The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-05-28

Terrible Disaster In a Church, Hun
dred People Burned and Crushed to
Death. t
SPRINGFIELD, MASS, May pa terri
BILE disaster visited Holyoke last even
ing, in the burning of the French Cath
olic Church, which was so fatally swift
that seyenty-six men, women and chill.
dren were either burned or crushed to
death in the panic. Near the close OF
the service, taper caught fire in the
light trimmings OF the altar and spread
rapidly over the walls. Seven hun
dred persons rushed out madly to
one narrow entrance, while those
in the gallery jumped down upon
the mass helow, from whence they were
drawn.by increasing flames and crushed
twenty minutes. Many were rescued
from the flames only to live for few
minutes, the flesh dropping from their
bones, others with nothing but charred
bones left. The mass of wailing people
in the. streets whose friends had spf-
fered this most horrible of deaths was
hearL-rending to behold. The flames OF
the burning building, the gathering OF
the dead for Identification, the comfort
ing of the dying, all made scene never
before witnessed in this city.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
NEW YORK, May 28.-A special from
nolyoke, Mass, gives the latest details
of the appalling church accident last
night. At ten o'clock thirty-six dead
bodies were in MoXatles' store, twelve
in the school-house, and two at another
house.
The work of recovering the bodies from
the ruins progressed all night. AT md
night tiity-one bodies, mostly women and
children, had been recovered.
Rev. A. b. Dufresene escaped through
side door. The scenes in The church
were horrid past description. The cor
ner of the gallery fell in, and was found
piled full OF mangled and unrecOgnized
bodies.
1t is probable the exact number of the
lost will not be known for some days.
1t is estimated that about Gghty-tiye
persons perished.
THE BOSTON EXPLOSION EXPLAINED.
BOSTON, May 2S.--The cause Of the
drugstore explosion is now fully under
stood to have been an explosion of the
gas, which escaping from the main sew
er to the air-tight cellar, rose between
the lacing of the walls and roof and set
tied between the floors and ceilings until
it pervaded every part of the building,
and the entire structure was thus sur
charged, and when the cellar door was
opened and light introduced the explo.
sion ensued. All investigations thus far
confirm this theory. Tnis state Of affairs
too explains the terrific force OF the
shock and total demolition of the build
died at the City Hospital yesterday at.
ternoOn. The dead thus far number
three-Mrs. Annie Crompton, James w.
Frawley and Mrs. Bailey's hltle girl.
There are seven persons at the hospital
more or less injured. 1t Is thought all ol
them will recover.
OTHER DISASTERS.
Triton, N. H., May 2S.-A fire com.
menceu here yesterday afternoon which
proved the most disastrous that ever
visited this city. 1t commenced at The
building occupied by D. W. Davis, Miss
N. S. Mason, and K. Adams. The flames
communicated to adjoining buildings
owned and occupied by Mrs. Remission,
Mrs. Rogers, William Hill, r. e. Noys,
and A. Barnes, all Of which were totally
destroyed.
The flames extended across the river
destroying houses in Northfeld, owned
and occupied by B. It. Coiran, and a
occupied by J. w. FaWdry. Assistance
came from Franklin and Lake Village
and the flames were finally. subdued.
The loss is estimated at about $4,000,
insurance about $4,000.
HoLL1sTER, MASS, May 28.-A fire
commenced here ABOUT midnight and de-
stroyed a large hotel in the center of the
town. Shippers livery stable and from
ten to fourteen houses in the neighbor.
hood of the hotel. Loss very heavy but
can not be accurately estimated.