The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-01-21

Thursday Morning. January 81. 1864.
Terrible Caiastrophe---2OOO Persons Burn,
10 Death nj the Cathedral in Santiago.
Chill.
The Patria oi Valparaiso, OF Dec. 10Th con-
tsins the following account OF the terrible
calamity which occurred on the sth OF
that month, at the Cathedral at Santiago,
Chill:
"We write under the shadow of distressing
public calamity. On the sth instant fire oc-
CURED in Santiago the fatal results of which
are without parallel in the history OF the ma
ton. Two thousand persons for most part ie-
males, were burned to death within an hour |,
This horrifying event occurred i'm the
church called the Compania, from It's having
once belonged to the Company Of Jesus, the
Jesuite. The Sth instant was the festival in
honor Of the immaculate Conception of the
Virgin Mary, and the evening was set apart
for the climax Of the ceremonial. At an early
hour in the afternoon the audience began to
assemble, and In such numbers that before
dark persons had to return home, unable to
obtain room within doors. short time af-
ter hak past seven the illuminations were
lighted. The spiendor Of the pageant may be
estimated from the fact that there were 10000
lights. or these 5000 were paraphenc lamps
universally deplored then cnsued.
IL is reported that the fire commenced In a
Transparency that represented the half moon,
connected with the pedestal OF the Virgin; and
as the building was covered with decorations
composed OF tissue, gallze aud painted canvass
the flames spread with inconceivable rapidity
over The face OF the grand altar mounting TO
the very roof During these moments the
scene ia the body OF the church was one oil
panic stricken horror that completely battle,
and defies all attempts at description.
In an instant the crowded assembly was
overwhelmed with CONSERVATION. Those in
the center perceived the progress of The flames
hrsf, while those neAret the doors hoping the
Ire would be exLiHgtaislled were unwilling 10
risk their places ;"filc consequence was ihat
those from the center. rushing to the doors.
came in mass apon those near the doorways
while yet seated or kneeling on the floor The
latter were unable to rise In consequence, the
former fell over them, the next behind fell on
these, and so on, until about The doors wall
OF human bodies, entangled in one another's
dresses, completely choked up every avenue
OF escape into the street. The fire mean
while was progressing overhead as il through
finder. The paraphene lamps fell from alolt,
discharglng their intiammable contents on the
illfated victims, wrapping them IN an instant
in flames. Ii is doubted II one in ten escaped
and Of those who did the most part were so
burned or otherwise Injured that death has
since ensued.
"persons In the street report that over the
barricade OF bodies within the doorways they
could see individuals in the center Of the
church running hitler and thilher amid the
flames, while Il was impossible to render them
the slightest assistance-nay, that it was out
OF the question to extricate even those who
were near the doors. This at distance seems
quite nexpllcable; but from the energetic
n Or IF xxfst x.xt.k& -.
sufferers aid we are sure ii must have been
out OF the question or il would have been
done.
At The end OF on hour the fury OF the con-
nagration had passed, and then OF all that i'm
nense number OF persons for whom escape
had beeu impossible not soul survived. The
beifry had fallen, and SO had much OF the roof
while the walls were standing.
And now Imagination fails to depict the
horrors Of the occasion. Where lust before
had been gathered the elite Of the city, the
female portion of the most refined families of
tue land, nothing remained but iifeless bodies
blackened and charred in death some piled
up 10 ali Imaginable confusion. Some la rows
yet kneeling, some with their heads burned
OF. others with limbs consumed while the
rest Of thebody had not suffered even lesion
Thus matrons and maidens, their servants and
children, had perished in n common ruin
" To some houses not soul returned
Mothers, with families Of daughters, had dis
appeared. Husbands vainy sought from
street to street and house to house their wives,
brothers their sisters and parents their chill
dren
"The frst Intelligence was brought here by
telegraph that five hundred had persisted. 1t
was hoped this would prove an cxaggeration:
bat the next day the number was six aud then
eight hundred. then a thousand. Ii was then
thought the tale OF horror could not proceed
further. And yet il has. Until now seventeen
hundred names have been published of per-
sons missing. and the remains OF more than
Two thousand have been borne TO the celne-
terry. These, in some isolated cases. have been
recognized hut the overwhelming mass have
been perfectly undistinguishable For four
days A crowd OF ial,orers was a. work extrica-
ting the remains. and nearly two handred
cart loads have been carried to the cemetery.
Fifty men we're there employed opening an
immense excavation to receive them, a num-
her that proved TO be insufficient to receive
them, and bad TO be augmented. The fire oc-
Cured on Tuesday evening; and on Saturday
evening the fearful task had not been fully
completed.
"ferhaps never In any land has a calamity
so dire and unmitigated. SO sudden and awful,
so heart-iending and horrifying. been re-
corded
The same paper adds
@N"soHe s'iN uanrs oi persons. MLO haSten-
ed to the burning ediiice and stroye TO save
the victims, mention is made OF Mr.. Nelson
the United states Minister, DR.. Silyey u. S.
Consul, Rand Secretary of Legation, and
Henry Meiggs.
1T Is thought hewever that at the end OF
fifteen ininutea oil who were not near the
door were sufocated.'
1t Is charged In very severe terms that
while the church was burning the priests bust
ed themselves in saving lis furniture aud or
naments, neglecting the sufiocating mass OF
sufferers within. The Patrie says:
For instance, through the yesiry Of the
church there was an opportunity ofescape BY
this avenue Miss Armstrong did escape be
sides another lady; but then The door was
closed In order to have more room and free
dom for removing articles Of furniture, even
70 benches, candlesticks cruci6xes aud So
forth"