Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-06-02
TELEGRAPHIC SUMMARY.
IsOM

SPRINGFIELD, MASS, May 2S.-The
French Catholic Church at South Holyoke
is burned A candle on the altar fired the
drapery. Most Of those in the body Of the
Church escaped. Those in the gallery
mostly persisted. Service had nearly closed
and vespeTs were being sung. There was
but one exit from the gallery which ex-
tended around the building. There were
seven hundred worshipers present, seventy
five Of whom persisted. Efforts of people
to get into the church to rescue friends in
creased the confusion and added disaster.
| Personal violence had to be used in several
instances to keep women from rushing into
the flames to save their children. The
church was established seven years ago.
| The parish included all French Catholics
| in the vicinity, numbering $500 The
church was built in 1870: was one hundred
| by sixty feet, two stories high, entirely of
pine the gallery was on both sides and
north end and about twenty-five feet wide.
There were two doors in the north end and
yestibue at the rear, from which two doors
opened in the body of the church. The
! galleries opened into the vcstibule. AT the
rear end there was another door by which
few persons escaped. Immediately upon
| the bursting out OF the flames all occupants
of the gallery rushed to the east door and
crowded so that they fell upon one another
and stopped up the doorwsys with their
bodies piled in all ways seven or eight feet
deep, and here most of the lives were lost.
From this mass Chief of Police Mullin
rescued one young woman after taking off
two dead bodies from above her. 1t was
almost impossible to face the flames, and
Chief of Police Mullin and others had their
I Al. /
were badly burned themselves about their
hands. In the rear of the church was the
Priest residence, which was also destroyed.
The walls were pulled down after the fire
was nearly put out. One woman jumped
from the heighest window, down upon the
front steps, breaking an arm, but she is not
known to have been otherwise injured. a
man with two children in his arms jumped
from window and escaped. One poor
woman who was enveloped in flames
shrieked out for God sake save me- and
she was dragged out by Jno. Lynch
The latest dispatch to the Republican
from Holyoke says, it is not quite certain
that all the bodies have been taken from the
ruins. In the haste to get out as many rs
possible from the building before it fell
many were taken out a short distance and il
is possible that few more may be taken
from the debris.
HoLYoKE, May 2S.-Fifty bodies have
been identified in addition to 10 or 20 who
were at once removed to their homes. &c
dead and 40 more or less burned or other
wise injured. One person, who lost wife
and daughter, is insane.
HoLYOKE, May 29.-Dead, II; fatally
burned, %; injured, q. OF the dead 81
are females and l6 males.
VERSAILLES, OHIO, May 28.-Four
children were burned to death. One of then
endeavored to light fire with coal oil.
ST. JOINS, New Brunswick, May pa
S250,O00 fire occurred to>day. st. Luke!
church, sixty buildings, and ships on tht
docks are burned. One hundred and forty
families are homeless.
WHEELING, West Virginia, May 29,--The
Riverside Nail Factory is burned. Loss
$4,000.
WORCESTER, Mass, May pa quarter
of block, on Main street, opposite thu
City Hall, was burned. Cause, MansarC
roofs. Loss, over quarter of n million o
dollars.
GREAT BEND, Pa, May 29.-The bust
ness portion of the city, including 2 banks
10 stores, the Masonic Hall and the post
Office, burned. The loss is estimated a
500, 600. An incendiary the cause
, New YORK, May Pa frame stable,
men, horses and numberj of wagon
were burned.
SPRINGFIELD, May 3l.-The total loss b,
! fire will reach 100000. 1t originated il
a planning mill on Taylor street.
CLEVELAND, ONO, May 3l.-A maj
aged SO years, killed his mother-in-lay
! aged 50 years. The weapon used was IA foo
adz.