Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1864-01-30
Burning Of the Santiago Cathe-
dral.
Nearly Two Thousand Persons Burned Alive,

From tile ". Y. Worlds Correspondent.
PANAMA, January 8.
The people of Santiago, the capital of
Chill, have been afflicted by one of those
terrible mislortunes that strike a whole
nation with one common blow thatSpread
horror all over the world wherever its IT,
dings are received, and leave a lasting
impression for centuries behind them.
Ever since Pho Mono enunciated the
"Immaculate Conception of the Virgin,
the feats in honor of this mystery became
fayorite one with clergy and the deyout
ladies of Santiago. There was o sister
hood "the Daug ghters of Mary" there
were celebrations, and masses ,and drapery,
and illumination, and music for the whole
"month OF Nary" from November s till
December 8. The focus for all this was
the church called "La Compania" (bc-
cause it had formerly belonged to the
Company of JGsus') }, au ediGce that had
been several times destroyed by earth
quakes and fires.
The last day, the 6th OF Decom Der, is
the holcst of the holy y month, and last
year it was to be extraordin arily magniR-
cent. 1t is said that Eizaguirre had Of
ten spoken to Ugarte of tho splendor dis
played in Rome on such occasions, and
intimated that in Chilli they could do
nothing like it. So Ugarte's vanity was
tickled, and he tried TO do his very best.
The results will be seen below.
Early in the afternoon streams Of peo-
pie, mostly ladies with their children and
servants, began to Gil the church, in order
to get good place for hearing the SER
mons Of the pastor and !or seeing the gor-
geous sight. BY 7 o'clock the church was
crammed ull in every corner by about
5000 women and 500 men, and rash null
ltudes filed the doors and outer steps,
unable to get admittance.
The church is long, narrow edifco
with nave and two aisles, the latter in
tersected by cross walls for the support of
the old, dilapidated fabric. There is only
one wide door, several small side doors
nearly impossible through screens and
other membranes, and d narrow door
leading to the sacristy.
The interior, especially the wooden roof
is covered with paper haGgings, festoons,
gauze, pasteboard, lrausparenties, indeed
with every variety of inhamable stuff, and
lighted with about 10000 lights, among
Others with 5000 pbotogeno lamps, on
the affairs, the walls, and hung from the
ceiling.
1t was about I o'clock in the evening ];
service had not begun yet; numerous ser.
wants were just beginning to light the i'm
menso number OF candles and lamps on
the high altar. Among the embellishments
on the latter was a colossal image of the
/ Virgin over a crescent made out of numer.
Gus lights, One of these set piece of
muslin belonging to one of the many dec.
orations on fire, and in moment the
whole altar, about twenty-five yards oy
ten, was in blaze. The flames spr cad
with an indescribable rapidity 10 the root
with its light drapery, and in two or
three minutes the fire was everywhere.-
The people near the altar and in the mid
die of the nave rushed Of course toward
the doors but those seated near these
did not see the amount OF danger and
pushed the others back, as they did not
want to lose their seats. A number OF
the crowds waiting outside even took ad-
vantage Of the confusion to get in. So
the principal door was soon obstructed by
a solid wall of human bodies unable to
move or 10 extricate their hands, and this
jamming and squeezing was increased by
the frenzy Of those who, now aware Of the
danger, pressed FROM behind. Only a
comparatively small number Of the wom-
en- and the greater part Of the men escap
ed through the side doors and the Saori atty
in the first moments Of the fire. ..
There Wa scene more horrid thar