The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1864-02-03
VOL. 9, NO. 42-WHOLE NO. 45S.


Shocking Catastrophe In south America.
Il SaDtisgo, the cspitAl Of Chill, South Amer.
ics, the Jesuit Church, on the night Of the Sth
December, took Are while the immaculate con.
csption OF the virgin was being Gel, brsted. and
over :, 1000 women aud children sufocated TO
death. From the Nreio Del Vapisr, before
NE. dated the l7th uis., Translate the follow
ing: An enthusiastic audnce filed every nOok
There were very few men there, but 500
women. comDris ng the flower OF the beauty and
fash OF OF the capital we're at the feet OF she
eciesiasis, very many against the viii of fathers
snd husbands, bu, hat, OF course. only sho~ed
forth the power aud might Of the Gospel New
er had such 4 pyroteehuy beeR seen before
I~enty thousand lights, mostly csmpheue, IL
long iesIoois OF coOred globes, turned the
church iltO hAl Of hle.
The Performance had not yet begun hen the
crescent Of FIRE a. the foot OF the colossal i'm
age of the Virgin over the high altar oveido~-
ed and climbing up the unslin draperies atd
pssfeDoad dsv.ses 30 the wooden root sarged
sorrent of f-me Women seized 10 eubracrs OF
mes we're seen 10 undergo d traDsiorn. alton.
Tnough b, an optical delusion FIRST da1llngiy
orighl, lhen horribly lean snd shfuuk up. then
black statues rglds liked in a Writbing aIs-
tude.
The sre, imprisoned by immense thickness Of
ws,ls had eevoufcd everything cOmousubie bN
ten O'Clock. and then d,hiig the sicksniug
stencil. people came TO look for their lost oues.
The siruce, alter hose piercing screams were
hustled IA death, Was horrible. IL ~ss the o
rnce Of the grave, uuoioken, buI by the bitter
Sail or faiuulg cry. over Two thousand soul
had passed through that ordeal OF FIRE, TO ths
Judgment seat OF Coo.
Heroic acls Of sublime daring have not been
wanting Enduring grauIude has been excited
10 ev0y Chnstisn heart UY the gallant Efforts OF
Mr. Nelson, the Minister OF the United States,
bis countrymaD, Ar. Aeiggs, and several other
foreigners
Young lady nAmed Osello, having in vain
mplored some bvstsnGers to cave her mother,
rushed IN aud shcttiy afterwards mirsculousy
issued forth With her pareut in her arms
young lady, of the name Of Solar, jnsi be-
iore the smoke suffocat,d her, had the presence
of mind % tic her han ikerchiet around her leg
50 that her body II gut be recogulz,d
Near the hour OF midnight, tue smoking ruins
# she fatal temple, SO SOON 10 become silent
camel house, was visited AID oy the light OF q
autern, every step showed to The appalled, gaze
fuarfel groups OF carbouiz-d corpses that pre-
served stl the supplicati1g OF despairing stti-
tude of theiF iFghuul martytdom. $50 cart
loads OF the unrecog0lzed cofpses were on the
sth anu 10Th. carried TO the cemetery. The
beauty, and the Weath, and the proud Spanis'i
arsi ocrAcv all had their representatives IA that
awful cOrtege.
Santiago IS the capital city of Chill it con
ta:ns sbout 10, 900 inhabitants and Is old, veal
| thy and arislOcratic. The Inhabitants prin
cIoallv descended from the hIst Spanish iami
nes who settled in thai county, aud have
retained from generation to generation
! heir ancient traditions and cusioms, one oi
the straugest OF which Is al intense devotion 20
the ritusl and priesthood oi the Romish Church
| The priests have ever been the ruling class.
! and, as is the case everywhere, Their chief aud
most uud sputed dominion has been over the fe
male mind and conscience.
The cathedral, which was the scene OF thi'
great calamity, 'was a large, strong aud massive
0uiIdlug, with one principal entfance IA the side
| nd some smaller entrances, Obstructed b.
Greens. in other parts of the building. Twice
iuring the past twenty years, II has been con-
.umed by FIRE, attended With lamentaoe loss o
ile: but il seems that 10 experience could teGcf
! me vain aud besOiteJ priests who had the con
rol Of it, to take proper precautions against
! recurrence OF such disasters, either IN the mean'
Of exit, or in the arrangement OF the lights an
ornaments A few years ago an engineer pro
! opposed to light lt with ga, but The prizes
Ugarte, who had tie charge oi H. preferred q
adhere 10 wax candles, campheie lamps, sn'
every otBer c0ntfieauce, anceut OF modern, b.
shicb the senses could be dazzed and wsOugh
,pon bv 4 vain DISPLAY OF fancy colored nights
A. IT 10 ensure The most fatal aud calamitou
fees. the church was les voHed proiu-ely AL
tnfoug hOut with paper and muslin toggeiy, ID
ignition of xhicn could not bur result 10 an a
most Instantaneous conhagsauon through "a
me entire edihce Such vas the funeral pii
shich iEncranc. superstition and 'aLsleism na
prepared lor In - hnpless victims
1t was on tie last night, and al tie eTAnde'
ceremonial, OF - rhe Month oi Nary "A iea'
,.siuting on the 9th of November, and closin
Do the sth OF December. III homer u the immA'
iiat Conception Of the Nifgn-that tbs terriei
Evening Sacrifice" es one of the Santiago ed
tots most significantly termed It. took plac
rhe cathedral was lighted up with iestoons
nnumriable lamps, filed with csmPhene,
sngerous proximity 10 the "a. drs drapery b
fore spoken Of The priest Ugnrte va
reach aud anO her, lately from Rome, va. a
o TO othcate The latter remarked that q
ighting up Of that cathedral vas not equal
snat he had Seen ia Rome, TO which Cgari
lung by the depreicatus comparison, replle
tbat he would show hlu an illumination 'h
night surprising anything be ever saw n kom
AID verify he made good hrs boast.
We shall not dwell upon the shocking dets
If the calamity, :or that is not our object ~
ice il to say that the latest accounts State IN
bout $500 persons. principally women and ca
| !ren. clad in light summer dresses, we're sudde
5 enveloped 10 The flames of the church drsner
heir oSn apparel, aid c2taracts OF burning cal
hene from detached and exploding lamps, "
hu-. cliugiug one TO another IN terror aud Sg
? ny, quickly perished.
D But where were the oficiating priests' i
= hey escape, Not Only dd they escape. b
hev labored successfully ia savng-not the i
, ~, sgouizing victims Of their own vanity
. foIy-hut their trunpery,-' some images, sol
g ,onsecrated sofas, and even some carpets. IL
aid they barred their doors against the peoI
, both from within aud without; AID then, WI
al -ss over, when the lsst sbsiek Of agony d
1 oeen hushed il death. the priest Cgar,e
= preached the usia entrance and pronounced
a sholesale absoluvoa over b reeking, smokir
' barred and undlsringuishable hecasemb Of SO
i --Ptts6u'g GGzstts.
t COAL,TAR OR TAR PAINT.