Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-05-28
The Holyokc Disaster.

The fOlyOkc Disaster.
SPRINGFIELD, MASS, May 2S.-Of course
the ntenscst excitement prevailed last pight in
the streets of Holyoke centering opposite the
church at which the fire occurred, aud at
the various points to which the burned were
carried. Wild Efforts were made by the people
to rush pel NELL into the turning building to
rescue their friends aud it Was with difficulty
they were kept back. This Was particularly
the case with parents who had, on the first i'm
pulse, rushed from the church to save their
owu lives, but suddenly remembered they had
lett children behind to perish. Actual per-
sonal violence had to be used in several cases
TO keep women back All about the streets
men, women and children were wandering,
piteousy iuquiriug if their friends had been
saved. Oue woman was positive that her bus
band had persisted, and could only be quoted
by the assurance from a friend that he had
Just been walking with him. One Of the most
touching cases was that OF two little girls,
about l2 years Of age, who rushed for the eu-
trance of the building while The fire was at its
height thinking to fad their father and
mother, who were within They could only be
restrained by an officer, who took them III his
ms. Those engaged in pulling out bodies
Noticed that almost every woman had bracelets
on the wrists, aud had evidently Worn their
best tor special occasioo. 1t is disputed
question whether both the trout doors were
available for escape. There are those who
state positively that one OF them was closed,
and tina, it was Impossible to open 1t on ac-
count of the crush. One man, 1t Is asserted,
went to the closed door, and Hourishlng club,
threatened violence to auyOuc who came near
in order to get the crowd away, but without
success. Others state as positively that both
doors were open. The church society was cs
tabiished about seven years ago, and Father
Dusfresne had been the only pastor. The
parish included all the French Catholics, whose
number is estimated at from 1000 to $500 per
SOUS The church was erected 10 1870, and its
Dimensions we're about 100 feet by 90, Two
stories, built entirely of pine, with galleries on
the sides and north eud about % feet wide
There were two doors 10 the UOrlh eud aud a
yestibuie, from which two doors opened in the
BODY OF the church. The galleries opened into
the yestibule. At the rear end was another
door, by which few persons escaped. lumc-
diately upon the breaking out OF the t1amcS all
the occupants of the galleries rushed to the
east door and crowded so that they fell upon
one another aud choked up the doorways with
their bodies piled in all ways seven or eight
feet deep, aud here most OF the lives were lost.
From this mass Chief Nuin rescued one
Young woman after taking Oft Two dead bodies
from above her. 1t was almost impossible to
face the ,mes, and Chief AlulIln and others
had their clothes almost burned from them,
and were badly burned themselves about the
hands In rear of the church was the priests
residence, which was a!so destroyed The
walls were pulled down after the fire Was nearly
put out. OIe womau jumped trom the highest
i front hr,.. INN
az arm, but she is not known to have been
otherwi Sc injured. A mau, with two children
in his arms, Jumped from window and eS-
caped. One poor woman, ervelnped in tilmes,
shrieked out For Gods sake save me, and
she was dragged out by john L'nch.
Tue latest dispatch to the Republican from
Hnlynke says it is not quite ccrtalu that all the
bodies have been takcu troo the ruins. La the
haste to get as many as possible from the
building before it fell many were taken out
short distance, and it is possible that a lew
| more may be taken from the debris.
SpRINGFIELD, Mass, May 2S-noon. The
todies of fifty persons burned to death at
Holyoke last ught have been identihcd-iD
addition to these fifteen or twenty who were at
once removed to their homes by their friends.
| Nearly seventy have died, and some forty
more are more or less burned or otherwise in
turned. The hero OF the disaster was John
Lynch, a brave fireman, who was hrst to re-
| snond to the alarm. He describes the scene
when he reached the burning church as APP
palipg. Wedgcd tight and mmovabe in the
doorWavs was dense mass Of humanity from
six TO eight feet 10 height, none OF them able
70 stand upright from the terrible pressure OF
the crowd behind; while upon and over them
sheet of fire rolled like wave, streaming far
out into the open air. Without moments
pause to consider their danger Lynch and
| Chief Engineer Alullin rushed into the fines,
snnrred on by pteous cries, For Gods sake
come and help US, y aud began pulling out
bodies. A moment later aud we'll directed
hvdrant stream from the Mt. Hoyoke hose
struck the brave rescuers and Immediately
saved them from being burned alive. The
first persons drawn out we're burning, but
thew passed directly through the stream
OF water, and the flames, which we're de-
vouring them, we're cxtlugushed. Some OF
the poor creatures fell tainting on a
long fight of wooden steps leading down to
the street, and few were able to walk, though
with considerable effort. By this time the en-
tire fire department had arrived and work
ed with such energy and Will that ~hen
Inc fire was extiuguisEed charred wood
en- walls were standing aud were pull
ed down by the hook and ladder uen
in order that the search for bodies might be
made Only very few moments comparative
~ elapsed after the water struck the building
before the fire was cut, but the destruction 10
lifs during that brief period of time was terri
bic. Some spraup from gallery windows, and
we're. seriously Injured and one person appear
ed at the widow completely wrapt 10
A,mes. aad after totteriug there an instant
Tell to the ground dead and unrecoguizable
Hundreds of men went to work as 5000 as op-
portunity offered to search for bodies and a
force OF police was organized to keep back the
large crowd which had gathered: The work OF
extricatipc bodies was sad indeed, and the
greater plumber of them were found 10 the
fatal entry way burned, some of them, to
a crisp. The body of one woman was