Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1864-01-23
Terrible Catastrophe in Chill.

TWO THOUSAND WOMEN AND CHILDREN
BURNED 10 DEATH IN THE DESTRUCTION
or TUE CHURCH OF TIE JEsuITs AT SAN
TIAGo.
One of the most horrible calamites that
has ever fallen upon any people occurred in
the city Of Santiago, the capital OF the Re
public Of Chill, on the night of the Sth of
December last.
The Church of the Jesuits, in which was
being celebrated the Immaculate Conception
Of the Virgin, was destroyed by fire, and
with it were burned and suifocatcd over two
thousand women and children.
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, and there is
| hardly home in Santiago that has not been
| thrown into the depths of woe.
| The fire spread with wonderful rapidity
to the rere2os Of wood and hangngs, and
thence, attracted by the current of air that
always circulates between the upper board
/ ing and the roof, rolled through the church
In Il few moments all overhead was mass
OF flames. In the meantime the men had
succeeded in escaping, for in this church
the sexes were separated by an iron grating,
and the women had fled as far ms the middle
OF the church III II state ofthe most terrible
confusion. But the head-long hurry, the
iainting, the obstruction OF the bell-shaped
/ dresses, and the frantic eagcrness TO gain
the street, formed an impenetrabe barrier
! before the two doors, which, by culpable
imprudcnce, geve access TO the free mir only
/ towards the open space in front and the
small court OF the west side of the church.
That obstacle was the barrier of death.
And now what appeared most horrible
was that, seeing the salvation Of lives within
reach of our arms, it was impossible to save
even one of the victims piled one upon
another on the very threshold.
Hardly had the noble men who devoted
themselves 10 save lives at the peril of their
own, seized by the arms or the clothes a
PROSTATE form, than the other women, mad
with terrpr from the ncarness of the fire,
clutched the victim about 10 be saved, and
in some cases, dragged those who came TO
help them into that fiery vortex.
At midnight the smoking ruins Of the
fatal temple, so sOon "A silent charnel house,
was visited, and by the light OF u lantern
every slip showed 10 the appalled, gaze fear
ful group OF earbonized ecorpses that pre-
served still the supplieating or despairing
attitude Of taeir rightiul mariyrlom,
ADDITIONAL DETAILS.
for the clergy Of the Church OF tbs Jesuits
In Santiago. An enthusiastic audience iilled
every nook, There were hardly any men
there but three thousand women, compris-
ing tbs flower OF the beauty and fashion OF
the capital, were at the feet OF the eeolesias.
ties very many against the will OF fathers
and husbands, but that, OF course, only
showed forth the power aud might OF the
Gospel, Never had such pyloleehny been
seen before twenty thousand lights, mostly
eamphene. Ia long fsstoons tf eolored
globes, hlaxed. the church into hall OF iiIe.
But the performance had not YET begun,
When the crescent al fire al the foot OF the
gigantic image of the Virgin over the high
altar oyeFfioNed, aud, climbing up the lnus.
lin dTapeTles aud paslehoaTd devices ol the
wooden rael, rolled q toFrsnt " iAme
1hs snddennfss of the IRE sas awful
The dense nlass 0f womsn, hightened oul
oi lheiT senses, uunbels lasnllag, and all
enlangled BY lhelrsloeg saelllns dIessss
Tushed, A. those sho knes thai draih wAs
al ghrlF bella, 10 lhs ohs aoof, Nhlfh sooa
becams ehoked up tlIs sss essyshefe
HglfAmlns alons the Noodea eellirE, 4
nung she osmphens lamla, heng In fo ~
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