Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1864-01-29

Awful Diastcr in Chilli Cathedral de-
str0yed by Fire-tWO thousand Women
burnt to Death.
An awful disaster occurred 10 Santiago
the capital Of Chill, on the 9Th of D4eem-
Der. The Immaculate Conception was be-
ling celebrated ia the church OF the Jesuits.
It was about o'clock ID the evening and
the crescent Of light, (gaso that formed tho
pedestal for the Virgin Mary fircs' the wood
upon Which it rested, and the flataes sprung
wildly over the building There were ten
thousand persons in the church Tire sud
dcnness Of the FIRE was awful The dense
mass Of women frightened cut Of their sem
ses, numbers faintiDg and all entangied by
their long swelling dresses, rushed IS those
who knew that death was at their heels, tn
the one door, which 5000 became clicked up.
Fire was everywhere Streaming along
the wooden ceiling it fang the camphene
lamps hung in rows there, among The strug-
sling women.
In moment the gorgeous church vas 8
sea Of fame Michael Angeles fearful pic-
ture Of bell was there sat exceeded, IIelp
was all but impossible A Hercules might
have strained his strength in vain to pull
one from the serted mass Of frelzied
wrctchos who piled ore above another az
they climed over to reach the air, wildly
fastening the grip Of death upon any one
escaping, in order that they might be Drag
ged out with them. Women seized in the
embrace of the flames were seen to undergo
a transformation as though by an opticlo
delusion-frst dazzling hight .i luz, uorrii
bly, lean and shrunk up, then Black ssatues
rigidly fixed in a writing attitude The
fire, Imprisoned by the immense thickness
8. inc waits, nau uevo,s-.,.. e.c..I.: com
bustible by 10 o'clock, and then, dcfying
the sickening stencil, people came to look
for their lost ones The silence, afer the
piercing screams Of the burning were hustled
in death, was horrible. 1t was the silence
Of the grave, unbroken bat by the bitter
wall 0. fainting cry. Crer two thousand
souls had leaped through that ordeal of Ere
to the judgment seat of God,
The writer referring TO the fire handles
the clergy in the most severe manner. and
says the population Of Santiago are fred viii,
indescribable Indignation at tie monstrous
Couuuct VI tue plieotSi HoiuiiiS tueHl guItty
OF the death of all these victims, and par
ticulariy the mountebank Ugarte, the inven-
tor of the '.Virgins' Post Office imposture,
which required countless Number Of tights,
pasteboard scenery. &c.
When the fire broke cut they blocked up
the door ofthe sacristy, to devote themselves
more Enthusiastically to saving their 'gim-
cracks" They saved a gilt image, some
wooden saints, chalices, and great deal of
sacred mating. After saving their trash
they fed away. except one priest, who
favored the agoniaed victims with his abb
solution.
More than 500 persons Of tho highest
caste persisted, the greater part young girls
between fifteen and twenty years Of age
One mother persisted with her FIVE aaught-
ers. Two thirds Of the victims were ser
wants. Several houses have been noticed
by the police as empty. because al their
inmates have persisted
The latest information is that 100 bod
ies have been recognized. Three thousand
at least were in the building, and it is not
yet known how many have escaped.