The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-26
All Bitterness Wiped
Away by One Great
Common Grief.
CALUMET PANIC
COSTS 72 LIVES
Mass-Meeting of Citizens Held
to Devise Ways and Means
to Ameliorate Sufering-No
Outside Aid Needed-Many
Incidents of Heroism
Are Related.

Calumet. Mich, December 25.--on the
uay Christendom sets aside for re-
Jo'cinS over the birth OF the Saviour
ohiuthet. stricken by an almost unbe
heVablo catastrophe, stands mourni,r
by the side OF its dead. the scycntv-two
victims. most of them children of tbn
ir'shtful panic on Christmas Eve IN
the Italian Hall This panic followed
false alarm cry Of fire ,l,,rIn,r
C"''St'ias tree entertainment arranged
LOT iainiIies of the copper strikers
All bitterness and ill-fecllng tbAt b,s
eNistcd In this strille-riddcn comnunitv
curing the past months is wiped a,vov
py the one great common afiiction
hnsS-ineetinE of Calumet Gift
zchS was called this afternoon Ia ~.
P'cSS sympathy and devise wavs aud
.'eitnS to ane,ioratp the s,,frcrir,rs .,,i
sorrow OF those families on which liz
hahd OF death hal fallen \ cot,ni.
W. " t"ciFe was appointed 10 visit
80. -. !" ic noric ana ascertain wha. financial
assistance was needed. Funds nr,- .,r.
Snrcd ana no outside aid will he ,,,,.,I,
ne statement of President Mover of
| IN" western Federation of Miners. tbot
! no oehehts from the citizens would be
accepted was dsregarded Tho 49,,
! path'IerS also met this afternoon nu,I
haslcd Il committee comDosal of III,
| nationalities of tho victims to call mn
| them and learn their wishes rc-ardinrr
| the funerals.
Unable 10 Find Guilty yInu.
me authorities have so far been nm
Hp'e 10 trace II man who is SO Id to have
! gone up the stars of the Italian ITaII
ana raised a cry OF fire that led tn tha
iearful crush inthe stairway and ca,Ispd
! 'he oeath or the nearly fourscore men
| women and children. There seems to
ne i,ttie nope that hc will be nppre.
hehded' ~ theory that the cry of fire
originated within the hall was sun
stantiated to-day by Matt Saari !,
| striker who lost his son in the dis
aster lie declared the cry came from
| II group OF men and women toward the
| front OF the hall
fourteen -yearold girl who died
TINS morning brought the Official 30
| vlsed list of dead up to sevcutv-t,vo
All bodies have now been identided
! Most of those in the hospitals will 1.-Two
IL is said Several little girls in one
nospi,al were able to-day TO romp
around small Christmas tree which
some OF their friends had fitted uD.
MemDeri Of the Calumet fire do
| partmeht relate many instances of hc-
roic attempts TO rescue the panic
S.rlckeh stricken people In the hall. Patrick
! Ryan arrived on the scene n few min
| utces after the crush occurred at tho
| loot or the stairway. He estimated
there were about 100 piled in n hean
| when ne reached the building. The pile
OF crushed and smothering humanity
! reached TO about half the height or
| the stairway They were wcdsed in so
| tight that IL was impossible 10 cxtrl =
cate any from the foot Of the stair
way.
boy Begs to lie Saved.
y boy OF about six years caught
hoid or Mr. Ryan's hand and begged
to he rescued. The fremen succeeded
| IN pulling the boy partly out, but We're
unable to eXtrcate the little fellows
legs. The human mass kept pressing
down and the boys life was soon
snuned out. girl Of eight or nine
grasped the hands OF Angelo Curto. n
fireman. kissed them and implored him
TO save her He made a heroic effort
TO pun her out. but the crush was so
great he was compelled TO give up the
attempt, and she periShed
Mrs. y. Niemela, one of the victims
was sunocated while standing up. John
burrill, fireman who witnessed her
death took siX-months-o infant
from her arms and carried it to safety.
Leonard Wilman. fireman pushed his
way into the stairway and took out n
crying boy OF six, uninjured. Near
him his mother and sister lay dead
An eleven-year- old boy rescued his
brother OF nine by carrying him down
a ladder.
y child hurled from the building was
caught by spectator. Chief Trudell.
OF the fire department. caught another
child thrown out OF the window by a
frantic father. John Saara killed his
boy of five by falling on him, and he,
too, Dershed.
President Meyer, of the Western Fed
Grafton OF Miners, received II message
from the Governor this afternoon, stat
ing that he was at his home and would
render all possible assistance to those
stricken by the disaster
Local headquarters OF the Western
Federation OF Miners to-day anxiousiy
awaited reply to kilograms sent last
night by President Meyer to President
Wilson.
Meyer Dccries Story.
President Meyer decried attempts
which he said had been made to inter
pret his statements on the catastrophe
as efforts to make capital for his or
ganiZation out OF the calamity. He
stated cmphatically that ne had merely
offered testimony of eyewitnesses for
what that testimony was worth, and
that the persons who told him that tho
miscreant who started the panic by
calling Fire" wore insignia of the
Citizens Alliance would be produced
as witnesses at the coroner's inquest.
Offers OF assistance from union labor,
sources came in rapid succession this
morning. William Green, secretary OF
the United Mine Workers, at Indian
apolis. telegraphed that $1,000 would he
sent. message from Butte, Mont,
said federation members there could he
called upon for any amount up TO $780,
600. President Meyer said that he had
with difficulty kept In bounds tho par
ents and other relatives OF victims OF
the panic. The report that an enemy
OF the union had started the panic