Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1864-02-02
rmE AWFUL TRAGEDY.
Brief Account Of the Indescri-
babte scenes Of Horror!

ne. The voice of lsmeDtatiOn is heard ell
over the land; the bitter weeping of
fathers, husbands, brothers, end lovers for
those u no werethe brightness and joy Of
their life, that refuse to be e0mforted be-
cause they are not. Hundreds of young
eiIl4 only Yesterday radiant and beautiful
in the luxuriant bloom Of life, are to-day
ealcined, bideous eoruses, horrible, ltath-
eUme to the sight, impossible to be recog-
niz d.
l: has been the custom for the past five
years to celebrate the 'month of Mary"
With great zeal and pomp in the Church Of
the CJmpania or Jesuit Church, situated
at the corner II the streets Of that name
and Baudera. and fr n;ing the plszuela of
la C0mpania. The cu-ate having organized
o religious association, known as the
Daughters of Mary" has Eeld annual
FeVlces DUNG said month, winding up on
the 9Th with grand illumination of the
church and sermon in the evening, at which
all the members were invited to be press
sent.
This year, determined to outshine oil
former exhibitions, he made arrangements
to adorn the church with garlands Of flow.
eTs. G, lissial statues, and With an unpre-
rI1euted number of lights. He was vainly
demonstrated with by the Arch bishop and
others in authority. who reluctantly gave
their consent to thu disI lay.
Tbs church was filled with the devout
oil duy, and tOwsrds nigbtfrll q continuous
stream of human being, being almost ex.
elusive Of wumen, poured into n church
until every avenue was densely packed,
and the sters Of the church and far tut in
=-e la.l ritb haI nd
kneeiing crowd.
The doors were then ell closed, save the
main entrance, for the double purpose Of
preventing tie confusion occasIOnsd by
late corners and Of making the voice Of tie
preachers distinctly heard
At little before seven the assistants
began lighting up the church, and were
just finishing the grand altar, the rest uf
the bu ing being fully illuminated with
lamps, most Of them of para6ue oil, when
Tom q transparent crescent. at the foot Of
the statua :he Virgin, burst forth Jet of
fame. the attendant enjsavored 60 ex-
tinguish it it'll his pcnchO, but the irflae
matle liquid penetrated the fabric aud only
Increased the danger
In a IN Uncut the flames da,ted up the
ga'lInds of artificial fl ,wers to the roof,
the immense cupu|o caught fire and the
lamps suspended from the ro.f by strings
dropped and ext lOded am my the deusely
packed u'ass Uf women kneeIing beneath.
Darling along rhe We d.n ceiling Utmost
heated to the dryness Of finder, the flames
ran Ike his4'nI serpents the whole length
Of the church and rolled down in huge
bill,&s u DO tie compact CT wd, that had
instinct:Eeiy sought the main entrance
NJ q ar foyu IS,
az terror, shrieks of sorrow for the des-
truc,ion OF their beloved church resoundcd
through the aisles Of the building but
when, rushing to the various outlets, alt
were found closed save cue, AID that one
imrassabla, laUd screams If horror burst
from the despairing multitude For few
moments the heart piercing cries Of the
perlshing women were increasing they
gradually grew fainter and fainter, and
soon an Gwftl silence reigned within that
horrible furnace, broken only by the angry
roEr the flames, or the crash IF falling
towers
By the lrrid glare within coull be seen
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 out
stretched hsn3s towards the outer air
Vainly inn ring that assistance that it wal
iuposs.b'e to give.
In moment the gorgeous church was
bea OF fame. Michael Augelo's fearfu
picture Of hall was tbere. hut exceeded =
Help was I'll but impossible Hercules
might have strained his strength in vain tC
Pu / one tr' m the serried mass Of frenzied
wretcbes, who piled one above the othor
al hne ~ ed 90 Il II II
fastening the grip of death upon any une
escaping, in order that they might be
dragged out with them.
These who longed to save them were
d'omed to bear the most borrowing sight
that ever scared human eyeballs-to see
mothers, sisters. tender and timId women
dying that dreadful death, that appalled,
the stoutest heart of nan, within one yarC
ofstlVatiUn, within one yard of men who
would have given their lives over and ovel
again.
1t was Interchangeable screaming anC
Nrirg'ng 1T hands for help and the re
mrs l3ss flames came on and then while
some already dead from fright were buru
with easily indifference, others in tHei
horrible agony were tearing their hair anC
bstfering their faces.
.Wcmen seized 10 the embraces of thu
fumes were seen to undergo transforma
tim as though By an optical illusion frs
dazzling bright, then horribly lean abG
shruuk up, then black statues rigidly fxeC
in Writhing attitude.
The fire imprisoned by tho immense
thickness Of the walls, had devGured every.
thing combustille by ten of o'clock and
then. defyirg the sickening stencil, people
came to lock for their st ones.
o.. what sight the fair, placed moor
looked down upon Closely packed crowd.
Of cdl,ined, distorted furms, wearing The
fearful expression Of the last pang hose
snn lie was once heaven /; the easily phal-
anx Of black statues, twisted in every va.
eiety of agony, stretching out their Lrms
as if impllring mercy and then, of the
heap that had choked up The door, multi
: .tudes with their lower parts entirely un
touched, and sumo all shapeless mass
bat With an arm or foot unscathCj
- AIMING the LOST there were hardly an,
man, but of the three thousand women
Umprising the beauty and fashion of th,
capitol, who catered the church on tn,
fatal evening. less than uns thOusan.
escaped.
The silence, after these piercing screams
were hushed IN death, was NEST hnrri
BILE. 1t vas the silence Of grave, uubro
ken bat by the bitter wall or .ainting ory
over two thousand souls had passed
through that ordes! of f-e to the iad gmen
OF God.
Heroic acts af suSlime daring have no
been wanting. There were generous mer
who delied the fury or the flames to say
lives, aud some of these died martyrs &
their noble hearts. An Englishman or a.
American. It is unkn,wn which, was seel
to rush through the flames, to seize 10 hi
powerful arms lady. stride with her
little way, aud then. with his hair in
ll.za, and ohUked with smoke, fall bacl
into the Welcome, never to rise again. 4
young lady named OVello having 10 val
implOred some bystandsrs to save he
mother, rushed in, and shortly af,o-ward