Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1875-05-29
EASTERN DISPATC HE'S
BY Overland Telegraph.
ESPECIAL TO THE DAILY SENTINEL
Fearful Catastrophe "A Catholic
Church Burned-Seycnty Lives
Lost.

Lost.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass, May ~.
One of the most terrible disasters in
| the history of the State occurred to-
| night in the burning of the French
| Catholic Church, at South HOlvoke,
during the evening service, involving
the death of siXty-six men, women and
| children. The exercises had nearly
| closed and a vesper service was being
sung, when the decorations on the al
tar caught fire from a candle, and the
walls being low, the flames streaming
up the building set it on fire. The
audience numbered about 700. The
people in the body of the church es-
capped, but on the stairway leading
from the gallery human beings were
| packed in a dense mass struggling To
reach the floor, and as the flames rush
ed toward them, many leaped to the
floor beneath and were trampled to
death. The gallery skirted both sides
| of the building, with only n entrance
from the front. The scene was fearful
while it lasted, for The whole was over
in twenty minutes. Besides 60 dead
there are enough fatally wounded to
carry the total loss of life up to seven
ty-five.
Excitement Over the Church lire.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass, May %.
Intense excitement prevailed last
night in Holyoke centering opposite
| the church at which the disastrous
fire occurred, and at various points to
| which the burned were carried. Wild
| efforts were made by the people to
rush pell nell into the burning build
ing to rescue friends, and it was with
difficulty that they were kept back.
| This was particularly the case with pa
rents, who on the first impulse, rushed
from the church 10 save their own
lives, but remembering they had left
children behind to perish returned I'M
petuously. Actual personal violence
| had to he used in several cases to keep
women back. All about the streets
men, ONE and children were watch
ing piteously and inquiring if friends
had been saved. One woman was
positive her husband had persisted,
and could only be quieted by the as
surance from a friend that he had just
been walking with him. One of the
most touching cases was that of two
little girls abont IL years Of age, who
| rushed for the entrance of the build
ing while the fire was at its height.
| Thinking to find their father and
mother who were within, they could
only be restrained from re-entering by
an officer, who took them in his arms.
1t is a disputed question whether
| both front doors were available Tor es-
cape. There are those who state posi-
lively that one of them closed and that
it was impossible to open it, on ac-
count of the crush. One man went to
the closed door, and fiourishing a
| club, threatened violence to any one
who came near, in order to get the
crowd away, but without success.
Others state as positively that both
| doors we're open. The church society
was established about seven years ago,
and father Dufreyne had been the
only pastor. The parish included all
of the French Catholics of the city,
whose number is estimated at $500
persons. The church was erected in
1870, entirely of pine wood. 1t was
about 100 feet by 60, two stories high,
with galleries on the sides. There were
two doors in the north end and YES
tibuIe, from which two doors opened
Into the body Of the church. The
galleries opened into the vestibule.
At the rear end was another door,
by which a few persons escaped.
Upon the breaking out of the
flames all the occupants of the gal.
leries rushed to the east door, and
falling upon one another, choked
up the doorway, with their bodies piled
in all of the ways seven or eight feet
deep. Here the most lives were lost.
From this mass Chief Muller recov-
cred ore young woman, after having
taken off two dead bodies from above
her. The Chief and others had their
clothes almost burned from them, and
were badly burned about the hands
In the rear of the church was the
priests residence, which was also de
stroyed. The walls were pulled down
after the fire was nearly put out. One
woman jumped from the highest win
dow down upon the front steps, break
ing an arm A man, with two children
in his arms, jumped from the window
and escaped. 1t is not quite certain
that all the bodies have been taker
from the ruins. In the haste TO get a.
many ~ possible from the building
before it fell, several We're taken bur i
short distance, and it Is possible a few
more may be taken from the debris.
The Late Explosion.
BosToN, May q.
A thorough search was madethrougf
the night in the ruins OF the building
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