Fearful Occurrence at Stockholm.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 1562, 21 November 1885, Page 4

Fearful Occurrence at Stockholm.

EIGHTEEN PERSONS TRAMPLED TO DEATH.

New York, Oct. 1. A cable special to the World from Stockholm says :— ." No event m many years has so profoundly agitated the Venice of the North as the reception to Madame Nilsson by her countrymen hero on Thursday last. Since the occnrronce Nilsson lias been so completely prostrated that she had felt oblijrcd to cancel many engagements. Kintc Oscar, who has taken very deep interest m the matter has been active m extending sympathy and relief to the afflicted families/ So great was the confusion fallowing the calamity that the officials have scarcely jet recovered from the dazed condition produced by its .awful suddenness, and it is only to-day, for the first time, that I am enabled to cable the particulars witti any degree of definiteness. Owing- probably to the fact that Mrline. Nilsson recently hou«jht a handsome honse m London and announced 'her intention of making her home m England, .. permanently hereafter, the great singer's visit to the beautiful capital of her native land was regarded as a farewell one, and the popular excitement attending her arrival was intense. Crowds of enthusiastic countrymen welcomed her, at the railway station on Thursday morning and closely at tended her carriage to the Grand Hotel. She #aye three -concerts, delighting the populace after each performance by sing Jing.hWe- ballads in* front .of the.hotel. As early as 7 o'clock m the evening 'peioD'leY were streaming towards the Grand Hotel. When Nilsson arrived, shortly after 9 o'clock, it is estimated that the mass of people numbered no less\ tlmn 40,000 persons. Deafening cheers 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 ever looked upon. After Madame Nilsson had sung two v sVrfgVthe 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 t6 still further precipitate ' a calamity/ by. trying to work their way throughfthe confused and chaotic multitude. With' a rush like the How of a mighty-river the .excited ;inass of people directed itself towards some newly built houses[ i Tlie> bavemeiit m front of the houses had been torn up and the aground was strewn with building stone, lirrie, and-iand.. \ Just before this uneven opiate ■was reached the stone pavement ended at an abrupt descent m the grade of the street. Here those m advance of the ■ crowd hatted? an jnstant, .but being pressed forward r by the thousands b,evhind, stumbled , and fell. ■ The crowd Warmed on with tne entire absence pf_ : reason or control .characteristic .of^sucn a crowd man emergency. Men, "women, arid children." were instantly; > piled ojne upon 'another 'in one gi«eat ririished, bleed-: ing, .shrieking, , and , undistinguishable '•'mass' of humanity: ' ''■'■ v> " ] j .'"The hbrror.of -the scene, was increased by the demoniac yells of the roughs, wjho took advantage of. the moment to attack and plunder people right and left. To add to the confusion, the only lanip that illuminated that .part of the street was turned out by a boy who saved himself by climbing the post, while many, others saved themselves by breaking windows and entering new houses. Tljey were severely cut-by broken glass. Whenffche policeifinally.forced a passage and removed the dead land injured they fourid'that 18 persons had been killed in' titie^ : rush. Most of .these were women. Many people are believed to have been -seriously injured early m the panicjby being trampled -jande'r ; the feet of horses. A prominent citizen was separated from daughters,. 'aged 10 and' 12s yea. rs. He" afterwards toundthe bodies trampled almost beyond recognition. A woman excitedly searSbing for her child broke into load, cj-ies on seeingv. the row ; of corpses,^' and -it .w.astound that she had gone mad. Thft police, numbering 200, were utterly powerless to prevent the accident: or govern the crowd. ' { '