TERRIBLE PANIC.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 27 December 1913, Page 5

TERRIBLE PANIC.

SEVENTYnFOUR KILLED.

CHRISTMAS TREE TRAGEDY IN

AMERICA.

NEW YORK, December'2s. A terrible, disaster has occurred at Calumet, Michigan. While hundreds miners on strike, with their wives and chiklren, were attending a Christmas tree entertainment, a man shouted "Fire I" and instantly there was a panic. Everyone started foi the door, and many were crushed against the walls. Shouts and screams arose, and men trampled down women and children indiscriminately. The children were unable to protect themselves, and fell in dozens, the life being crushed instantly out of them. The bodies blocked the narrow stairway to the roof, and those inside were unable to climb over the heap of dead, and those outside were unable to enter to effect rescues. A crowd gathered and .organised a rescue party, and when the bodies wereTemoved from the stairway sev-enty-fbur corpses were found. Others are believed to have been removed by friends. The dead' included thirty-seven 1 girls, thirteen women, five men, and nineteen boys. > Excited women ran around the building calling for missing relatives. They even attacked the rescuers, who prevented them from entering the building. Doctors found little need for their services, as all who were able' to keep their feet escaped with bruises only. The children had lined the hall, which was a ~ two-story building) ready to receive presents, when a largte-sized bearJJe!f~man, whose name is unknown, thrust his ho&d through a door, shouting "Fire I" in Stentorian tones. Hjp then disappeared. The alarm spread, despite shouts 'that there wasjio fire. A large number of foreigners were present, who understood no English; and consequently the statements that there was no fire' were misunderstood, "and added to the confusion. ; Eye-witnesses describe , the ; scene «fter the alarm as. terrifying jin the rapidity with; which lives were eacri-

' FRANTIC MOTHERSCALI/ FOR CHILDREN.

many deaths dtje ;to - SUFFOCATION. *

CALUMET, December 25. For hours frantic women ran the «treets calling for their children. Seven hundred persons weie in the hall, three-fourths of whom were children, whose parents had not accompanied them. Fathers and moth-er-is by the score ran tb the building and . became violent when they wfere unable tp learn their children's fate. About a hundred escaped down the five escape. Others were, too panic-stricken ]to use it. x Many deaths were due to suffocation. ~ A tried to save three struggling children was trampled to death, and a man was killed in a similar manner. . - The man who called "Fire" is bejieved to have been "drunk and did "not kno\y what he was doing

'Tmiwj'— 1 Sydney Sun' Special Cables (Received Last Night, 5.5 o'clock.) NEW YORK, December 26. The Christmas tree at Calumet was arranged by charitable organisations for the relief, .of the starving families of copper miners, , who have been on strike for months. ■ _ The managers invited the children -to approach the stage and receive gifts, and when all were crowded together 'the cry of fire was raised. A fatal panic followed. . , *