Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-01-22
The Awful DIsnster 10 ChnI.


The Awful Disaster 10 Chill.
Il 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 Gampania OF Jesuit Church, sltuat-
ed at the corner Of the street Of that
name and Bauders-street, and fronting
the plaEuela Of ls Companis. The curate
having organised a religious association,
known IS the " Daughters Of Msry," has
held annual services during said month,
winding up upon the 8th with q grand IL
Iuninaiion Of The Church and sermon in
the evening, st which all the members
were earnestly entrested TO be present
This year, determined to outshine all
former exhibitions, he made arrangements
to adorn the Church with gsrlands of
flowers, colossal statues, and an unprece-
dented number Of lights. He WAS vsinly
demonstrated with BY the Archbishop and
others in authority, who reluctantly gave
their consent to the displsy- The Church
was filed with the devOut all day, and to-
wards Bightfsll a continuous stream
Of human beings, almost exclusively wo-
men, poured into the Church until every
aTenue was densely packed, and the steps
Of the Church and far out into the plaza
were filed with hushed and kneeling
crowd
Tae doors were then all closed, save ihe
main entrance, for the double purpose of
preventing the confusion occasioned by
late comers and Of making the voice Of
the preacher more distinctly hearL At
little before seven, the assistants began
lighting up the Church and were just I'm
ishing the grand altar; the rest Of the
building being fully Illuminated with
thousands Of lamps, most Of them Of para
fne oil, when, from transparent crescent,
ct the foot Of the statue of the Virgin,
burst forth q Jet Of fame. The attendant
endeaEored toextin guish il with his pom
cho, but the iDhammable liquid penetrated
the fabric aad only Increased the danger.
In 9 moment the flames dartedUp the gar
lands OF artificial foWors to the roof, the
immense cupols caught FIRE and the lamps
suspended from the roof by strings drop
ped and exploded among the densely pack
ed mass Of women kneeGng beneath.
Darling along the wooden ceiling, already
heated 10 the dryness Of finder, the flames
ran like Kissing serpents the whole length
Of the Church and rolled down in huge
pillows on the compact crowd, that had in
gtinctively sought the main entrance.
During the first few moments Of surprise
and terror, shrieks Of sorrow for the des-
truotion Of their beloved Church resound
ed through the sisles Of the building; but
when, rushing to the various outlets, all
were found closed save one, and that one
impossible, loud screams Of horror burst
from the despsiring multitude For few
moments the hesrt-piercing cries Of per-
ishing women were increasing; they
gradually grew fainter and fainter, aud
soon awful silence reigned within that
horrible furnsce, broken only by the angry
rrAr Of flames, or the crash Of falling tow
ers. By the lurid glare within could be
seen hundreds Of human forms, some with
faces elevated in prayer to Him before
whose throne they we're rapidly Fastening,
others with eyes eagerly strained and
hands outstretched towards the outer air,
imploring that assistance that it was i'm
possible to give; mothers elasping their
little ones close and seeking to shield their
darliDgs from the flames already blister
ing their own despaiIiDg features child
rem clinging in despair TO those who would
have gladly died for them, but could only
die with them.
The rescuers, approaching too nearly the
dense mass Of victims, were time and
again seized by the outstretched hands Of
numbers. and only saved by their own
desperate struggles, aided from their com
psnions from behind. But who could
Withstand the imploring gestures Of thost
who, upon tho very threshold Of salvation
ssW q fearful and sgonizing death sWiftlJ
TnaSTa - ,kr -
within q few steps Of the main door front
iug upon the plaza, was group Of per
hsps two hundred, from the white-hsiret
and venerable woman to the infant o.
tender years. On the right hand knelt {
beautiful girl Of some seventeen years, a!
yet untouched by the eager flames tha
poured down from above, and by her sidt
her sister and mother, locked in each 9th
er's arms, iOithiH the reach Of those without
who ever and anon dashed recklessly
through the seorching doorway, and inef
fectualiy grasped the clothing or limbs o
the nearest. Writhing with terror, thl
horrible group sWsyed to and fro thi
weaker gradually sinking forward anC
falling, never. TO rise again, while tht
stronger bsttled with desperate energy L
reach the saving hands that struggled 81
desperately to reach them. But all wei
In Vsin, and in an awful brief space o
time the wall Of fame became impossible
the entire floor Of the church wss a sea o
FIRE, fed by the clothing Of the victims ant
intensified by the dropping lamps. Tn
roofs 1ell in; the towers followed and tn
belfry, with an awful crash, fell acros
the doorway, burying the soorohed an
kissing bodies Of those whose suffering wa
ever.
The scene without the church was heart
rending. The streets were filed with tn
dead and dying, and hundreds rushet
franieslly to and fro, calling upon tn
names Of loved ones; some knelt in tn
streets 70 pray, some were carried off b,
their friends, rsving in their gritf, Will
some, distracted at the thought Of wife o
child perishing, rushed frsntically int
the church and were seen no more. Hun
dreds were taken to the hospital and t
the neighbcriDg private houses. All III
physicians Of the city we're upon the spot
ministering to the injured. At midnigh
the flames, spent for want Of material (
1ssd upon, hsd lowered, and By mornin
had entirely ceased. The spectacle, b
the glazing light Of day, was indescrit
ably horrible. Ts0o thOgsasd eorPses, /
every stage Of csrbOnisation, from blaoE
e,.S ,;vf-- a the aliChtest aeo-oh Iav ;