Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-05-29


from friends that be had Just been walking
with them. One of the most touching
cases was that of
Two Little Girls,
about II years OF age, who rushed for the
entrance Of the building, while the fire was
at its height, thinking to find their father
and mother, who were within. They
could only be restrained by an officer, who
took them in his arms. 1t is disputed
question whether both the front doors were
available for escape. There are those who
state positively that one Of them was closed
and that it was impossible TO open it on
account Of the rush. One man went to the
closed door. and flOurishing a club, threat
ened violence to any one who came near
until he could get the crowd away and open
the door, but without success. Others
stale as positively that both doors were
open. =
= The church society was established about
seven years ago, and Father Dufresne had
been the only pastor. The parish included
all the French Catholics Of the city, whose
number is estimated at from 1000 70 $500
PERSONS. The church was erected in 1870,
Entirely OF Pine;
was about one hundred feet by sixty; two
stories, with galleries on the sides and
north end about twenty-five feet wide.
There were two doors in the north end and
the vestibule, 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.F
Immediately upon the breaking out Of
the flames all the occupants Of the galleries
rushed 10 the east door, and falling upon
one another chOked up the doorway with
their
Bodies Piled in all Ways
seven or eight deep. Here most Of the lives
were lost. From this mass Chief Mullen
rescued one young woman after having
taken of two dead bodies from above her.
The chief and others had their clothes al
most burnt from them, and were badly
burned about the 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 highest window
down upon the front steps breaking heI
arm. 4 man with
Two Children in His Arms,
jumped from q window and escaped. One
poor woman enveloped in flames shrieked
Out-"For Gods sake save me- and she
was dragged out.
Seventy Dead,
SPRINGFIELD, Mass, May Is, Noon
The bodies Of fifty persons burned to
death at HOly0ke last night have been iden-
titled, in addition TO those Of the fifteen o.
! twenty who were at once removed 10 theil
homes BIZ their friends. Nearly seventy
| have died and some forty more are more OF
! less burned or otherwise injured. The
Hero Of the Disaster
vas John Lynch, brave fireman, who was
| the first to respond 10 the alarm. lie de
scribes the scene when he reached the
burning church as appalling. Wedged
tight and imm0vable in the dOOTways was
dense mass Of humanity from six Ia
eight feet in height, none Of them able tO
stand upright from the terrible pressure OF
| the crowd behind, while upon and over
them a sheet Of fire rolled ike a wave
! streaming far ont out into the open air.
Without moments pause TO consider
their danger. LYNCH and chief engineer
Mullen rushed into the flames, spurTed on
/ by pite0us CTies-"FOr Gods sake come
| and help us, and began pulling out bodies.
| 4 moment later and well directed ny
! draut stream from NJ. HOlOyOke struck
the brave resCuers and undoubtedly saved
/ them from being burned alive. The first
| persons drawn out were burning, but they
/ raised directly through the stream Of water
and the flames were extinguished. Some
| Of the poor creatures fell taiutiDg on the
/ long flight Of wooden stairs leading down
to the street and few were able to walk.
BY this time the entire fire depart
ment had arrived, and worked with such
| energy and will that when the fire was eX-
| tinguished the chaIred wooden walls Of the
! structure were standing, and were pulled
/ down by the hook and ladder men in or
| der that search for the bodies might be
made. Only a very few moments cOmpar-
aLively elapsed after the water struck the
building before the ire was out, but the
| destruction TO life during that brief period
was terrible. Some sprang from the gal
| lerv windows and were seriously injured,
and one person appeared at a window
Completely Wrapt in Flames,
and after tOltering there an instant fell to
| the ground dead and unacceptable. Hun
/ dreds Of men went TO the wreck as soon as
/ opportunity offered, to search for bodies,
| and a force of police was organized TO keep
! back the large crowd which had gathered.
The greater number Of bodies were found
/ in the fatal entry way burned, some of
/ them 10 q crisp. The body Of one woman
| was found in the pew she had occupied,
/ her clothing entirely burned Of \ 1ieshy
| woman who weighed some 80 pounds,
was dragged screaming from the mass.
| She was carried a short distance fIOm the
church aud placed on the grass, while the
Flesh Actually Peeled OF
| Of her back. In a moment she fell OyeI
| dead. The scenes last night and to-day in
! the schOOl-hOuse basement, where the bod.
| les Of the dead were carried, were heart
! randing in the extreme. In some instances
! the features were distorted as though ex.
! IRENE agony had been suffered before death,
! but many looked calm as though smOthereG
| All were blackened with smoke. Some
| were burned beyond the possibility of iden.
tification, nothing remaining but the
trunk. 4 cOroner's jury was summoned
| to-day, but the excitement is so intense il
was Judged best not TO attempt the taking
Of evidence, and theinquest was adjourned
! till Monday.
Louis Dssjenen, 81. years old, whose
wife and daughter were both burned Il
death,
Became Insane
to-day from grief, and cried continually il
agJniziug tones, ''Ohsmy Julie! my Juliet
Some were taken out alive who We're under
others who We're dead, and owed to this fact
their own salvation.
One Of the most prOtracted cases Of sui
! fering was that Of Mary DesJendin, who
} burned past all recognition and blind, some
how found her way TO hill north of the
church and wandered aroEnd there about
/ twenty minutes before she was found anC
taken to her home, where she died about II
| o'clock this morning, having fingered l.
hours in fearful agony.
The fate of Immenie Menser and he
! lover was a touching event Of the fire. SIT
was ogganist for the evening, in the ab
sence of the regular one, and was cut OF
from escape. Her lover escaped, but, find
ing she was still within, turned back al,
shared her fate.
4 Revised List Of the Victims.
| The latest revised figures give: Dead
I II: fatally burned, p; Otherwise burne,
and wounded. y. OF the Il dead, 50 ar
I Fsr,, a1as arrH q s1,alar