Italian Hall Disaster
It was in the small copper town of Calumet, Michigan, where U.S. history’s most lethal crowd panic unfolded. A brutal strike by the area’s 9,000 unionized copper miners set the scene. A Christmas party for the miners’ kids marked Christmas eve of 1913. It was hosted by the union, the Western Federation of Miners, at Calumet’s Italian Hall. An event intended as a break from the unrest quickly spiralled into terror. Somebody unknown in a hall crowded with 700 people, including 400 children, shouted, “Fire.”
Amidst the ensuing panic, individuals desperately tried to exit the narrow passageways. According to the reports, 73 people, including 13 women and 59 kids, lost their lives in such a massive stampede. The worst part: there was no fire.
