NINETEEN PERSONS TRAMPLED TO DEATH.

Dunstan Times, Issue 769, 12 January 1877, Page 3

NINETEEN PERSONS TRAMPLED TO DEATH.

—o— A terrible accident occurred a short time ugo in the Royal China Theatre, San Francisco, by which a large number of Chinamen wore killed, and many seriously if not filtally injured. The theatre was crowded with Mongolians from pit to dome, the occasion being a benefit to a popular actor. About midnight some matting in the gallery caught fire from the sparks of a cigar or cigarette, and a voice incautiously gave an alarm of fire The effect was electrical, and a perfect stampede of the audience was the result. The theatre stands some distance hack from the street, and the means of exit from the main floor is down a short flight of steps and thence through a long, narrow corridor. A flight of stairs lead from the gallery to the main door. Into these narrow passages the panic-stricken crowd pressed, and shortly the stairs into the corridor gave way, precipitating the foremost to’ the floor. The surging crowd behind came tumbling over these prostrate forms until the doorway was completely choked up To add to the horror, the heavy doors at the head of the stairs were broken from their hinges, falling on the struggling mass. A few police officers were speedily on the spot, and they were shortly reinforced by a posse from the City Hall under Captain Douglas. The scene was simply terrific. The shrieks of the dying were hefirt-rending, and the utmost exertions of the police were necessary to stay the tide of the terror-stricken audience. “W hen the officers had become masters of the situation, the work of removing the dead and wounded was prosecuted with great vigor. By this time reports of the occurrence had spread through Chinatown, and men, women, and children came pouring into the street from all quarters. The helpless were brought and laid upon the side-walk, when the good air revived some. Nineteen were found to be dead, and their bodies were taken to the morgue. Several of the wounded were taken away by their friends, and others were carried to the City Prison Hospital, where Dr Stivers kindly administered to their wants, remaining with them all night, A ghastly scene was presented at the morgue on Tuesday morning. The nineteen dead bodies were laid in rows on the floor. Many of the faces were badly discoloured from the pressure and tramping over them of their companions. Some of the up-turned features were placid, but a majority bespoke the anguish of their tragical death. There were few bruises upon their bodies, and appearances indicated suffocation- At an early hour the morgue was thronged with visitors, Caucasians and Mongolians, some seeking for missing friends, others drawn to the house of death by morbid Curiosity. The pressure for admission became so great that Coroner Swan placed a guard at the entrance to keep the crowd in order He deemed it his first duty to identify the remains, and for that reason gave the Ciiinese the preference of admission. This gave offence to some of the white population, who thought it their special privilege to have the first opportunity to satisfy their curiosity. The instructions of Dr Swan were received with bad grace by a few who claimed that they were entitled to more privileges than the Mongolian race, at the same time admitting that it was “ not their funeral ” All day a constant stream of visitors was pouring into the morgue rooms.' A deputy Coroner was in attendance to note the recognition of a body, and lie immediately wrote down the name, ago, and company to which the deceased belonged upon a piece of paper, and attached it to fhe clothing. By this systematic course all the bodies wore identified, and several were removed by friends.—'Weekly Herald.