The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-12-31
CALUMET MOURNS i.
XMAS EVE TRAGEDY
Sorrows Touch Wipes Out Strikes Ill
Feeling. Revised Death List 72.

Calumet, Mich, Dec. 25.-On the day
Christendom has set aside as one of
rejoicing over the birth Of the Saviour,
Calumet, stricken to the heart by an
almost unbelievable catastrophe, stood
mourning by the side of it's dead-the
soyenty-two victims, most Of them
children, of the frightful panic on
Christmas Eve in the italian Hall. This
panic followed a false alarm cry of
lire during the progress Of Christ
mas tree entertainment arranged for
families of the copper strikers.
All bitterness and Ill feeling that has
existed In this strike-ridden community
for months past is wiped away by the
one great, common aniiction. Today
the people of Calumet only can see
their neighbors their brothers. their
sisters and their little children stag
gering under an almost unbearable
burden Of distress and grief.
A mass meeting of Calumet citizens
was held this afternoon to express
sympathy and devise ways and means
to ameliorate the suffering and sorrow
of those families on which the hand Of
death had fallen. A committee of
twelve was appointed to visit each
home and ascertain what financial as
sistance was needed. Funds are as
sured and no outside aid will be need
ed
Meyers Decree Set Aside.
The statement OF President Meyer,
OF the Western Federation Of Miners,
that no benefits from citizens would
be accepted was disregarded. Strikers
this afternoon named committee,
comprising representatives of the ma
tionalities of victims, to call on the
sorrowing relatives and learn their
wishes regarding the funerals.
The authorities SO far have been un-
able to trace man who Is said to
have gone up the stairs Of the Italian
Hall and raised the cry Of fire, to which
tragedy. There seems to be little hope
that he will be apprchcnded. The 9TH
er theory that the cry OF fire original
ed within the hall was substantiatcd
today by Matt Saari, striker, who
lost his son in the disaster He declar-
ed the cry came from a group OF men
and women toward the front of the
hall
"A nj piy ~ q
morning, brought the official revised
list Of dead up to seventytwo. All
bodies have been identified. Most of
the injured in the hospitals will live,
it is said.
Heroic Attempts mt Rescue.
Members Of the Calumet fire depart
ment relate many instances Of heroic
attempts at rescue. Patrick Ryan ar
rived few minutes after the crush
occurred at the foot Of the stairway.
He estimated there were about one
hundred piled In a heap when he
reached the entrance Of the building.
A boy of about six caught hold of
Ryan's hand and begged to be rescued
The fireman pulled the boy partly out,
but was unable to eXtricate the little
fellows legs. The human mass kept
pressing down and the boys life soon
was snuffed out. A girl Of eight or
nine grasped the hands Of Angelo
ICurto, a fireman, kissed them and i'm
plored him to save her. He made a
heroic effort to pull her out, but the
crush was so great he was compelled
to give up the attempt and she per-
ished.
Mrs. A. Nemela, one OF the victims,
was suffocated while standing up.
Leonard Wilman, fireman, took out a
crying boy Of six, uninjured. Near him
his mother and sister lay dead His
seven-year-old brother was taken out
later. An 11-year-old boy rescued his
brother of nine by carrying him down
ladder. There were other similar
rescues.
Caught Falling Children.
A child hurled from the building
was caught by spectator. Chief Tru-
dell, of the fire department caught an
other child thrown out Of q window by
frantic father. John Saari killed his
boy OF five by falling on him, and he,
too. perished
President Meyer, Of the Western
Federation of Miners, received a mes