The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-06-10
HoLYoKE.s HoLooAusT.
The Human Burnt Offering in a Pin
Church.

Church
One of the most terrible disasters In
the history of Massachusetts, occurred
on the 2sth, In the btirnihg Of the
frehch Catholic church at South Hol-
woke, during the evening service, and
involving the death of sixty-six men,
women and children.
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 2, 600 to 2 500 persons.
The church was erected IN 1870,
ENTIRELY OF PINE
vas 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
veshbule. at the rear end was another
door by which few persons escaped
Immediately upon the breaking out
of the flames all the occupants of the
galleries rushed to 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 almost burnt from them,
and were BADLY burnt about the hands.
In the rear of the church was the
priests residence, which was also de-
stroyed. 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
her arm. A man with
TWO CHILDREN IN HIS ARMS
jumped from a window and escaped.
One poor woman enveloped in flames
shrieked out-"For Gods sake, save
nae, and she was dragged ont.
THE HERO OF THE DISASTER
was John Lynch, a brave fireman, who
was the first to respond to the alarm.
He describes the scene when he reached
the burning church as appalling.
Wedged tight and immovable in the
doorways was dense mass of humanity
from six to 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 like q wave streaming far out
into the open air. Without q moments
pause to consider their danger, Lynch
and chief engineer Mullen rushed into
the flames, spurred on by PiteOus cries
"For Gods sake come and help US,
and began pulling out bodies. A
moment later and a well directed by
drant stream from Mt. Holyeke struck
| the brave rescuers and undoubtedly
| saved them from being burned alive.
The first persons drawn out were burn
ing, but they passed directly through
! the stream of water and the flames were
| exHnguished. Some of the poor crea-
lures fell fainting 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 extinguished the charred wooden
walls of the structure were standing,
and were pulled down by the no, k
and ladder men in order that search
for the bodies might be made. Only
a very few moments comparatively
elapsed after the water struck the
building before the fire was out,
but the destruction of life during
that brief period was terrible. Some
sprang from the gallery windows and
were seriously injured, and one person
appeared at a window.
COMPLETELY WRAPPED IN FLAMES,
and after tOttering there an instant fell
to the ground dead and unacceptable.
| Hundreds of men went to the wreck as
soon as opportunity offered, to search
for bodies, and force of police was
organized to keep back the large crowd
which had gathered The greater num-
/ hn Of 70 tol
entry way burned, some of them to a
crisp. The body of one woman was
found in the pew she had occupied, heI
clothing entirely burned off. A feshy
woman who weighed some $50 pounds,
was dragged screaming from the mass.
She was carried a short distance from
the church and placed on the grass,
while the
FLESH ACTUALLY PEELED OFF,
of her back. In a moment she fell over
dead. The scenes last night and to- day
in the school-house basement, where
the bodies of the dead were carried
we're heart-rending in the extreme. II
some instances the features were dis
torted as though extreme agony haG
been suffered before death, but many
looked calm lis though smothered. AL
were blackened with smoke. Some
| were DuEutu uTyOlu bLO POSSIBILITY -
Identification, nothing remaining bu
the trunk.
Louis Desiernen, 81 years old, whose
wife and daughter were both burned t.
death,
BECAME INSANE
to-day from grief, an cried continually
in agOnizing tones, oh my Julie my
Julie - Some we're taken out alive who
were under others who were dead, an6
owed to this fact their own salvation.
One of the most protracted cases o.
suffering was that of Mary Desjernen
who, burnt d past all recognition and
blind, some how found her way to
mill north of the church and wandered
around there about twenty minutes be
fore she was found and taken to hei
home, where she died about II O'CLOCK
this morning, having fingered fifteer
hours in fearful agony.
The fate of Immenie Menser and hel
lover was a touching event of the fire
She was Organist for the evening, in the
absence of the regular ODe, and was Gu
off from escape. Her lover escaped
but, finding she was still within, turned
back and shared her fate.
REVISED LIST OF THE VICTIMS.
The latest revised figures give: Dead
II; fatally burned, %; other wise burned
and wounded, y. OF the II dead, s.
are females and Is males.