Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-01-05

Wnen tongue OF Hainc SnOJ uoWIi
through the dome and in % minutes
after the theatre was a ruin. The
casualties were summed up in the
destruction of several dresses, and a
slight injury to boy who fell down
stairs.
The earliest record OF 4 theatrical
fire while the performance was going
on is the case of the Globe theatre
Of London when it was under the
man .gement Of Shakspe are. Dur
ing the play salvo of ordinance
was fired, but the guns were SO neg
ligently IN naged that portion Of
the side of the theatre was blown out
and a confiagratlon started.
The greatest number of persons
killed in a theatrical accident was al
Montpelier, France, July 81, 1888
when the theater fell. destroying the
lives of 500 persons. A similar ac
cidcnt at Clcrmont Ferrard, France
in 1902, resulted in the death Of 35
But accidents of this kind have been
more frequent in halls and churches
The terrible calamitiesat Richmond
Va, and more recently in Boston
and Cincinnati and the fall of the
Pemberton mills, are still fresh i'll
the memory
The horrible holocaust in the Ca
thedral of the Jesults, at Santiago, i'll
Chill, was one Of the most terrible
disasters Of modern times. The d tt
was Dec. s, 1868, the last day of the
celebration of the Feast Of the I'M
maculate Conception, and the church
had been protusely decorated for the
occasion. A gigantic image of the
Virgin held a pr' minent position
and all around it was paste board
devils and thlckly entwined draper
les which covered the walls OF the
entire editice from the ceiling to the
floor. Along the arches supporting
the root were twenty thousand parat
fine lamps. The church was packed
with worshippers, women forming
the largest part of the congregation.
In the midst of the ceremony, one OF
the parafiine lamps fell. The intiam'
able substance quickly set fire t. the
drapery, and in an incredibly short
time the cathedral was in flames
The lamps fell onto the tcrror-strick
cd crowd below,spreading the flames
rapidly. In their agony, many OF
the women divested themselves OF
their clothing, and a few of them
escaped. When the fire had burned
out, 1000 bodies were taken from
the ruins.
What might have been one of the
most terrible disasters in history
was avertcd in the Springfield, Ill.,
opera house, on the evening OF Oct.
10, 1874, by one who less than two
years thereafter found presence OF
mind and physical courage unavall.
ing to ward off a abloody death. The
late Gen. George A. Custer-it was
at the evening exercises of the re
union of the army of the Tennessee
That afternoon the Lincoln monu
ment in Oakridge cemetry had been
unveiled and to the ceremony had
gathered thousands of the bravesl
men and fairest women in the land
The opera house audience at night
was, therefore, made up Of strength
and beauty in Il high degree. Love
'ly faces smiled from parquet and bal
cony, and the bronzed visages Of
their escorts, indicated men who had
often braved the king of terrors III
battle array. Right in the curve OF
the balcony, OCCUPYING two tiers Of
the foremost seats, were the members
of the United States Arsenal band
from St. Louis. Flags and pennon,
futtered from every vantage poin
and patriotism seemed to permeat'
the atmosphere.
On the platform were most of the
men who, on the Uuion side, hac
made themselves particularly tamou,
in the civil war. President Grant
his feet about two yards apart, and
his eyebrows elevated in the centre
of his forehead until they formed
two sides of an irregular triangle
gazed with leaden eyes on the scene
before him. Tecumsch Sherman
with spectacles shading his sharI
eyes, and bridging his blushing, lit
tie hooked nose,presided and flourish
ed sheet of paper which was thu
programme of the exercises. join
Pope, whose head and hind quarters
were IN the saddle at the second Bul
Run, sat Immediately behind the
man who marched to the sea. With
his eyeglasses, straight hair, and
squat form, Pope looked much more
like broken down German profess
or of music, than Major-General o
the army. Stalwart Mcdowell, look
ing youthful in spite of Beauregard''
"black horse cavalry"-if ever sucl
force existed except in the magma
ton of stampeded correspondent
and astonished militia men-and hl'
scars of Monterey and Cerro Gordo
was whispering something to Secre
tary Belknap, whose massive form
and superb beard made n very fine
appearance. Few thought tha
evening OF what mean crime lurket
under that fair frank surface of thu
worst disgraced officer, hardly except
ing Arnold, that America has pro
duced. Dressed in his full regimen
tails as Lieutenant Colonel of the I'll
cavalry, his fair hair cut to an ordi
nary shortness, as he had but recent
ly returned from an expedition NJ
the Yellowstone, his large, dropping
yellow moustache shading his firm
mouth and aggressive chin; his fight
ing nose emulating his copper color
ed cheeks in fiery glow, and hi'
light eyes flashing like liquid steel
with his elbow resting against s
side scene, his chapeau dangling in
his right hand, and his feet negli
gently crossed, like those ola troop
cr leaning against his horse, hal
stood and half reclined the renown
ed and sadly destined Custer Great
er men were there, but like Fit
James III the kingly hall OF Holy
rood,
On him each lady's glance was bent,
To him each Courter's smile was lent