Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-12-25
FALSE FIRE ALARM BROUGHT
DEATH TO MANY CiilL-
DREN.
were Celebrating XMAS
Children of Copper Miners Crushed
to Death When Panic Struck
Crowded Hall.


score persons, mostly children, were
killed tonight at Christmas celebra'
ton by copper mine strikers in an
Italian Hall because Of a needless
panic caused 10y false alarm Of fire
While several hundred miners and
their wives looked on, the children
pressed eagerly toward the stage tc
receive Christmas presents. At this
point a man put his head in at the
door Of the hall aud yelled fire"
The cry was taken up by those in
the han. Every one started for the
doors. The weaker We're thrown 10
the floor and those behind tried to
climb over those ahead of them.
Couldn't Get out
The stairway and other avenues Of
egrcss 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.
1t was some time before the panic
subsided
The alarm was spread outside tho
hall by a few persons who had been
near the door and escaped unhurt A
crowd soon assembled and the work
Of clearing the hall was begun.
The principal exit was narrow
stairway at the back of the hall when
this had been cleared OF the bodies
that filled il to the top and quick
accounting had been made, 1t was
found that seventy four cOrpses had
been piled up inside the hall building
1t is thought that dozen others were
carried away by friends.
The dead that were piled up beside
the hall included 81 girls, 8 boys, 3
women and men. Excited men and
women stood about the building, some
dazed by the sudden change from
holiday festivities to tragedy, others
calling hysterically for a missing
child, and few even Threatening vio-
lence to the rescuers for keeping
them back from the long row OF
bodies
Only Three We're injured.
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 killed in the
ed by the very force Of the onrush to-
ward the exit. Only three injured
persons were taken TO hospitals and
a few went home assisted by friends.
For many days the children Of tho
copper mine strikers had waited eX-
pectantly for the Christmas tree exerr
cises that had been arranged by the
Womens Auxiliary of the Western
Federation OF Miners The entertain
ment was set for the early evening
and the hall, which is on the second
floor soon was filled to its limit. The
children selected to reclte Christmas
poems 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
Eresents that were piled around the
hrye illuminated tree.
The children were instructed to
march up the atsles to the tre. so
that the presents could be handed to
them.
The aisles were filled with boys and
girls when a large bearded man thrust
his head in at the door Of the main
hallway and shouted fire"
A woman who was near the door
realized tho import Of the act and
seized the man by the shoulders and
tried to counteract the alarm, but her
efforts were futile The man wrest-
ed himself from her grasp and ran |
away and the cry OF fire" was re-
peated throughout the room
Recovered Too Late.
The word was shouted in several |
languages as parents rose and rushed |
forward to get their children. The |
lives we're crushed out in almost a
twinkling Then the physical impossi-
biity of further movement brought
the panicky persons to their senses.
1t was realized too late that there was
no fire but most OF those in the hall
could not get out of the jam they
had caused.
Policemen and firemen hurried to
the building to find the hall congest-
ed. Several officers climbed the fire
and entered by the windows.
In a short time the uninjured and the
faint had been pulled from the tangle
OF human beings and placed In the
front Of the hall.
Other men began to pull the bodies
of tho dead and helpless from the
stairway and lay them in row beside
the building This disposition Of the
crumpled bodies was found inadvisa-
bic because Of the hysteria 1t caused
among the spectators and the bodies
were carried back Into the hall IA
soo, an II vas emptted OF frightened
spectators. All the chairs were lined
with bodies and corpses had to be
placed In the kitchen OF the hall and
beneath the stage.
Within an hour almost every person
In Calumet was at the scene. The
police formed a Gordon about the
place and kept back the crowd. After
much effort. lane was opened
through the crowd and the bodies Of
were carried through the
ranks OF mourning men and women TO