Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-01-20
Five Persons Burnt to Death,

CT he city was 81 dfnS By s Hn se ps
five persons were burnt to death.
"a" ---eee-----
TFE TERRIBLE CALAMITY CHILLI.
The Telegraph day or two ago made the
announcement of a terrible accident III Chill,
where by some 1900 souls, mostly women ana
chiilten, were burned to death. A correspon
6eE.t of the New York Times, writing from Saa.
tago de Chilli, under date of December Iith,
gives the following graphic account of the ca
tastrophy:
I, has been the custon for the past Ave years
TO Celebrate the "month OF Mary" with great
zeal and pomp in the church of the CompaHia
or jesuit church, situated at the corner of the
etroat IA. that nan-e<and Raude1a street, and
fronting the plauZaela of la Compania The
curale having organized religious association
known as the "Daughters OF Mary" has held
services during said mouth, winding up on the
Sth with grand illumination OF the church,
and sermon in The evening, at which all the
members were earnestly entreated to be pres
eBt
This year, determined to outshine ali former
exhibitions, be made arrangemdnts to adorn the
church with garlands of flo we4s s, colossal stat
uts, and with an unpreeedent number of lights
Ee was yainly demonstrated with by the Arch
bishop and others in authority, WHO ralu It.
antly gave their consent to the display. The
church was flled with the devout all day. and
8 to wards nlghttali q continuous stream OF hu-
man beings, almost exclusively women, poured
into The church until every avenue was densely
packed, and the steps of the church and far out
into the plaza were filled with a hushed and
kneeling crowd. The doors toere then all closed
save the m ain entrance, for the double purpose
of preventing the confusion occasioned By late
comeIs and of making the voice of the preache
more distinctly heard. s-...a..s
ct a little before seven the assistants began
lighting up the church and were just finishing
the grand altar, the rest of the building being
fully Illuminated with thousands of lamps,
most OF them OF parafas oil, when, from q
transparent crescent at the foot of the statue Of
ha rfrip N Nyth a ~ flo~no 49,
tendaht endeayoIed to extinguish 1t with his
-sSAsho, but the infiammable liquid penetrated
the fabric and only increased the danger. In a
moment the flames darted up the garlands of
artificial flowers to the root, the immense cupo.
la caught fire, and the lamps suspended from
the roof by strings dropped and exploded
knee ing beneath. Darting along the wooden
ceilings, already heated to the dryness of tin
der, the flames ran like Kissing serpents the
whole length of the church and rolled down
in huge biIlows upon the compact crowd that
had instinctiyely sought the main entrance.
During the first few moments of surprise and
terror shrieks Of sorrow for the destruction of
their beloved church resounded through the
ais les Of the building; but, when rushing to the
various outlets, all were found closed save
one, and that one impassable, loud screams of
horror burst from the despairing multitude
For few moments the heart piercing cries of
perishing women were increasing; they gradu-
ally grew fainter ard fainter, and soon an
awful silence reigned within that horrible fur.
mace, broken only by the angry roar of the
flames, or the crash Of falling towers. BY the
lurld glare within could be seen hundreds OF
human forms, some with faces elevated in
prayer TO Him before whose throne they were
rapidly Fastening, others with eyes eagerly
oster air, imploring that assistance that it was
impossible TO give; mothers clasping their little
ones close and seeking to shield their darlings
from the flames already biistering their own
despairiHg features; children clinging in the
phrenZy OF despair to those who would have
gladly died for them, but could only die with
them. t S.eF-
The criminal neglect to take the most ordinary
precautions against fire, or even alarm, has
been fearfully atoned. OF the 3.000 persons
within the pile but five or six hundred escaped,
and most Of them wounded, scorched and
naked. The vast crowd became wedged to.
gether, and fainting with heat, terror and pres
sure, lost the ability to help themselves or Sec
ond the efforts Of those who risked their lives
to save them. It was only by almost super
human efCrt that some few were dragged from
the tightly packed mass Of human beings at the
tardily opened outlets; and of those fe W, great
: majority only lived few hours.
The res cuers, approaching too nearly the
dense mass of victims, were time and again
seized by tie outstretched hands of Numbers,
and only saved by their own desperate strug.
giles, aided by their companions from behind.
2 but who could Withstand the imploring ges-
lures of those who: upon the very threshold
swiftly approaching! 80
Inside the church, and within o few steps OF
the main dsor fronting upon the plaza, rni,a Mas
haired snd venerable woman 70 4 tne an.an IN.
in gu Of come ssyssssn s,ss ssss ysIs posa down
gsm oaaea saGse ioessa spn IN q sass ass within
hs Issss S,;ess soor soon
was, ~ and n Inc iIe ectaaIly gIaska ne sIStAinE or
limbs az ties nearssf. W yaem9 VIA: aeRror,
ihs horrio!s srsS1yp s.s1y fsr1ssa u saS sss sne
1 in~ Seyer to rise a6anA Nhite thez s1ronker 1