funeral service - page 2
   The struggle in the doorway, the screams of the women, and the shouts of the men continued for a full ten minutes. The noise was deafening and the services in the church had to stop.
   The news of the disaster spread rapidly in the neighborhood and men rushed to the scene. They worked to quiet the people in the rear of the church and worked to rescue the people in the front of the church, who were down and could not rise.
   Walter Wilson, a clerk in the post office, was standing near the main entrance when the panic first started. At first he tried to stop the people from fleeing the church, but seeing that this would not be successful, he stepped aside and watched the stream of people coming out. The jam at the door then took place and he did all a man could do to help those in the crowd get out, but the crush became so great that the people were so tightly packed that he could not pull them out.
   Louis Lageman was standing at the side door to his store, which was across the street, when the panic started. As soon as he realized that there was a panic as the people came rushing out, he ran across the street and tried to help Mr. Wilson. He said later that it was impossible to move a single person in the front because they were so tightly packed.
   Someone in the gallery had shouted "Fire" and this added to the horror and increased the fright of the panic-stricken crowd.

Rear entrance view of Salem Church

   The news of the disaster was telephoned to the police station and word went out from there through the city. It was reported that the gallery had fallen and fifty persons had lost their lives. Hundreds flocked to the scene. Several thousand people where at Ninth and State in less than an hour.
   The injured were taken into the neighboring homes and doctors were called. Those more serious injured were taken care of by persons living in the vicinity.
   Some of those seriously injured were Miss Mary Ann Ritter, who lived at 12th and Vermont; Miss Mary Keyes, daughter of Charles Keys of 527 Broadway; Miss Wissman, daughter of Henry Wissman; and Mrs. Fred Spilker, who lived on 7th between Washington and Jefferson.
    Many people had bruises and scratches, including Mrs. Albertina Jahn, teacher of German, who lived nearby on 9th between Kentucky and York; Mrs. Gottlieb Rensch; Mrs. John Fischer; and Rev. Hallerburg, pastor of St. Jacobi's Church.
   After the panic subsided the funeral services for Rev. Simon Kuhlenhoelter were resumed and lasted until 4:00 p.m.

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