Imperial Valley press., 1913-12-26
One Big Disaster
Marked Christmas

| Calumet, Mich, Dec. Z6-Ine enClfe
copper mining district is stunned to-
day over the disaster of last night
which cost the lives of more thar
seventy persons, most Of them chill
f, dren, in a panic after false alarm
! of fire during Christmas exercises ar
ranged by the womens' auxiliary OF
the Western Federation of Miners.
Late in the afternoon it was stated
the correct list of those who perished
was seventy-three.
Tomorrow an inquest will be held
! to investigate the cause of the dis
aster. Many persons say the alarm
of fire was raised by man who came
up the stairs, opened the door of the
| hall and shouted "fire." Witnesses
describe the man as being poorly
dressed. He wore a beard. Threats
/ of lynching the man have been made
In spite of all the efforts of the au-
! thorities he has not yet been found.
! Another story of the alarm which
brought about the panic was pro-
vided today bv Matt Saari, a striker,
who identified his boy among the
dead. Saari said that the cry of
fire came from within the hall in a
section occupied mostly by adults.
Still another story was told today
by Mrs. John Myers, whose observa-
tions tended to confirm Saari's story.
She said that she saw man with a
boy in his arms rushing down the
stairs. The boys cap was burning,
she said and in her opinion this spec
tacle inspired the cry which Saart said
he heard. The boys cap, friends of
this theory assert, might easily have
been ignited by a spark from one of
the tobacco pipes which some of the
spectators were smoking.
Nearly three score strikers homes
have been desolated. All during the
night hundreds of persons gathered
in and about the city hall and under
taking establishments, where the
bodies have been taken. 1t was not
until late this morning that the work
Of preparing the bodies for burial
had been completed.
The bodies of a woman, girl and
a boy remain to be identified. The
authorities are of the opinion that
Fall of the dead have been accounted
for.
Firemen and policemen when they
reached the hall were unable to stem
the rush of the panic-stricken. Lad
tlers were raised to the windows on
the second floor and firemen began
dragging women and children from
a heap of humanity which packed the
stairway. Other persons were in
jured in their mad scramble toward
the single doorway leading to the
street. So closely did the bodies pack
the stairway that entrance by this
means was impossible. Other res
curers, however, made their way into
the hall by means of small fire es-
cape at the rear of the building.
Many instances of heroic rescues
are being told today. One boy Is
years old carried a little companion
down a ladder to safety. He started
back for another boy whom he had
seen trampled on, but firemen pre-
vented him from entering the hall.
A woman and her little daughter
were among the first to be pushed
down the stairs by the crowd. Both
of them perished A son of this
woman managed to fight his way out
of the throng and was not injured.
Most of the men in attendance at
the entertainment acted bravely.
The men, however, were in great mi
nority. One man who sought to stay
the rush of the crowd was crushed
to death. Little children were the
first to suffer. They could not get
out of the way of their elders and
dozens of them were trampled to
death.
1t was only when persons from
the outside fought their way into
the hall that the panic was checked.
Bodies of some of those who were
killed were at once carried away by
fathers and mothers. Later these
were taken to the city hall for better
Identification.
Preparations to collect funds for
| the relief of the bereaved families
began before the last BODY had been
taken from the hall. Fifteen hun
dred dollars was pledged in the
neighboring city of Houghton be-
fore midnight and the committee was
kept busy all day today receiving adj
ditional contributions.
The declaration of President Moy-
er of the Western Federation OF
Miners that subscriptions were not
| wanted had no effect on those be-
/ longing to this organization. Their
activity was not retarded in the
least by the opposition of Meyer.
/ A telegram from Governor Ferris
read: at is with the most profound
sorrow that / learn Of this awfu
disaster. Children are the most
precious asset in the world. AL
Michigan will sympathize with bereav-
ed friends and will be glad to render
all assistance possible in this, then
hour of sorrow"
The local subscription list will, il
is expected, be greatly augmented
at mass meeting.
Arrangements for a general flu
neral service for all of the dead prob.
ably will be the plan adopted at :
meeting of strikers and relatives o1