row stairway at the back Of the hall.
When this had been cleared OF the
bodies that filed it to the top and a
quick recounting had been made, it
was found that seventy-two corpses
had been piled up beside the hall
building. 1t is thought that dozen
others were carried away by friends.
The dead were piled up beside the
hall included 37lgirls, 19 boys, nine
women and five men. Excited men
and women stood about the building,
some dazed by the sudden change
from holiday festivities to tragedy,
others calling Historically for miss
ing child, and a few even threatened
violence to the rescuers for keeping
them back from the long row of
bodies.
There was not much work for the
many doctors who hurried to the
scene as soon as the alarm was
spread, for those who were not kill
ed in the first rush were held upright
and safe by the very force Of the on
rush towards the exit. Only three
injured persons were taken to hos
pitals. A few went home, sisted
by friends.
For many days the children OF the
copper mine strikers had waited ex-
pectantly for Christmas tree exer-
cises, arranged by the Woman's Aux
iliary of the Western Federation OF
Miners. The entertainment was set
for the early evening, and the hall,
on the second floor, soon was filed to
it's limit. Children selected to recite
Christmas selections and sing carols
had finished, and the man selected to
play the part Of Santa Claus had
prepared to distribute the presents
that were piled around the tree.
The aisles were filled with the
boys and girls, when the man thrust
his head in at the door Of the main
hallway and shouted "Fire!" A wo-
man near the door realizing the i'm
port Of the act, seized the man by
the shoulders and tried to counteract
the alarm, but her efforts were fu-
tile. The man wrested himself from
CONTINUED on page two.)
her grasp and ran away and the cry
NEGRO STRUNG UP.