San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-02-22

Paab gave way, and the deluge COM
pletely inundated the town. Great
distress still prevails there.
On the 18th occurred frightful
lire IN n circus in Russia. II was in
some respects even more honifyine
than the disaster at milwaukee. Eight
hundred people were packed into a
circus building in Berditsheff when
the alarm of fire was given. The
structure was built of wood, and was
without windows. The doors opened
inwards, and were forced shut and
held there by the pressure of the
terror-stricken multitude. 1t was i'm
possible for the victims to escape.
When the people realized this they
began 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 200 children huddled together
in the ring and watched the slow ap-
proach 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 impul-
ses, and one by one jumped into the
ring too. Soon the inclosure was q
mass of struggling, fighting, terror
stricken men and women. The poor
children were trampled under foot by
the mob as it surged frantically about.
Then twelve OF fifteen horses, scorched
and maddened by the flames, sprang
Into the ring, when they bounded
frantically about among the people,
trampling them to death. After great
effort the doors were cut away, but
nearly 800 people had already persisted.
1t is said that the fire was caused by
groom, who threw cigarette i'll the
straw.
On the 10th twenty-five successive
earthquake shocks destroyed many
houses and frightened the inhabit-
ants OF the Province Of Murcia, in
Spain. There was also a heavy earth
quake shockin Bohemia. During the
week preceding there had been shocks
in Illinois and western Kentucky, as
well as in Canada and New England,
and many destructive shocks in the
Island of Formosa. The number Of
earthquakes in this remarkable month
kept pace with the disasters by fire
and food.
On the 18th day of the month the
steamer Josephine left Seattle, W. t.,
and sailed for Skagit River. The
next day, when off Port Susan Bay,
her boiler exploded. The passengers
were at dinner. The crown sheet of
the boiler went straight up through
the forward cabin andpilot-house, and
and blew the man at the wheel high
into the air, killing him Instantly.
Two men who were waiting at the
dinner table, directly over the boiler,
were blown to atoms. Neither the
captain, the purser nor the fireman
could befound afterward. Eight per
sons were killed and many more We're
wounded.
On the following day occurred the
great powder explosion in Holland.
The village of Muiden was wrecked,
twelve persons were killed, andneigh-
boring towns were seriously damaged.
The gunpowder manufactures for the
Dutch army are situated at Muiden,
and terrific explosions occurred at the
same time. The roots were blown
off the houses, and windows were
broken eight miles away.
The same day two awful disasters
occurred. The steamship Cimbria
was sunk, and there was trightful
accident on the Southern Pacific Rail
road. The Cimbria sailed Tor New
York from Hamburg with 500 souls
aboard. The morning of the 18th
was clear at first, but later heavy
fog settled on the sea and increased
in density hourly. The engines OF
the Cinbria were kept at half speed
for a time, and finally were run very
slow. Shortly after 2 O'Clock whistles
were heard, and a moment later the
British steamer Sultan, freight and
passenger boat, was seen headed d.
rectly for the Cimbria. She struck
the Gimbria abaft the first collision
bulkhead, heeling her over on her
side. 1t was seen at once that the
Cimbria was going to the bottom;
Lifebelts were hastily distributed, and
spars were cut loose. for the pasSen-
GERS to cling to. A few minutes later
4 a llNg-