The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-12-26

While Police Look vainly for That
Man who Yelled Fra

Calumet. Mich. Dec. 1e.-0n the day
which throughout all Christensen 10 SET
aside a. a day of rejoicing ovsr the
birth OF the Savior. Calumet stricken
IN thu heart by an almost unbelisvanie
catastrophe, was mourning by the Aoe
81 its dead, the u victims, most o!
.vhc,,, ware children OF the trtGntIui
manic on Christmas eve In the Italian
hall This panic followed false alarm
cry of fire during the progress OF
Christmas tree entert; lament afranseu
for families Of the copper striAe AZ
h,tterness and Ill feeling that has ex-
isted in this strike-ridden community
durinR the past months Is wiped away
Nv one great, common anl1ct1on.
The authorities have been 30 faf I'M
All. 20 trace the man who 10 said TO
have gone up the stairs OF the 1tanan
hall and raised the cry OF nre, VINO
n supposed to have started the panic
which led to the fearful crush IN .ne
stairway and caused the deatn OF tns
nearly four score men. women anu
children. There seems to be little nope
that he will be apprehended.
The other theory that the cry OF nre
oririnated within the hall was eubstan-
dated today by Matt Sari. a striker who
lost his SON in the diseaser. He de-
clared the cry came from a group OF
men and women toward the front OF the
hall.
A 14-year-old girl who died this morn
ing brought the oficial revised list OF
6ead IN to Y. All now have been tden-
tined. Five injured are in the hospitals.
All Of whom, it is said. will live. Three
little girls in the Calumet Hecla
hospital were able today to be up ana
about and they romped around
Christmas tree set up for the patients
Of the hospital. unaware OF the fate tnat
had overtaken some OF their orotnefs
and sisters and the father OF one OF
them. A how Of or 8 years Of age.
who was taken to one Of the morgues
showed signs Of life soon after, but
no restoratives and physician were
available and death ensued.
A couple entered the town hall
where all the bodies had been gather
I'd to look for their missing child. Their
hopes ran high when they had looked
at 70 of the bodies and failed to dnd
their loved one, but the last body they
viewed, the seventy-irst. was that OF
the missing one.
Members Of the Calumet IRE depart
ment relate many instances OF heroic
attempts to rescue the panic-strfcken
people in the hall. Patrick Ryan ar
rived on the scene a few minutes after
the crush occurred at the foot of stair |
way. He estimated tnere were ABOUT
100 piled on top of each other when he
reached the entrance Of the building. |
The pile Of crushed and smothered hui |
manity reached to about half the height |
of the stairway. They were wedged in /
80 tightly that 1t was impossible to |
extricate any from the foot Of the stairs. |
A boy Of about 6 caught hold Of Ryan's |
hands and begged to be rescued. The !
fireman succeeded in pulling the boy |
partly out, but were unable to extri- !
cate the little fellows legs. The human
mass kept pressing down and 4 was |!
impossible to save the boy. whose life |
was soon snuffed out.
A girl of 8 or 9 grasped the hands |
of Angelo Curto. another fireman, kiss !
ed him and implored hin. to save her. |
He made heroic effort to pull her out, !
but the crush was so great he was |
to givesup. She perished
Mrs. A .Niemela. one Of the victims. |
was suffocated while standing IN.
John Burrill. fireman who Witnessed
her death. taking a 6-months-old infant |
from her arms and carried 1t to safety.
Leonard Wilman, a fireman, pushed |
his way into the stairway and took
out crying boy of 6. uninjured. Near
him his mother and sister lay dead
His 7-year-old brother was taken out !
later. An u-year-old boy rescued his
brother Of by carrying him down a
ladder. There were other similar res
cues.