The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-05-28
TERRIBLE DISASTER
Catholic Church at HOlyOke,
Massachusetts, Burned.
Between Sixty and Seventy
Lives Lost.
LIST OF THE VICTIMS.

LIST OF THE VICTIMS,
SPRINGFIELD, May 27.-The French
Church at Holyoko burned tonight, and
at least sixty persons were burnt to
death.
SECOND DIsPDTCH.
One Of the most terrible disasters in
the history Of Massachusetts, occurred
tonight in the burning Of the French
Catholic Church, at South HolyOke, dur.
ing evening services, involving the death
Of sixty.Six men, women and children.
The exercises had nearly closed and a
vesper service was being sung, when the
draperies on the altar caught fire from
candle, and the walls, being low, and
tho flames streaming up tho building,
was set on fire. The audience number
ing about 700 people in the body Of the
church escaped by stairway leading
from the egallery. The human beings were
packed In u dense mass struggling to
reach tho floor, and as the flames rushed
towards them many leaped to the floor
and were trampled to death. Tho gal
lery skirted both sides Of the building
with only ono entrance from the front.
The scene was fearful while 1t lasted for
the whole was over in twenty minutes.
Besides GO dead there aro enough fatally
wounded to carry the total loss OF life up
to rs.
The recognized dead up to this hour
are MS follows, Mrs. Burgess, Mrs. Victor
Norm, Mrs, Calixto Larivie, Mrs. Laren'
no, Mr.. Desperdins, wife and four child
rem, Isaac MORGAN, Fabier MORGAN, Miss
Ida Lafrance, Justin Bissow, Alphonsus
Morau, Mary Daucctt, Eta Memner.
The daughters Augustus COaChe and
AIsenc Naston were badly burned. Mrs.
Theophila Blanchard, Mrs. Bnrdeaux,
Mrs. Dupont, IIermince Lnporte, Henri.
cite Simincur, C. Duiresne, slightly burned.
Louise Fcrricr and Rosalie Dnvion,
wounded. In Pascal Paquette's family
there Is one dead and two wounded. In
the family Of Francois Dcrey there are
four slightly burned and one missing
The priests house, which joins the
church IN the rear, was also burned.
The bodies were taken to Peter Mouatts
Main street store and the Park street
school house for temporary deposit, The
inquest will bc held tomorrow.
1rhe exercises lad nearly closed when
the flames from the candle caught the dra.
perry around tho statue OF Virgin
Mary and streamed up and caught the
building. Immediately panic ensued,
and tue people rushed for the doors, there
is but one entrance to the gallery and
that from the front. On the stairway
leading from the gallery the people were
packed In n solid mass, struggling to
clear themselves as the flames
rushed in that direction, and this
stairs became blocked and rendered exit
impossible. Many jumped over the sides
Of the galleries on the crowd beneath,
and were trAmpled on and killed. The
priests residence joins the edilicc In the
rear, and many escaped through all cn-
trance back Of the altar. The priests
exertions to keep order were lruitless; the
screams Of tho living and the moans OF
tic dying made adeaiening tumnlt above
the orders Of the pastor, who worked he.
roically and was personally instrumental
in saving many lives. One family OF tour
we're all killed. Many were pulled out by
the arms and feetso badly burned that they
lived but few hours, the ilesh pealing
off on being touched and some were taken
out with scarcely any flesh remaining on
their bones. The sisters Of mercy from
the convent were soon on hand caring for
the wounded and holding services over
the dying Father DufreSne also held
services. His mother was among these
terribly burned. Father Dufresne lost
almost everything In his residence so
rapidly was the building consumed. The
large wooden tenement block Of Joseph
Prev, near the burned church, was
thrown open for the reception OF the dead
and wounded, and several deaths occurred
in tho building during the night. Sew
eral were also taken to the New York
Mills boarding house and the physicians
gave the wounded tho best OF medical
care. Those who were too badly burned
to recover were put Under the elects Of
morphine and passed away without
a struggle. While the exercises
were being held over the dying
the most intense quiet prevailed
and the rough laborerS knelt upon the
floor with uncovered heads, but about the
Morpue and in the streets the wailing Of
the multitude was pitiful to hear. Among
the persons III dying condition are Mary
Lacharoc, Mrs. Bridges, the mother Of
seven children, one Of whom is missing
and probably among the dead, Basarth
Ijrigg, Sophia HILBERT, Annie Lap0inter,
Lacosta Elidor, Charles CONNER, burned
badly, but will recover, as will probably
the brother Of Father Dnfresne and II Is
estimated that twenty or thirty were taken
to other houses, same Of whom must die.
LATER.
The following are also seriously burned.
Mary Cooling, Mary and Lucy Hicks
Louisa Brown, n young chapel girl, Vic
tyria Brown, Louisa, TortieF, Lizzie
NIerCies and Rena Blain. a large mn.
jority Of these must die. One girl, terribly
burned and we're moved to the House Of
Providence. One girl escaped from the
gallery By jumping on the back Of man,
who carried her out, while her sister, who
was with her, was burned.
Several members Of one Of the hose
companies we're playing ball near the
church when the fire broke out, and the
Relief steamer was out for practice, so
that the FIRE department was promptly on
the spot.
The scenes at the doors are tlescribcd
as terrible. They we're blocked with n
struggling mass Of people seeking an exit.
The people outside cleared the way sew
eral times, hut as often 1t would become
blocked up again. The windows were
broken open and several escaped in that
way. The last 10 get out Of the church
was said to be a man with his wife and
little girl. The father took up his daugh-
ter and rushed with her to n place Of
safety.
Lewis LanglerS,of the Riverside mill,
went in to render assistance when little
rirl came tumbling down before the
door, under the feet Of the thtong though
he burnt his hands badly in doing II ho
was able to pull her out but little injur.
ed, A young woman knocked out one Of
The windows and jumped to the ground
n0 -