The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-06-11
The Holy Fire,

Ibrahim Pasha to Jerusalem Mr.. C.. ,hrm,ob tho
poeness of the Pasha, obtained a seat in the So me-
gallery with his highness. There is generally
great disturbance, and often serious accidents
through the blind zeal of the pilgrims who flock 10
the Holy City, and who rush pell-mell to light a
lamp at the holy flame just descended from heaven.
Soon you saw the lights increasing in all drec.
tons, every one having lit his candle from the holy
flame; the chapels, the galleries, and every corner
where a candle could possibly be displayed, imme.
dlately appeared to be in blaze. The people. in
their faces, heads and breasts, TO purify them
selves from their sins. The patriarch was carried
out OF the sepulchre in triumph, on the shoulders
oil the people he had deceived, amid the cries and
| nook of the immense pile of buildings. As he an.
peared in fainting state, supposed that he was
ILL but found it was the uniform custom on thr.e
occasions TO eign insensibiity, tina, the pilgrins
may imagine he Is overcome with the glory Of the
Almighty, from whose immediate presence thew be-
lieve him to have returned. In short time the
smoke of the candles obscured every thing in the
place, and could see il rolling in great volumes
out at the aperture at the dome. The smell was
terrible; and three unhappy wretches, overcome
by heat and bad air, fell from the upper range of
galleries. and were dashed pieces GU the heads of
the people below. Que poor Armenian lady, sew
enteen years of age, died where she sat, OF heat
thirst and fatigue. After while, when he had
seen all that was to be seen, Ibrahn Pasha got up
and went away, his numerous guards making a line
for him by main force through the dense mass of
people which filled the body'of the church. As
the crowd was 30 immense, we waited for a little
while, and then set out altogether return 10 our
convent | went first, and my friends followed
me, the soldiers making way for US across the
church got rs far as the place where the Virgin
is said to have stood during the crucifixion when L
saw number Of people lying one on another all
about this part of the church, and as far as eould
see towards the door. made my way between
them as we'll as could, I'LL they so thick that
there was actually great heap of bodies on which
trod. II then suddenly struck me they were all
dead! had not perceived this al first for thought
they were only very much fatigned with the cere-
monies, and had lain down to rest themselves there
but when came 10 so great a heap of bodies II
looked down upon them, and saw that sharp, hard
appearance of the face which is never 10 be mis-
taken. Many of them were quite black with suf-
fOcatIOn, and farther on were Others all boodv and
covered with the brains and entrails of those who
had been trodden to pieces by the crowd.
the church but little farther on, round the corner
towards the great door, the people, who wers quiss
panic.struck, continued to press forward, and
every one was doing his utmost to escape. The
guards outside, frightened at the rush from within,
thought that the Christians wished to attack them
and the confusion soon grew into d battle. The
soldiers with their bayonets killed numbers of
fainiing wretches, and the walls were spattered
with blood and brains OF men, who had been felled.
like oxen, with the bu,t.ends Of the soldiers mus.
keis. Every one struggled to defend himself or to
get away, and all who fell were Immediately tram.
pied to death by the rest So desperate and savage
did the fight become, that even the panic-struck
pilgrims appear at last t0shave been more intent
upon the derruction Of each other than DESTROYS to
save themselves.
For my part, as soon as perceived the danger,
/ had cried out TO my companions 10 turn back,
which they had done but | myself was carried
on by the press, till came near the door, where
all were fighting for their lives. Here, seeing GER
tain destruction before me, made every endeavor
to get back An officer of the Pasha's, who by
his star was colonel or bin bashee, equally
alarmed with myself was also trying to return:
he caught hold of my cloak, or bournouse. and
pulled me down on the body of an old man who
was breathing out his last sigh. As the officer was
pressing me to the ground, we wrestled together
among the dying and the dead with the energy of
despair l struggled with this man till / pulled
him down. and happily got again upon my legs-Q
afterwards found that he never rose again)-and
scrambling over pile of corpses, made my wav
back into the body of the church, where found
my friends, and we succeeded in reaching the
sacrsiy of the Catholics, and thence the room
which had been assigned to us by the monks. The
dead were lying in heaps, even upon the stone of
JUNCTION and | saw full four hundred wretched
people, dead and living. heaped promiscuously one
upon another, in some places five feet high Ibra-
him Pasha had left the church only lew minutes
before me, and very narrowly escaped with his life
he was SO pressed upon by the crowd on all sides.
and it was said attacked by several of them, that
1t was only by the greatest exerti0ns of his suite,
several of whom were killed, that he gained the
outer court. He tainted more than once in the
struggle, and was told that some of his attendants
at last had to cut way for him with their swords
through the dense ranks of the frantic pilgrims.
He remained outside, giving orders for the removal
of the corpses, and making his men drag out the
bodies of those who appeared to be still alive, from
the heaps of the dead. He sent word to us to
and that when we could come out in
safety he would again send to us.
We stayed in our room two hours before we VEN
Iured to make another attempt 10 escape from this
scene Of horror and then walking close together,
with all our servants round us, made bold
push and got out of the door of the church. By
this time, most of the bodies were removed but
twenty or thirty were still lying in distorted att-
Iudes at the foot of Mount Calvary; and fragments
of clothes, turbans, shoes and handkerchief, ciet-
pavement.
In the court in the front of the church the sight
was piabIe mothers weeping over their chill
dren-tlIe sons bending over the dsoa bodies of
their fathers-and one poor woman was clIngiDg
to the hand OF her husband, whose body was fear
fully manged. Most of the sufferers were pill
yrims and strangers. The Pasha was greatly
moved by this scene OF woe: and he again and
lgain commanded his officers to give the poor peo-
be every assistance in their power and very many
~ his humane Efforts were rescued from death.
was much struck with the sight of two old men
With white boards, who had been seeking for each
ther among the dead they met as was passing
", and it was Altering to them kiss and shake
lands, and congratulate each ether on having es-
aped from DEATH
When the bodies were removed, many were dis
covered standing upright quite dead; and near
he church door, one Of the soldiers was found thus
landing, with his musket shouldered, among the
odies, which reac he'd nearly as high as his head
his was in corner near the great door on the
light side as YOU come in. II seems that this door
ad been shut, that many who stood near it
we're sufIocated in the crowd; and when it was
pened the rush was SO great that numbers were
brown down and never rose again, being tramped
D death by the press behind them The whole
ourf, before the entrance Of the church, was
overed with bodies laid in rows, BY the Paslia's
rders, so that their friends might find them and
AIRY them away As we walked home, We saw
umbers Of people carried out, some dead, some
orribly wounded and in dying state, for they
i'd fought with their heavy silver inkstands and