Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1914-01-02

Calumet, Mich, Dec. 25.-More
than fOrescore persons, mostly chill
dren, We're killed Thursday night
at Christmas celebration of copper
mine strikers in Italian hall, because
OF a needless panic caused by false
alarm of fire.
While several hundred miners and
their wives looked on and scores of
children pressed eagerly toward the
stage to receive Christmas presents
man stuck his head in at the door
OF the hall and yelled "Firei" The
cry or alarm was at once taken up by
those in the hall. Every one started
for the doors. The crush prevented
movement. The weaker were thrown
to the floor. Those behind tried to
climb over them
Trampie Out Tots Lives.
In a few minutes the panic was
stopped by the fact that the stairway
and the other avenues of egress were
blocked so effectually that those in
side could not get out nor could those
outside get in to aid the MANNED and
remove the dead.
The only regular exit was a narrow
stairway at the back of the hall.
When this had been cleared of bodies
that filled it to the top, and a quick
accounting had been made, it was
found that seyenty-four corpses had
been piled up beside the hall build
ing. The dead included thirty-seven
girls, nineteen boys, thirteen women
and five men. OF the 700 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.
They did not understand what had
taken place and hindered the rescu-
ers by insisting on information as to
what was the matter.
Little Work for Doctors.
There was not much work for the
doctors. Those who were not killed
in the first rush were held upright
and safe by the very force Of the on
rush toward the exit Only three in
Jured persons were taken to hospitals
and a few went home with the assist
ance of friends.
The hall was filed to it's capacity
when the panic occurred The chill
dren selected to recite Christmas Sc
lections and sing carols had finished
their part Of the program and the
man selected to play the part OF
Santa Claus had appeared to distri-
butte the presents piled around the
large tree. The aisles were filled
with the boys and girls when a man
put his head in at the door of the
main doorway and yelled that awful
word, "Fire!'
Woman Siezes Panic Fiend.
A woman who was near the door
realized the danger of the act. She
seized the man by the shoulders and
tried TO cOunteract the alarm. 1t was
useless.
The man tore loose from her grasp
and dashed away. The fatal WORD
reached the ears Of many in the hall
and it was repeated throughout the
room. "Fire!' was shouted in sever
al languages. Parents rose and rush
ed forward to get their children. The
lives were crushed out in. almost a
tWinkling. Then the physical i'm
possibility of further movement
brought the panic-stricken persons
to their senses.
Alarm Proves to Be False.
1t was realized too late that there
was no fire, but most of those in the
hall could not get out of the Jam that
they had caused.
Policemen and firemcn hurried tn
the building, only to find the hallway
impossible because of congestion of
bodies. Several officers climbed fire
escapes and entered the hail by win
doWs. In short time the uniniured
ana the faint had been pulled from
the tangle. The scores of bodies wara
placed in the front of the hall. Other
men rescued bodies from the stair-
way and placed them in a row beside
pepoarkahJa Rervl