Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1864-01-27
FULL PARTICULARS OF THE TER
RIBLE CALAMITY IN SAN
TIAG0, chilli
two Thousand Women and Children
Smothered and Burned to Death


Of Santiago, the capital OF the republic OF
Chilli, on the night of the Sth Of Decem-
bcr last
The Church of the Jesuits, in which
was being celebrated the immaculate Con
ception Of the Virgin, was destroyed by
fire, and with it We're buraed und Mf0ru-
ted 00er fIgo th0HSnnd lconarn nHd chad,pn
One can hardly realize the terrible catas
! trophe that has fallen upon the people Of
/ Chill Whole families have been swept
away in an instant, as it were, aud there Is
hardly home in Santiago that has not
been thrown into the depths of woe The
battle field hath IT'S horrors hut they are
the incidents of war Ia this case it has
been women and children who have been
destroyed, and none were able to render
them any aid. Husband, brothers and
fathers have had to stand by and witness
wives, sisters and children perish in the
flames and not be aEle to render assistance
| give you the full account from the Mer
euro del Nupir Of the 18th ul:imo, which
has ali the details also remarks from that
paper concerning the catastrophe, all of
which are Of deep interest:
One Of those awful vistations which
from time to time infict nations with eter-
nal mourning took place on Tuesday, De
cemher s, at the festival of the Immacu
late Conception, in what was the church of
the Jesujts in the capital A magnificent
temple reduced to ashes hundreds of dear
lives sacrificed, the VIII, Ie city weeping its
/ lost oaes-such is the picture Santiago Of
/ fers Us since the fatal night the annlver
sary OF another mortal cat4strophe-tbe
battle Of Longsmilla. On the cJmmemo
ration OF the immaculate Conception, the
last of the festivities of the month OF
Mary, the most popular and lrequented of
all our solemniies, thousands of fair devo
tees thronged to the last performance,
which was to eclipse all that had preceded
At six in the evening the spacious steps
and part of the open place before the
church swarmed with ladies' in wells, fran
ucaIly struggling to enter temple where
not one more couId be made room for
\ few minutes before seven, and when
the religious performance was about 10 com
meuce, they were still. lighting the last
lights in the chance, when the portabIc
gas in the haIf-moon canvass and wood that
formed the pedestal of IA colossal image of
the Virgin Mary began to burn one of the
eXtremites OF that apparatus Some one
rushed on the rising fame, and succeeded
in smotherlng 1t; bat 10y fatal rebound
the gas, compressed by the effort, hurst out
with redoubIed vigor at the other extremi
ty Of the false half moon. Immediately IA
fierce fame rushed up The persons who
throDged the chancel few towards the sa
cris ry, crying water, water; whilst the
women, who filled the nave, arose in tu
mutous confusion, screaming for help
The suddeuness Of the fire was awful
The dense mass Of women, frightened out
OF their senses, numbers fantjng, and all
eutangIed by their long swelling crosses,
rushed, as those who knew death Was at
their heels, to the one door, which soon be
came choked up. Fire was everywhere.
Streaming along the wooden ceiling, it
flung the camphene lamps, hung in rows
there, upon the struggling women
la moment the gorgeous church was a
sea Of flame Michael Angeles fearful
picture Of he'll was there, out exceed d
'Ielp was al but impossible; Hercules
might have strained his strength in vain
to pull one from the serried mass OF iren
= zed wretches who, piled one above anoth
or, as they climbed over to reach the air
wildly fastening the grip of death upor
any one escaping, in order that they NIGH
be dragged out with them. Those whC
longed TO save them were doomed to beal
the most narrowing sight that ever scared
human eyeballs-to see mothers, sisters
f tender and timid women, dying that dread
full death, that appalled, the stoutest hear
of man, within one yard of salvation, with
! in ore yard of men who would have giveT
their lives over and over again for them
1t was maddeniBg the screaming arc
wrin2ing of hands for hel as the remorse
less flames came on and then, while som'
already dead with fright were burned il
chastity indifference, othe in t. cir horrl
V lie agony-some in prayer-were tearin!
It their hair and battering their faces Wo
o men, seized in the embraces Of the flames
5 we're seen to undergo a tran formation u
;, though by an optical delusion first daz
z zling bright, then horribly lean and shrunI
:. up, then black statues, rigidly fixed in
: writhIng attitude.
: The fire, imprisoned by the immeDs
: thickness of the walls, had devoured ev
e erything comhustible by ten o'clock am
J. then, defying the sickening stencil, pee
% pie came to look for their lost ones. Oh
n what sight the fair, placid neon locke
i. down upon! Closely packed crowds c
{ calcined, distorted forms, wearing the ieal
d iul expression of the last pang. who's
smile was once heaven the CHASTITY pha
anx of black statues, twisted in every val
iety of agony, stretching out their arms