Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-05-28
French Catholic Church, South HOlyOke,
Mass, Destroyed by Fire, and Six.
ty-Slx zen, Women and Chill.
dren Burned.
h. Scene a HOst Fearful 0ne-The
StlirWays from the Gallery
Checked bya Panic-Stricken
Mob Of People.
Nine Persons Fatally WOUnded-The
Burning Of the DrGpery around
the Statue OF the Virgin the
Cause Of the Fire
Bl0Od-CurdliBg
Scenes.

SPRINGFIELD, MASS, May 27.-The
French Catholic church at Holyoke
burned tonight, and at least sixty per-
51us were burned 10 death.
One Of the most terrible disasters in
he history Of Massachusetts, occurred
o-night, in the burning of lbe French
athOlic church at South Holyoke dur
1g evening service, involving the death
Il siXty-siX men, women and children.
The exercises had nearly closed, and a
vesPeT service wss being sung, when the
lraperies on the altar caught fire from a
candle, aud the wall being low and the
James streaming up, the building was
get on fire. The audience numbered
.D0ut seven hundred. The people in
he body Of the church escaped, but on
he stairway leading from the gallery
human beings were packed in a dense
mass, who struggled to reach the floor
2s the flames rushed toward them.
Many leaped to the floor beneath, and
we're crushed to death. The gallery
|kir.ed both sides Of the building, with
.Pnly one entrance from the front.
'rhe scene was fearful while it
asted, for the whole was over in twenty
minutes. Besides sixty.six dead, there
Are enough fatally wounded TO carry the
ist up to seventy-fve. The recognized
lead up TO this hour are as follows: Mrs.
Burgess, Mrs. Victor Nonin, Mrs. Ca
4 iXte l.. RIVE, Mrs. Lavina, Mr.. Des-
'Derdins, wife and four children, Isaac
NORM, Fsbien MOrean, Miss Ida La
France, Justice Bressan, AIphonsine
|dorean, Mary DaUcetti, Eta Meneuere,
he daughters OF Augustus Coach and
|Asente Maston. Badly burned: Mrs.
'heople Blanchard, Mrs. Burdeaux,
|drs. Dupont, Hermine LaPorte, Henri
Rtta Limeneur Cslixte Dufresne. Slight
|y burned: Louise Psquette and Lou.
Sc Terriere. Wounded: Rosalie Davian
aud Pascal Psquette and family. There
g one dead and two dying in the fam
ly OF Francois Derey. The priests
|Iouse, which joins the church on the
Iear, was also burned. The bodies were
AIKEN to Peter Movalte's Main-street
tore ana Park-street schOolhouse, for
temporary deposit. An inquest will lie
Ield tomorrow. Sisters OF mercy from
10 convent were soon on hand, caring
lor the wounded, and leading services
bver The dying. Father Dufresneslso had
|ervices; his mother was among those
|srribly burned. Father Dufresne lost
|lmost everything in his residence. The
large wooden tenement block Of Joseph
Prev, near the burned church, was
brown open for the reception Of the
Head and wounded, and several deaths
occurred in the building during the
light. Several were also taken to the
New York mills clearinghouse, and the
physicians gave the wounded the best
II medical care, and those who were too
BADLY burned to recover were
but under the effects OF morphine,
bud passed away without a struggle.
While the exercises were being held
bver The dying, the most intense quiet
prevailed, and the rough labOreIs knelt
bn the floor with uncovered heads; but
about the mOrgue and in the streets the
.vailing Of the multitudes was pitiful to
bear. Among the persons in a dying
s0ndilion are Mary Larcance, Mrs.
Bridge, the mother Of seven children,
,ne Of whom is missing and is probably
among the dead; w. Bszanth Briggs,
Sophia Hilbert, Annie Lspointe, Ls-
.osts Eliber, Charles Comme, burned.
heexeTcises had yearly closed when the
lame from the candle caught the drap-
nv around the statue OF the Virgin
Mary, and stresmed up aud caught the
building. Immediately panic ensued,
md the people rushed for the doors
here j. but one entrance TO the gallery,
.ud that from the.front. On the stairway
esdiug from the gallery the people
we're packed in solid mass struggling
ID clear themselves ss the flames rushed
n that direction, and this soon became
blocked, rendering exit impossible.
Many jumped over the sides Of the GAL
cries upon the crowd beneath, and
yere trampled on and killed. The
,riegt's residence joins the church in the
ear, and many escaped through
.u entrance leading to the
house back OF the altar. The priests
.xertions to keep order were fruitless.
Tie screams Of the living and means OF
he dying msde q tumult above the or
iers Il the pastor, who worked most
leroica,ly, and was personally instru-
mental IL saving many lives. One fami-
~ OF four were in the church, and all
killed. Many who were pulled out 10y
.he arms and feet were so badly burned
hat they lived but a few hours, the
Fssh peeliug of on being touched.
.o,,le were taken out badly burned, bat
pill recover, as will probably the brother
.r Father Duhesne. II il estimated
hat twenty or thirty were taken to
,ther houses, some Of whom must die.
LATER.
The following were also seriously
.urnad: Mary Gading, Mary and Lucy
Hicks. Louisa Brown, a young chapel
,ir Victoria Brisen, Louisa Torrier, Liz
,ia MARCHES. and Lena Blair. A large
majority OF these must die. One girl
-. . terribly burned, and was moved to
no rIouse Of Providence. One girl
.sosned from the gallery by jumping on
bs hack Of 3 msn, who carried her out,
while her sister, who was with her, was
armed. Several members Of one
Of the hose companies were playing