THE SUNDERLAND CATASTROPHE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1111, 17 August 1883, Page 3

THE SUNDERLAND CATASTROPHE.

| ( From tin: Arj'id.i A most. ap ■«illi>irr, o iiiiscr..|ih". r .suiting in Miu death of ;00 i <1 •-.•n incwum tin ages nf five and twel'c, "c n -o I at Slimier Inn I on the afternoon of Saturday, tlie KJih Juno. A conjuror n-un-M F.y gave an entertain meat in ihu Victm'in H .11 specially for end ■ Iren. Two thousand assemble i, nearn 1200 being admitU'd io the gillery at a charge of Id each. No adults were pi-es at to control the children excepting a score of mothers. At the conoln i tmf the porfor manes Fay commenced to scatter prize amongst the childiei in the bo ly of the hall, hut none were sunt to the gallery. I is assy te I .that o e of Fay’s man odlcd out to tile children'in the gallery those who were Hist down staii- woul 1 ren ive prizes. 'Mas is denied, hut at any rate so nething induced the children to rush, nowns' airs I’he Stans which is 7it wide, is broken into short flights, with lan lings. No one attempted to cheek the. impetuosity of the children, who came down in one surging mass. The staircase being winding, those above were unaware that the foremost had encountered an obstacle preventing their exit. At the bottom of the seoon I landing the children found a .-wing d or fastens I ajar by a; sti brand a holt, passing into the fljpr, only per mitting mie child to pass at a time. It is snspecu d that Charles lla-seltrine. Pay's assistant, who was dnecte I to disirihut ■ toe pnzes to the children in the g .fiery, fastened the bo t in order to epnt ol t he rush. A boy named Wilson p isibively asserts that he saw a man stan bug close to the door, which was then wine open, 'attributing gifts. Finding himself crowded ny the children, the man jamuiei the holt into ihu socket with his foot, in order to control lha rush. Hu was almost immediately nearly overwhelmed by the descending children, narrowly escaping with his life. The outlet becaim b'oi'kcd, hut the mm’s cries failed to check the clril dren, who, eager to obtain prizes, cu.it lined to rush, jump, run, and tumble Omni s aim, utterly unconscious of the danger, unlit the crash on the same landing became ic. rice. Those at the bottom of ibe stairs got packed as it were in a we i of girls and hoys, many of them almost infants, who were huddled togetner in one wreathing mass of -u local ing humanity, fighting fur air and tor 1 fe, tearing the clothes oft’one another m turn fianlic struggles, screaming, groaning picifully, and sobhmg, until the narrow landing, 12ft square, Occam* packed tight wi hj corpses to the neight of 6:t or Sf". Tim audience in the other parts of th > building were en itely ignorant of what was passing, the noise and screaming and the horrible tiaht tor life going on among the bund oils of children on the gallery stairs being in au iible beyond a confused murmur, or what some Uescrioed as a roaring souii 1. Graham, the halinkeeppr, was one of the li-st to disc ver the accident. Hearing the noise he hurried upstai a, and found the gallery door only open si.ffi cm ly to allow one to pa-s at a time ; ton, eve i this ap-r----turo was j mi ned as high as Ins head with bodies ot struggling children. Fully - JU were piled one on top of another cio.-e to the entrance. Pay’s man was aid tripling lo d.ag the bodies through, but be was so overcome by fright that hs services were u.-eless. After a vain attempt to unbolt the door Graham untie I into the gallery by another way, and diver e i the siream of I children into an tlier exit, umpual imiamy I saving many lives. Assisted by several i person* he next commenced to ' e-cue rue ; childien, who weie so tightly we iged in! eight deep th it it was sea.cefiy possible to ’ help them wi h"Ut li-kiog lm tii r i ,juries 1 1 their limbi some of the pe -■ n- who were assi-ting were sooveicome wiiu ho lor at the sight that they lusheil away. In about 20 minutes ihe lan ling and I staircase were cleared, attention being !i si 1 g ven in Hie children showny signs of litv. ; Alum 200 we edr gge out a.ve,, though ! iosensio e, win) hi .ck 1.i0.-s an I ludly linnAn equal number w.ue quite -nil' eated, many , xiiiiiicing tern lc Macs of the frightful struggle for life. I'iie floor of tin; landing was cove e I lo a deptii of oft will the clothes mm oil’ the frantic little o'rea ur s. Toe hodhs Were laid in vows upon the 11 >or of the had to ; w .it i.l'muliCitum. A number of med.cd men were most active m rvsuseitaii.ig all showing signs of vitality. The news of the catastrophe -prea i rapidly through- the town, a great crou d gathering lonnd the hall. The agonising suspense of the patents was so unbearable that the military weie sumnioned lo prevent them stoitiling tna hall. As sum ns possible the tat.-erg and motions vote admitted to view the corpses. Terrible scenes of despair and grief occurred, bum women fain to i, others went, into hysteric’, the hall resounding with cries an 1 I,amentations. Some persons lost all their children. Numbers ot families two or three; -onu; four or live. As the i cad were r. cognise I, the bodies were removed to their homes in cabs. Several eases of miat.ik n iih-ntuy occurred, pa.en'.s currying off living childien net their own, and reluming to lind their own dead, Hasseltine, after a lapse of seven days, made a 'slatcnient denying tin' lie had bolted the dom-. lie a-seils licit w.d.e attempting to reach the gallery he cneomi to ed a rush of children, who forced hj m back. He then observed ihc door of til landing three-quarters open. Mini i children being behind it. and "iin rs • pushing through. By the time he n.av’ie 1 the door it was only half open, being Mil! unbolted. Fm dug the rush inci easing, lie trial i. cear the opening by ;he lavish listiihiUb.i of prizes, but tnc situation only became worse. Then finding the door 1.e.-ain ■ bolted, he shouted for assist mce. and real doed helping until the rescue was cm; piie: e 1. The news of the tragedy ha« created a most painful impression. The Q teen was deeply affected. Must of the childien wore interred together An inquest has been commence!, hot adjourned until July 2 The children chidH be.hinge Ito the winking classes. Several of the rescued children, desc iliing then aeiisa ions when p.ickol up'in loans <i ho lies,- remarked. "We th light newer, filling as'esn Maiy.touclrng inci tents . f childish unsp flshn ss ooc iT'e l