Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1864-01-29
Terrific Tragedy in Chih-TwO Thssaad Five
Hundred Persons Burned Alive.
SANTIAGO DE- CHILE, Dee. ID.


q SANTIAGO DE CHILE, Dee. IA.
!. Since the horrible loss of life in the cart
II quake at Mendoza, nothing has approached
meurnfulness the spectacle presented to-ds
. by the magnificent capital of Chill. By Il
: eoBfagration of the Jesuit Church on Il
:, evening of the 8th instant, more than tW
3 Thousand victims we're suddenly hurried int
> eternity, by the most fearful of all possibI
> daaths-that of FIRE 1t were impossible /.
@1aggerate the horror of the ssene-it cannc
even be described g., and although an ayewit
ness of the terrible reality, feel how utterl
impossible is it to convey in language an ide
of the heart-rendering spectacle OF Tuesday
evening.
1t has been the custom for the past fiv
years to celebrate the month of Mary" will
great zeal and pomp, in the Church Of tht
i Compania or Jesuit Church, situated at tht
corner Of the street of that name and Bauderr
Estreet, and fronting la plazuela la Conpania
/ The eurate having organized a religious asso-
citation, known as the " Daughters OF Mary,
has held annual services during raid month
winding up upon the 9th with grand illumi-
nation of the church and sermon in the even
ing, at which all the members were earnestly
en+reated to be present.
This year, determined to outsbine all former
exhibitions, he made arrangements TO adorn
the church with garlands of flowers, colossal
statues. and with an unprecedented number of
! lights He was Vainly demonstrated with by
thef Archbishop and others in authority, who
IrsuctaBtly gave their consent TO the display.
The church was filed with the devout all day,
and towards nightfal a continuous stream of
human beings, almost exclusively women,
poured into the church, until every avenue
was densely packed, and the steps of the
schureh and far out into the plaza were filled
with hushed ard kneeling crowd.
The doors were then all closed, save the
main entrance, for the double purpose of pre-.
venting the confusion caused by late somers and
of making the voice of the preacher more dis
tinctly heard. At little before seven the assist
ants began lighting up the church and were
just finishing the grand altar, the rest of the
building being fully illuminated with thou
sands of lamps, most of them parafne oil,
when, from transparent resent, at the foot
of the statue of the Virgin, bust forth Jet
of fame. The attendant endeavored to extn-
S54ISu Ii Win ulS J0HCHO, Dut tu6 luualnuldUl6
fiquid penetrated the fabric and only increased
the danger. In a moment the flames
darted up the garlands of artificial flowers to
the roof, the immense cupola caught fire and
the lamps suspended from the roof by strings
DROPPED and exploded among the densely pack
ed mass of women kneeling beneath. Dart
ing along the wooden ceiling, already heated
to the dryness of tinder, the flames ran like
Kissing serpents the whole lenth of the church,
and rolled down in huge billows upon the
compacted crowd that had instinctively
saught the main enterance. During the first
few moments Of surprise and terror, shrieks of
sorrow for the destruction of their beloved
church sounded through the aisles of the
building but when rushing through to the
various outlets, all were found closed save one,
and that one impossible, loud screams of hor-
ror burst from the desparing multitude For
a few moments the heart-piercing cries of pc
rishing women were Increasing they gradual |
ly grew fainter, and fainter, and soon an aw-
full silence reigned within that horrible furnace,
broken only by the angry roar of the flames,
or the crash of falling towers. By the lurid
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 strained
and hands outstretched towards the outer air,
imploring that assistance that was impossible
to give mothers clasping their little ones
close and seeking to shield their darlings from
the flames already blistering their own des-
pairing features children clinging in the
frenzy of despair to those wine would have
gladly died for them, but could only die with |
them.
The news spread rapidly through the city,
and, in an incredibly short space of time, our
Minister, Mr.. Nelson, DR.. Silvey, American
Consul at Valpo, Henry Meiggs, and his ne
phew, Henry NJ. Keith, w Eaton, Geo Col |
ion, c. T. Pearce, and number of other
Americans, were upon the spot, hewing down |
doors and rushing into the flames to drag out
the few whose proximity to the doors render
ed it possible to reach them. Don Claudio |
Manterola, Don Custodio Gallo, and D. An
tonic Gallo, and number of CAileans also I
aided in the good work, but the majority Of
the by ISLANDERS, paralized by the fearful sight,
stood aloef, while the foreigners, at the most |
imminent risk of life, dragged out the living,
the MANNED and the dead, until the fall of tim |
bers and reign of fire from above extiDgushed |
the hope of saving another victim. The most |
escapes testified the herosm of
these noble spirits, who, unappalled by the
fearful scene within the church, never ceased |
their exertions, until it was too evident that
not one soul remained alive of all that multi |
tude.
The criminal neglect to take the most Or
binary precautions against fire, or even alarm,
has been fearfulIy atoned. OF the 5000 per-
sons within the pile, but five or six hundred |
and most of them wounded, scorched,
and naked The rest became wedged togeth-
er, and fainting with heat, terror and pressure,
lost the ability to help themselves second
the efforts of those who riske1 their lives 20
save them. 1t was only almost by superhu-
man effort that some few were dragged from
the tightly packed mass of human beings at
the tardily opened outlets aud Of those few,
a great majority only lived few hours.
The rescuers, approaching too near the
dense mass Of victims, were time and again
seized by the outstretched hands of numbers,
and only saved by their own desperate strug-
giles, aided by their companions from behind.
But who could Withstand the imploring ges-
lures Of those who, upon the very threshold of
salvation, saw fearful and agonizing death
swiftly approaching? Inside the church, and
within few steps of the main door fronting
upon the plaza, was group of perhaps two
hundred, from the white-haired and venerable
women to the infant Of tender years. On the
right hand knelt beautiful girl Of some Sc
venteen years, as yet untouched by the eager
Ha mas thai Doured down from above and bY |
her side her sister and mother, locked in each
others arms, within the reach of those with
out, who ever and anon dashed recklessly