Fearful Occurrence at Stockholm

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 71, 24 November 1885, Page 3

Fearful Occurrence at Stockholm

EIGHTEEN PERSONS TRAMPLED . TO DEATH; .. .■■•■■. New Torkj Ist October.-rrA cable special to the World "from Stockholm says :— " No event in many years has so profoundly agitated tbTe Venice of the North as the reception to Madame Nilsson by her countrymen here on Thursday last. Since the occurrence, Madame Nilsson has been so completely prostrated that ske had felt obliged to cancel many engagements. As early as 7 o'clock in the evening people; were streaming towards the Grand-Hotel. f When Madame Nilsson arrived, shortly after 9 o'clock, it is estimated that the i mass of' people numbered no- less than 40,000 persons. Deafening chisel's greeted the diva's arrival. Unable to reach the principal door of the hotel, she with difficulty managed to gain admittance At a side-entrance, and was presently bowing to probably the largest and most excited audience she 1 ever looked upon. • After Madame Nilsson had sung two Songs the crowd began to disperse homeward. The first movement of the mass caused a frightful crush, which was horribly intensified by the pressure of a number of fresh arrivals on the outskirts of the town. A rascally gang of roughs helped to still- further precipitate a calamity by trying to work their way through the confused and chaoticmulntiide. . . With a rush like the flow of a mighty: river the excited mass of people directed itself towards some newly built houses. The pavement in front of the houses had been torn up and the ground was atrewn with building stone, lime; and sand. Just before this uneven place was reached the stone pavement ended at an abrupt descent in the grade of the street. Here those in advance of the crowd halted . an instance, but being pressed forward , by the thousands behind, stumbled and fell. The crowd swarmed on with the entire absence of reason or control characteristic of such a crowd in an emergency. IVTen, women, and children were instantly piled one upon another in one great crushed, " bleeding, shrieking, and undistinguishable mass of humanity. The horror of the scene was increased by the demoniac yells of the roughs, who took advantage of the moment to attack and plunder people right and left. To add to the confusion, the only lamp that illuminated that part of the street was turned out by a boy wiio saved himself by climbing the post, while many others saved themselves by breaking ■windows and entering new houses. They were severely cut by. broken glass. When the police finally forced a passage and removed the dead and Injured they fonnd that 18 persons had been killed in the rush. Most of these wore women. Many people arc believed to have been seriously injured early in the panic by being trampled under the feet of horses; A prominent citizen v.-;is separated from two daughters, aged 10 and 12 yua;-s. Ho afterwards found the bodies trampled almost beyond recognition. A woman excitedly searching lor her child broke into loud cries on seeing tho row of corpses, and it was found that she had gone mad. Tho police, numbering 200 were utterly powerless to prevent the accident or govern the crowd.