Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1913-12-25

the building This disposition of the
crumplcd bodies was found inadvis-
able because OF the hysteria it caused
among the spectators and the cOrpses
were carried back in the hall as soon
as it was emptied of the frightened
persons. All the chairs were lined
with bodies and other corpses had TO
be placed I'm the kitchen of the hall
and beneath the stage.
Inside Of an hour nearly everyone
In Calumet was as near the scene as
it Wa. f4tgihie to ct. The police
formed a Gordon and Kept back the
crowd After much effort and per-
suasion a lane was opened through
the crowd and the bodies of the chill
dren We're carried through ranks of
waiting people 10 "Red Jacket Village
hall," which was turned into a
morgue. It vas many hours before all
the bodies were identified.
In the confusion several bodies or
/ children were wrongly identified by
mothers and taken away only to be
returned later by the parents who
happily had found their own off
springs safe. In other cases many
mothers tainted while fathers cursed
oil those who interfored with them
in their mad search for boys and girls.
For hours frantic women were about
the streets calling for their little ones
Efforts We're made to calm the hys-
terical women and many were taken
into homes that had not been be-
reayed SO that they might have
proper attention. In this way some
times husbands and wives We're sepa-
rated
or the seven hundred persons in
the hall, more than three-fourths
were children, many of them having
gone without their parents These
fathers and mothers soon rushed to
the scene and added to the confusion. I
They did not understand what had
taken place and hndered the rescu- /
ers by insisting on information as TO I
what was the matter.
There was a fire escape at the rear
Of the building, but only those who |
were very near it could make any use
Of it until after the fatal rush was
over. Probably not more than a hun
dred escaped the first rush by way Of /
this fire escape About q score more .
Jumped from the windows near which /
they sat AS the windows were not !
many feet from the ground the jump
did not cause injury.
The Italian hall was built about
five years ago and was we'll provided T
for emergencies, it was thought The
entrance was a hallway about ten feet I
deep. A stairway about eight feet I
wide led up from this vestibule to a
small landing about eight by ten feet I
The main door of the hall opened on
this landing. There is a small cloak
room about ten feet square to one side 4
Of the main door. The loss Of life was
heavy at the small door of this room, |,
The rush apparently turned many I,
against the door of this room and
crushed them to death within the t
doorway
The greatest number Of dead in any
one place, however was at the bot
tom Of the stairs. Those who reached n
the stairs first were evidently hurled /,
70 the bottom by those behind and in
-his fashion tho stairway was filled to
The ceiling
That death in most cases was due
70 suffocation under the weight of
hose who fell last was indicated by
he fact that few of the corpses bore
marks Of injury Bodies were crum-
pied and broken but the features !
we're not cut or bruised q
here was no fire in or near the build lo
ng to cause the false alarm. Even \
he Christmas tree did not show any \
Evidence of fire. 1t was lighted by '
Electricity and every precaution had !
leen taken by those in charge of the "a
to avoid danger on ac- /
cunt of the large number present, l.
drs Anne Clemens, president OF the i
Auxiliary association in
harge of the entertainment, said she t
vas distributing gifts when the panic {
tarted She and other women had b
ieen intent on keeping the children in {
inc and orderly. as they We're eager I
o see what Santa Claus had brought d
hem.
Mrs. Clemens said that the boys and
iris had been very patient in spite Of
he tiresome wait and that the women G
f the committee had just remarked Il
0 each other how well the youngsters a
ehaved when the cry Of fire spread h
through the house. She said that the u
-omen in charge tried 70 stem the n
n-rush and quiet the people. but