The Sunderland DISASTER.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 193, 23 July 1883, Page 2

The Sunderland DISASTER.

FCTRTHER PARTICULARS.

A TEKRIBLE STRUGGI«B FOR LIFE.

j, [Par ATaifHteanier.] (Br TfiLBORAPH.J [jJNITKD PRESS ASSOCIATICff.I Auckland, July 21. The calamity at Sundarland occurred at the close of a performance at which several thousand children ijere present, and but few adult?. At the top of tha first flight of stairs from the fgaWetj was a door, which was opened only 20Jn, and thus bat one child ab a tinn coald gef through. At this point while a mass of children was pushing forward, one of them fell, and was unable to rise, owing to crowding, and tha result was that a great number was pushed down, trampled on and suffocated. Thesceae was teriffie j no effort oould stop the ; mad rush of affrighted children. They came on pell-mell, stra*glin;r without much shooting, and soon orei tty> hundred were-kabckei dowa^ and suffocated to death by others trampling oi them. A number of bodies which were badly-, mangled from trampling ware laid seven or eight deep, Many of the viotims killed had their clothing torn from their bodies, and this, togetheiy with the bleeding wounds of the un-^- --| fortunate* showed the terrible nature ot the struggle. The excitement m town was terrible. A crowd of 20,000 people sarroanded the hall, and the authorities ordered pit tbe militia to preserve i order. The bodies were laid but m the hall, and.the parents, of those killed were admitted to identify their lost children. '