The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-01-29

Cling to extricate themselves, but in vain
and all this within few feet of hundreds
of spectators! Trees in the plaza were
cut down and thrust in over the burning
heads; but it was too late. The smaller
branches were almost Immediately reduced
to ashes, or when the body of the tree was
withdrawn those branches taken hold of
remained in the hands of the victims.
1t will seem scarcely credible that any
yet lived and yet so it was. A moment
more, however, and all was over. Amid
the flames blackened heads might be seen
swaying to and fro, then .f1lling from Tie
shoulders The mass near the door was
now immovable in death, and hundreds of
the cOal-black statues retained their kneel-
ing posture.
At last the roof fell in with q crash
like mighty thunder. The gorgeous belfry
still stood, and, wrapped in flames, made
the scene around bright as MONDAY, and
then, with a dull, sodden sound, the
mammoth bells fell from their high places.
SCENES OUTSIDE THE CHURCH.
The scene without the church battles all
description. Every house far and near
was crowded with dying and dead. In
one hour from the breaking out of the
flames all was over OF two thousand
beautiful women Of Santiago there re-
manned but hideous mass of reeking and
carbonized cOrpses, and not single family
in the city but was left to mourn some
lost one
Very many of the corpses were found
with only the head and arms burned; but
as the clothes in most cases were burned
it was impossible to recognize them.
dare not tell you of the scenes I wit
messed that night and at daylight on the
following morning. No pen can describe
the father or the mother or brother search
ing among the blackened thousands for
some one single sign that the fearful corpse
before them was all that remained to them
of that cherished form which but a few
short hours before was the object of their
love and fond idolatry. What pen can
portray to you father who had lost his
young wife and five lovely daughters,
searching in vain ior them. or tell you of
the haggard features Of a widowed mother,
too happy had the flames but spared only
enough of her cherished child that she
might know it hers, and battle it's black
ened limbs in hot, scalding tears.
Yet these and other such scenes have
witnessed, and, though days have passed,
my eyes fill with teas as 1 tell you their
story and must live long years before,
as memory reproduces the awful scene, my
blood will cease to grow cold at its remem-
brance, or my heart refuse its tear of
tribute to unquestionably the most awful
tragedy in ancient or modern history
Others there have been where more have
persisted, bat none under such heartrending
circumstances. In one of the largest and
most cultivated capitals of South America
two thousand of its lOveliest women are
burned to death, and that in presence of
their fathers, husbands, brothers, power
less to save them.
Do you require statistics? Let me
give you but a single Zone: it will suffice.
One hundred and fifty carloads of unre-
cognized cOrpses were, on the 9th and
10th, carried to the cemetery The beau
ty and the wealth and the proud Spanish
aristocracy all had their representatives
in that awful cOrtege.