The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-12-25
Die BY SCORES
Lives of Children Crushed Out
in . Panic.
A Man Yells Fire ut q Christ
mas Celebration.
STAIRWAY PILED FULL OF DEAD
Rush Ceases When Crowd Can
No Longer Move.

No Longer Move.
Was Not q Spark of Fire About
the Building.
Calumet, Mich, Dec. 25.-Holiday
festivities were forgotten here today
as .iearly the entire population Joined
in making arrangements for q public
funeral for the eighty persons. mostly
children, who lost their lives in q
needless panic at Christmas celebra-
ton held last night for the children of
copper mine strikers. The coroner
continued his work OF impanelling a
jury to make an investigation of the
panic and public meetings were held
in nearby towns to take subscriptions
for relief of the bereaved families.
Out of respect for the childless
homes many parents dismantled their
Christmas trees A bearded man who
he appeared in the doorway of the
hall yelled Fire" IL being looked for
by the officials of the miners union.
An all night search failed to reveal
his identity. Thorough investigation
also has shown that there had been no
fire near the hall.
The exact number Of dead was still
unknown this morning. Although -
bodies had been recovered and tdenti-
fled, it was believed that half a dozen
relatives. The identified include 81
girls. 10 boys. Is women and five men.
Most of the dead are children of
miners who have been on strike since
last summer and who are being sup
ported during their idleness by labor
organizations. Because Of conditions
surrounding the prolonged strike.
which has been contested bitterly by
both the miners and the operators. it
Is feared that shold the unknown
man who yelled fire" be apprehended
a lynching may follow.
Much Bitter Feeling.
President Meyer of the Western
Federation Of Miners in a telegram
to President Wilson said, according to
his best information. no one in SYM
pathy with the strikers brought about
the catastrophe. So bitter has been
the labor trouble that President Meyer
declared the Western Federation Of
Miners will bury its own dead" and
that mo aid will be accepted from any
Of those citizens who a short time ago
pronounced those people undesirable
citizens" He said organized labor will
take care of the relatives of the de-
ceased. Regardless of this attitude,
the citizens of Calumet, Houghton,
Red Jacket and Laurium and other
nearby villages cOntlnueo the cOuec-
ton of funds which will be turned
over to relatives of the victims. 1t
is probable that all work will be sus-
pended in the copper mining district
when the public funeral Is held
Whole Families Wiped Out.
Whole families were wiped out dur
ing the rush which followed the cry
Of fire. The Christmas exercises
were held in Italian hall by the wom-
ans auxiliary Of the miners union.
and children predominated. The cry
of fire was taken up in many differ
emit languages and in an instant most
of the 700 persons in the hall were
panic stricken. The children had
been formed in lines and were just
starting toward the platform in the
front Of the hall to receive Christ
mas presents, when the shout of FIRE
was heard. Many miners and their
wives had accompanied their children
to the exercises and occupied seats in
the hall. Both parents and children
made a dash for the exits. Men were
powerless in their efforts to rescue
their children in the crush for the
doors.
The crush was so great that many
are believed to have been suffocated,
others were knocked down and tram
pied over. The greatest number Of
dead was found at the bottom at the
stairs. Those who reached the stairs
first had been hurled to the bottom
weight of many bodies. Only COM
paratively few persons were success
full in reaching q fire escape at the
rear Of the hall The rush was to-
ward the main exit at the front of
the building. A few escaped unin-
jured by jumping from windows to
the ground only a few feet below.
When the crush at the main exit
was at its height the impossibility OF
further movement seemed to bring the
panicky persons to their senses and
the hall was soon cleared.
Enter by Fire Escape.
Policemen and firemen hurried to
the building but at first could not get
in the entrance, because of the con-
gestion Of the bodies in the hallway
and on the stairs. Finally the officers
climbed the fire escape and entered
the hall by windows.
Rescuers were soon carrying the
bodies to the street and laying them
In rows, beside the building. The p0-
lice formed q Gordon about the hall
and q lane was opened through the
crowd ana the bodies removed to the
Red Jacket village hall, which was
transformed into temporary morgue.
For hours the streets were crowded
with women calling for their children.
Both men and women crowded about
the building and almost fought with
the police to get q view Of the dead in
an effort to learn II any Of their rela-
tives and loved ones were among the
number. Few of the corpses bore
marks Of injury.
Incidents Of the Panic.
Many tales of the fierceness Of the
crush during the height Of the panic
were told today. One man was seen
to stoup to pick up his little daughter.
only to be pushed on and forced to
trample her beneath him. A woman
who ran to the aid of three small boys
was crushed to death with them. When
the crush began q woman went to the
piano and began playing. Another
woman stood in the center Of the stage
on v hich the Christmas tree had been
erected end started to sing. Their ef-