The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-02-09

stables. The people rushed for the
main entrance. The doors opened in
ward, and were forced shut and held
there by the pressure of the terror
stricken multitude. Some fought their
way to the two side exits, but both
were firmly nailed up, and defed all
efforts to break them open. 1t was i'm
possible for the victims to escape.
When the people realized this they be
gan to throw their children into the
ring from all parts of the house. There
was carpet in the ring, and there the
FIRE did not reach Parents, imbued
with heroic instinct tossed the little
ones down from the galleries and from
all parts of the house. Nearly 209
children huddled together in the ring
and watched the slow approach of the
fire with blanched faces. A few cried
piteously, but most of them were awed
and fascinated. But as the fire crept
around the building, the parents forgot
their heroic impulses, and one by one
jumped into the ring too. Soon the
enclosure was mass of struggling,
fighting, terror-stricken men and
women. The poor children were tram.
pied under foot by the mob as it surged
frantically about. Then twelve or fif.
teen horses, scorched and maddened by
the flames, sprang into the ring, where
they bounded frantically about among
the people, trampling them to death.
The whole ring was now struggling,
fighting mass The fire brigade was
summoned, but it did not arrive until
half an hour after the fire began, and
then it was impossible to do anything
toward putting out the fire, as the tanks
were frozen. After great effort the
doors were cut away, but nearly 800
people had already perished. AT the
main entrance the scene was horrifying
The blackened bodies of scores of vic
Tins lay packed in the doorway, where
they had been held as IN wise and
slowly roasted to death. 1t is said that
the fire was caused by groom, who
threw cigarette in the straw.
On the 10th twenty-five successive
earthquake shocks destroyed many
houses and frightened the inhabitants
of the province of Murcia in Spain.
There was also a heavy earthquake
shock in Bohemia. During the week
preceding there had been shocks in Hi
nois and western Kentucky, as we'll as
in Canada and New England, and
many destructive shocks in the island
of Formosa. The number of earth
quakes IN this remarkable month kept
pace with the disasters by fire and
flood.
On the 18th day of the month the
steamer Josephine left Seattle, w. r.,
and sailed for Skagit River The mex,
day, when off Port Susan Bay, hel
boiler exploded. The passengers were
at dinner. The crown sheet of the
boiler went straight up through the
forward cabin and pilot house, anC
| blew the man at the wheel high in tn,
air, killing him instantly. Two mer
who were waiting at the dinner table
directly over the boiler, were blown t.
atoms. Neither the Captain, tn
lpurser, nor the fireman could be tounC
afterward. Eight persons were kille,
and many more were wounded.
On the following day occurred tn
great powder explosion in Holland
The village of Muiden was wrecked
twelve persons were killed, and neigh
boring towns were seriously damaged
The gunpowder manufactures for tn
Dutch army are situated at Muider
: and terrific explosions occurred at tn
} same time. The roofs were blown O.
the houses, and windows were broke
eight miles away.
The same day two awful disaster
, occurred. The steamship Gimbria wa
sunk, and there was frightful acc
dent on the Southern Pacific Railroa,
) The Cimbria sailed for New York fro
Hamburg with 500 souls aboard. I'll
), morning of the 18th was clear at firs
but later heavy fog settled on the 81
: and increased in density hourly. II
y engines of the Cimbria were kept
e half speed for time, and finally we
II run very slow. Shortly after o'cloC
g whistles were heard, and nome
s. later the British steamer Sultan,
y freight and passenger boat, was se
IL headed directly for the Cimbra. S
70 struck the Cimbria adaft the first C
u lision bulkhead, heeling her over on |
1t side. 1t was seen at once that t
b. Cimbria was going to the botto
* Lifebelts were hastily distributed, a
ie spars were cut loose for the passeng'
re to cling to- a few minutes later I
rs ship went down, leaving hundreds
y men and women struggling in
Us water. One by one they were drov
d. ed. Some of the passengers and or
lh crowded into the only three life bo
10 that could be cleared away, and row
Us along the coast until picked up by pa
'r' ing steamers. Less than hund
re were saved. Meanwhile the Brit
ne steamer went on her way. When
re arrived at Elbe she reported the CO.
ea ion. Survivors of the disaster descr
ca the scene at the sinking of the Clint
IN as terrible. The air was filled with
no cries of the hundreds who strugg
up until benumbed by the icy water
'u' then sank from sight. The stea
ls' Sultan was seized by the police on
1m 1m 22d. Her Captain then claimed
.he he had waited twelve hours at
wv scene of the collision.
nf The calamity on the Southern Pa
.;of Railroad in California was due, acc
z 70 ing to the verdict of the Coroner's j
at. TO neglect on the part of Condu
aJo Reed and Brakeman Patten.
ves overland express train which left
Francisco on the 10Th stopped at
:. chipa to take out an extra engin
ies assist in pulling up the Tehic
anu grade, BY some means or other
U.S. train got away, and started back,
,me down a grade of 12O feet to the
kee The train consisted of two engines
ed eight or nine cars, some of them 8
ooo ers filed with passengers, The
ooo went whirling down the grade
8 IN frightiul speed for a distance of
we're miles Then a curve was reached