Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1864-01-27
VOL. 1O.---N0. %.

| 23 yards high and 10 broad, was an unex-
! tinguishable bonfire.
! The advance of the fire was perhaps even
more rapid than the panic of the audience.
When the fire had flown from the alter 10
the root, 1.-The dense mass of women, trlghten-
ed out Of their senses, numbers faihting, and
all entangled IN their long swelling dressese-
rushed, as those who knew death was at
their heels, to the principal door, which
soon became choked up. Those near the
lateral doors were able 10 escape at the first
alarm Others, and particularly the men,
gained the little door of the sacristy and
lastly, those near the chief outlet forced
their way through the throng. even still
struggling to get in, and, indeed, part of
which did get in, even in the face of the
fire, stimulated by the desire of getting q
good place, which, on this OCCASION meant
good place to die in. Then, the flames hav-
ing crept along the whole roof, and, conse-
quently, released the lamps OF oil and liquid
gas from the tornices to which they were
strung, rain OF liquid blue fire poured
down upon the entangled throngs below.
a new and more horrible confagration
broke out then in that dense living mass,
appalling the affrighted gaze with pictures
tenfold more awful than those where in the
Catholic imagination has labored to give an
idea of the tortures of the damned, In less
sand human beings had perished, including
| many children. but very few men.
Although many heroic men performed
prodigies OF daring and strength, in tearing
| some from the death-grasp of the phalanx
of death that choked the door, IN some cases
| literally tearing OH their arms, without being
| able to extricate them, the number ofthe saw
| ed by this means falls short Of fifty More
than five hundred persons of our highest So
| ciety have perished-the greater part young
| girls of | ) to 90 years. One mother has
perished with her five daughters. Two
! thirds of the victims were servants, and
there are many houses in which not one has
escaped. Several houses have been noted
by the police as empty, because all its in
habitants have perished.
The people think Of nothing but the vic
tins and their obsequles. All with one
voice demand the demolition of the ruinous
walls OF the fatal temple and the offering of
| a monument TO the dear memory of the mar
tyrs. The Municipal body solicited this by
the medium of commission on the 18th,
and the Government is resolved on complI
ance. Resistance is threatened on the part
Of the clergy, but such exasperating and in
decorous folly would infallibly call forth
general rising of the people.
The past fortnight has produced no other
had, they would not seem deserving of men
ton in this night of heavy anguish. Du-
ring the last week the tribunals and the
Government itself have suspended their
labors. The people only weep, and their
public writer's could only offer tears to the
nation mourning. | enclose you list of
2,074 persons known 10 have been burned
the victims Of fanatacism.
Heroic acts of sublime daring have not
been wanting. Enduring gratitude has been
excited in every Chilian heart by the gallant
efforts Of Mr. Nelson the Minister of the
United States, and his country man Mr..
Megs, and several other foreigners.
Twice within twenty years have.the walls of
this fatal temple been blackened with the
smoke of calamities that have carried des-
olation and mourning throughout the ma
ton
Santiago is the capital of Chile and con-
tains 10000 inhabitants. Mixed maria
ges of Catholics and Protestants are not
sanctioned by ecclesiastical law, and the
priests have always had pretty much their
own way in the whole of the Republic, ex-
cept in Valparaiso, where foreigners have
much influence OF the children born in
Santiago one-fifth are illegitimte, but this
is probably no larger proportion than in
most purely Catholic countries.