Year: 1877

New YORK, March 9.-This morning
in the St. Xavier Church, where the
calamity of last night happened, a solemn
mass of requiem was offered for the dead
and prayers said for the speedy recovery
OF the wounded.


At the time of the alarm last evening
which resulted 50 dlssstrously, Father
Langcake was preaching on "Hell and
the horrors of the damned" and perfect
stiffness prevailed. Suddenly, as the
preacher was picturirg the torments
of purgatory, young woman IN
the northern corner of the west gallery,
overcome by her feelings, tainted and
gave utterance to hysterical scream,
startling the worshipers and causing
them to spring to their feet. The next
moment some reckless person cried fire,
and this gave rise to the panic. Father
Lsngcake, who was nearing the end of
his sermon, stopped and implored the
people to keep their seats, as there was
absolutely no cause for alarm. Father
Merrick, the pastor, heard the screams,
and rushing into the sanctuary he called
upon the congregation to keep their
seats, as there was no fire and no cause
for alarm. The sexton also endeavored
to stop the psLic. These efforts were
partially successful.


Father Lsngcske retired to the vestry
room, and in q few moments returned
attired IN his cape, and uttered the bene-
dictiou, dismissing the congregation, and
the organ began to plsy.


The women in the main body of the
church and in the east gallery passed out
in an orderly manner, and not a single
person in the portion OF the CHURCH last
named was injured. The people occu.
pying that portion of the gallery where
the commotion had begun and centered,
listened to neither priest, pastor, sexton,
benedlction or organ. They rushed
towards the exit from the
gallery, and almost crszed with
fear, pushed and fought their way into
the narrow stairway leading to 18th
street. The stairway is but four feet
wide, and within three or four steps of
the bottom makes "A short turn before 1t
reaches the vestibule. The crowd of
msddened women rushed down stairs,
and would probably have all reached the
street in safety, but at the bend of the
stairway an aged and very stout woman,
IN her eagerness to reach a place of
safety, fell headlong down the stairs.
Before she could regain her feet, the
frantic crowd, pressing on toward the
vestibule, came upon her PROSTATE form,
and those in the foremost ranks fell
upon her. In moment the passage
way was choked, and scene of
the widest confusion and most intense
excitement ensued. The crowd in the
rear pressed on with almost irresistible
force, ard nothing could be done to stop
their advance. The crszed women
fought teeir way toward the choked up
stairway, trsmpling upon those who had
fallen in front and crushing the life out
of them. They screamed and fought like
manacs, and every effort to hold them
back so that the stairway could be
cleared was OF no avail. Father Whyte
and several other priests who were in
the church parlors at the time the panic
occurred rushed round to the front OF the
church and, assisted by patroimen,
by main force dragged out some
women who were lying on the stairs. A
number Of women were then got out
alive, and only slightly injured. In the
struggle for lie, they were almost de
nuded of their clothing. As the priests
and police, aided by a number of citi-
zens, made their way up the staircase,
they found lying on the steps tour other
women and small boy. They were
taken out to the open air, but life was
extinc.. OOe woman, named Ann
Forbes, was brought ou. alive and ap-
parently not much il jured. She walked,
with the assistance OF a policeman, to
drug store on 9th avenue, near 10th
street when she expired in a few
moluenls. The assistant sexton SAYS he
distinctly heard the cry of fire, but did
No. see who gave utterance to II A
gentleman standing outside of the church
informed Sergeant Douglas that he saw
q man in the vestibuie OF the church put
his head inside the door and heard him
cry fire. Father Whyte and other priests
connected with the church are of the
opinion that the cry OF fire was given by
one of gang Of pickpockets, with the
intention OF creating panic, during
which they could ply their nefsrious
vocation.