The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1913-12-25

, the panicky persons to their senses
IL was realized too late that there was
no fire. but most of those In the hall
could not get out or the ami that they
had caused
Policemen and firmen hurried to
the building. to find the hall congest-
ed. Several officers climbed the fire
escapes and entered by the windows.
In short time the injured and the
faint had been pulled from the tangle
OF human beings and placed I'm front
OF the hall. Other men began to pull
the bodies of the dead and helpless
from the stairway and lay them in a
row beside the building. This dispo-
sition OF the crumpled bodies was
found inadvisable because OF the hys.
terra IL caused among the spectators.
and the corpses were carried back into
the hall as soon as IL was emptied of
the frightened persons All the chairs
were lined with bodies and other
corpses had TO be placed in the kit
chen of the hall and beneath the
stage.
whole town to Scene.
inside OF am hour nearly every one in
calumet was as near the scene ar II wa
possible To get. The police formed "A
Gordon about the place and kept back
the crowd. After much effort a lane
was opened through the crowd and the
bodies OF the children were carried
through the ranks OF means and walls to
aN'N "-A'NtA NAAAAkf udlls NnlGn was made
INTO morgue IL was many hours be-
fore all the bodies were identified.
During the confusion several bodies
OF children were wrongly Identified ty
mothers and taken away. only TO be re-
turned later by the parents who had
found their own offspring safe In
other cases parents ran about for some
time uncertain whether their children
were dead or alive. Many mothers faint
ed, while fathers cursed all those who
inteerfered with their mad search for lost
For hours frantic women ran The
streets calling for their little ones Ef-
Lorfs were made 10 calm these motherg
and many We're taken into homes that
had nor been bereaved 50 that they
might have proper attention. In this
way sometimes husbands and wives
or the zoe persons In the hall. more
than three-fourths were children, many
ol them having gone without their
Parents. These fathers and rnothers
soon rushed TO the scene and added ~
the confusion. They did not understand
at mat had taken place and hindered the
rescuers by insisting on Information al
10 what was the matter
Few Use Fire Escape.
1870 t"tiv 'as Mas hre escape at the rear OF
,l ,ne building. but only those who were
very near u could make any use of ~
until aIter the fatal rush was over
IIobabIy not more than "a hundred per-
sons escaped the first rush by way or
the fire escape About a score more
yIiupen from the windows near which
tti'f sat As 10 was not many feet from
the ground the jump Old not cause any
Tie Italian hau was built about i've
years ago and was well provided FOR
emergencies. II was thought. The en-
trance was "A hallway about 10 feet deep.
n stairway about eight feet wide led
up from this ycstibule to "a small Land
ing about by 10 feet The main door
or the nall opened on this landing There
- small cloak room about 10 feet
TrSuafe 20 one side Of the main door.
The loss Of life was heavy at the small
uopr or this room. The rush apparently
turned many against the door and
crushed them to death within the door
The greatest number of dead in snv
one place. however. was al the bottou II
ithe stairs. Those who reached the
stairs trst Wecr obviously hurled 10 the
bottom by those behind and in this fash-
ION the stairway was filled 90 the ceiling.
10 sunocatlon under the weight Of th0.s
VINO Tell last. was Indicated By the fart
tnht rev Of tho cOrpses bore marks of
.uluritF. Bodies were crumpled and
ntoHen; nut the features were not cut or
No Fire Near Bunding.
~ was aqccrtalned that there was M
tre 90 or near the building 90 cnusa the
alarm. Even the Christmas tree ara NOT
show any evidence Of nre IL pas ffrht
% hy electricity. ana every precaufton
had been taken hy those ln charge of the
. entertainment to avoid danger on ar-
count "f the large number ~ children.
Ms-. Annte Clemens. president Of the
tertalnment. said that she was on ~.
etnF" directing the distribution ~ giffs
Whcu the panic started She and other
women bad been intent on keeping the
tcontinusd on Pag. rsn.)