Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-06-02
Criminal Catastropbes.

Inc pieNhencc OF ulsasUouS calninltles
by fire and food, and especially by fire, is
worthy Of more than passing notice. We
have butte take any sheet Of those common
scriptures of the people, the newspapers, to
find strange and sad tales Of the havoc which
is being made all over the land by extensive
connagrations. Some Of those stories are as
tragical and terrible as any that have ever
been recorded. The destruction Of property
which they have caused in the few years
past, has been almost incalculable. But the
fire is not satisfied with consuming property.
Il has demanded and received its holocaust
of human victims. II is not long since, that
one of these accidents that stands out from
others as beyond rivalry, hideous holo-
caust Of human beings, occurred at Santi-
ago, in South America. Two thousand wo-
men and girls, engaged in the worship of the
church, were made whole burnt offering TO
the spirit of ecclesiastical display. A can
die set fire to the drapery Of the church and
in a moment the flames had spread from
column to arch and from arch 10 ceiling, and
the kissing tongues Of fire were dartiug upon
the struggling crowds for whom there was
no escape. And last week another horror of
a similar character was transacted at Hol-
woke. IL was not so extensive In its des-
truction, but it was equally terrible to those
poor innocents who gave up their lives sud
denly and in agony to the fierce element
which had been permitted to escape from its
bounds, and found the fuel ready for its in
slant consumption, out of which it made the
funeral pyre of four score helpless, frantic
men, women and children.
Here was a church edifce, constructed, it
is said Of pine, the most inaammable of all
thematerials Of which buildings can be made
profusely decorated and draped on occasion
OF great ecclesiastical ceremony. The
fame Of a candle blown by the wind catches
the drapery of the altar. In a moment the
flame has assembled the ceiling and sweeps
along the dry and tinder-like roof with the
speed of a running man. The interior of
the church is instantly filed with fire. The
terror stricken crowd rush to the windows
doors which give scanty exit, and some of
which are closed in the maddening rush and
in five minutes from the time when the fame
of the Pickering candle kissed the inHamma-
bic drapery of the altar, the burnt offering
was complete, and seventy-fve persons,
mostly young girls in their early beauty, had
passed through the fire TO horrible and un.
expected death.
When fire consumes the inhammable
buildings which men are in the habit of
erecting, and destroys millions Of property,
there is loss that can be, to some extent,
repaired. Often the lesson Of the fire is
on the ashes of the old one, is substantial
and incombustibe. A real gain comes out
of the momentary loss. But when crowds
of people are enclosed in finder box, and
the drapery with which it is adorned for
their pleasure is suddenly and carelessly in
famed, and scores Of souls are at once
plunged from the 10y of life into brief, ap-
palling hopeless struggle with death by fire,
it is proper that the calamity, which is ir-
reparable to the multitudes who have per-
ished, should give such lessons as will, if
learned, save others from similar fate.
II is certain that there are thousands Of
churches and public halls in the country,
which are exposed by their construction to
similar disaster, at any time. These only
need the same fortuitous combination of
circumstances, which may occur at any mo-
ment, in any one of a thousand churches, to
send even larger number of persons to an
equally horrible death. In many of these
places the ordinary dangers of such a disas-
ter is Often largely increased by decorations
which are intended for display, or TO
heighten the sensuous effect of theatrical and
ecclesiastical exhibitions. II is astonishing
that the peril should so rarely become actual
destruction-that the sacrifice is so rarely
made when the altar is constructed and the
garlands are hung around it, and the victims
are so close at hand. 1t only shows the
marvellous kindness of that preventive min
istry of God which is ever at work TO save
men from the loss and ruin which their care
lessness and folly have provoked.
But once in while it is needful that we
should have warning that men will heed
The unfaithfulnes. and carelessness of the
work which we do, and the open defiance
which we give to natural laws, demand an
occasional notice that forces itself upon our
attention. 1t is impossible, perhaps, for u:
to explain why such evils exist We can
hardly comprehend why thousands, and then
hundreds, Of strong men and beautiful wo
men and innocent children, should be sacri
feed in single moment, because Of a
carelessness or falsity TO which whey were
not parties. But leaving aside all attempts at
philosophy on the subject, it is very clear
that the wisdom which dwells with prudence
intends that men shall learn, il possible, that
it is not safe TO play with the elements or K
give them the least latitude, or the least op
portunity to get the mastery. II we build
pine churches and hang them with inHam
mable tapestries and gauze, it is necessary
that sooner or later such folly shall foil its
own purpose. II is the order OF Providence
that evil should punish itself, and SO tend to
abolish itself 1t is standing rule of crea
ton that unfaithfulness, vice, error or wrong
that weakness, imperfection, or folly, should
cut its own throat Madame de Stael wa,
doubtless right when she said that "sht
never committed an error that was not tn,
cause of disaster" The result may not al
ways be visible, but once in while, the re
strictive and preventive ministry Of Proyi
dence ceases for moment TO act, and the
wreck and ruin Of a false aud unworthy struc
ture comes. The accident happens, and il
is fortunate II the resulting hurt is slight, ant
not widespread and horrible. But we can
notexpeet that Divine Providence will always
hold up our weak buildings, or guard III
from the consequences of fires which W,
have kindled In the heaps of our owl
gathered fuel. Perchance these great anC
destructive CONGREGATIONS are incident Il
new countries, whose wealth is not equal Il
the necessity Of building safely and per
manently. Our congregations como together
without means IN arect any cost1;a. ad;eoa