Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1864-01-30
NEW SERIES, VOL. l6, NO. As.

gigantic image of the Virgin over the high
altar overiowed, and climbing up the mus
lin draperies and pasteboard devices Of the
| wooden roof, rolled torrent of fame.
The suddenness of the fire was awful.
The dense mass of women, frightened out
! Of their senses, numbers fainting, and all
entangled by their long swelling dresses,
| rushed, rs those who knew that death was
at their hells, TO the one door, which soon
became choked up. Fire was everywhere
| Streaming along the wooden ccilirg, il
flung the camphene lamps, hung in rows
I there, among the struggling women.
! In moment the gorgeous church was
sea of flame. Michael Angeles fearful pic
! ture of hell was there but exceeded Help
was all but impossible Hercules mighs
have strained his strength in vain to pull
one from the serricd mass of frenzed
wretches, who, piled one above another, as
they climbed over to reach the air, wildly
! fastened the grip Of death upon any one
escaping, in order that they might lie drag
ged out with them. Those who longed to
| save them were doomed to bear the most
narrowing sight that ever scared human
eyeballs--,o see mothers, sisters, tender and
timid women, dying that dreadful death,
| that appalled, the stoutest heart OF man,
within one yard of salvation, within one
| yard of men who wculd have given their
| lives over and over again for them. 1t was
maddenipg-- screaming and wringnr of
hands for help as the remorscless flames
came on and then, while some already dead
with fright were burned in ghastly indiilcr-
cncc, Others in their horrible agony. some in
prayer, were tearing their hair and battcring
| their faces. Women, seized in the embraces
of the flames, were seen to undergo trans
formation as though by an optical deusion
| first dazzingly bright, then horribly lean and
shrunk up, then black statues, rigidly fixed
| in writhng attitude.
The fire. imprisoned by the immense thick
| ness Of the walls, had deyoured everything
combustible by ten o'clock, and then, defy
ing the sickening stencil, people came to
look Cor their lost ones. Oh, what a sight
the fair, placid moon looked down upon
Closely puckcd crowds of calcineCl, distor.
ted FORMS wearing the fearful expression of
the last pang, whose smile was once a
heaven the ghastiy phalanx of black statues
twisted in every variety of agony, stretching
out their arms as ii imploring mercy; and
then, of the heaps that had choked up the
door, multitudcs with their lower parts en-
tirely untouched, and some all slapoiess
mass, but with an arm or foot unscathed.
The silence, after those piercing screams
were hushed in death, was horrible. 1t was
| the silence of the grave, unbyOken but 10y
the bitter wall or iainting cry--oyER TWO
THOUSAND SOULS had passed through that
ordeal Of fire to the Judgment seat of God
Heroic acts of sublime daring have not
been wanting, Enduring gratitude las been
excited in every Christian heart 10y the gal
liant Efforts Of Mr.. Nelson, the Minister OF
the United States, his countrymau, Mr.
Mtigs, and several other foreigners. There
were generous men who deied the fury of
the flames to save lives, and some OF these
died martyrs to their noble hearts. An
EnSlisnman or an American. it is unknown
which, was seen to rush through the flames,
to seize in his powerful arms q lady, stride
with her little way, and then, with his
hair IN blaze, and chOked with smoke,
Tell back INTO the volcano never to rise again.
young lady named Oerllo, having in vain
impored some bystandcrs To save her mother
rushed in, and shortly afterwards miracu-
lousy issued forth with her parent in her
arms, saved. A young lady Of the name Of
Solar, just before the smoke suifocated her.
had the presence of mind to tie her hand
kerchiet around her leg, SO that her body
might he recognized.
The writer now continues to speak of the
cause of the fire, and tn whom the blame for
the catastrophe is attributable lie handles
the clergy in the most severe manner, and
, says The population of Santiago, so supinc
and SO priest-ridden, are fired with indcscri-
bable indignation at tie monstrous conduct
of the priests, The public conscience holds
them guilty of the death OF all these victims
and particularly the montebank USarte, the
inventor of the Virgins Post Office impos-
ture (sce extract from the "Review OF the
fortnight"), because BY collecting together
all the material most likely to produce fire
ia countless number of lights, pasteboard
scenery, and muslin hangings-and admit
ting vas! crowd and covering the one door
open with screen, they took every pains to
bring about tragedy. When the lire broke
out and people were escaping by the sacristy,
they blocked up this door to devote them
selves the more undisturbedly to saving their
gim. cracks.
The list of things saved makes ones blood
run cold. What the priests saved, what
they put away in cigar shops and the houses
in front are-s gilt image, some wooden
saints, a sacred s2phs or two, some books
chalices. silver candle-sticks, and a great
deal OF sacred mating and carpet. After
saving their trash, these specimens of good
shepherds, who give their lives for their
sheep, fled away, in company with the owls
ara batS tLAl lnlcsleu inc anc'en. walls
except that one priest favored the agonized
victims with his absolutioa, ami UgaEte
requested them to die happy, because they
went direct to Mary.
| They then torsook the scene, and In that
awful night, when ialnting women aud des-
pemte men strewed the streets, and writhing
forms, that a lew hours before were graceful
and beautiful maidens, nloaned ard died in
chemists shops, not priest was To be seen
/ 10 whisper word OF Christ's comfort to
| the dying ear, or hold the precious cyuciix
before the glazing eye, No, not so. for the
priest OF nature Was thege--woman, a minis.
tering angel In the dark hour, tended aud
soothed Us usual. One young lady--G0d
oless her-toFe up all her under clothing 10
make bandages, and bound up the wounds
as only womaa can. All this awful night
/ the only thing that remained of the clergy
I Was the incessant tolling OF bells -about the
only thing they could do to lacrease the
hofroFs ~ the scene.
| This being the third time that this church
has Hlled our homes With weeping, all with
ans Yalee demand that u shall never be
Febuili but the prlesls, toollsky defiant aud
despoll, IA ever, thIeaten 10 LEI on their
miserable medi9val popguns ~ those they
term tho sacFlliglous 'alisnalaFs of holy
gfound Their audaeliy has even he'd thea
10 sllsmpl aa appeal 70 yiolenes,,s = They