The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-02-10

EtyfkqHdkeS aud BtizzdrdS--1 ne IRdHSpI-
eious BegiRRiRg IF 1888.
January was a remarkable month. Its
fatal and terrific collisions, fires and explo-
sions, and the alarming death rate, the list of
business failures. and the overwhelming series
ofshocking casualties that marked it will make
it memorable for years.
The month had Just begun when the news
of Gambetta's death flashed over the
wires to all parts of the world. The mystery
that hung over it, together with the perturba
ton and excitement it caused in France, made
the event the sensation of the world for sever
al days.
On the day that the news of Frances loss
arrived the President of the United States
stood in the White House, surrounded by the
wives of the Cabinet officers, receiving con-
gratulatons from throng of callers. The
decorations were strikingly bright the uni
forms of the diplomats and soldiers were bril-
liant, the costumes of the ladies were rich.
The band was playing, and the whole scene
was one of life and animation. Suddenly
Elisha Allen, the Hawaiian Minister, dropped
dead near the threshold of the reception room.
The White House was closed at once, and the
brilliant throng was dismissed.
Three days later came the news of the
spread of disaster and death over large part
of Europe The Rhine and the Danube rose,
inundated villages and towns, washed away
bridges, undermined houses, and spread dis
aster over many miles of territory The Rhine
dam at Ludwigshafen gave way and many peo-
pie were drowned. The list of the dead along
the Rhine numbered more than seventy per-
sons. France, Switzerland and Austria also
suffered great distress.
On the following day Gen. Chanzy died.
After Gambetta he could worst be spared in
France Gambetta was called the soul, and
Chanzy the sword of resistance to German IN
vasion 1t was said that the Germans feared
Gen. Chonzy as they had dreaded Skobeletf.
On the following day, the 9th of the month,
the Inman line steamer City OF Brussels, as
she was nearing Liverpool in a dense fog, was
run down by the steamer Kirby Hall. She
sank almost Immediately. The captain of the
CITY of Brussels said that the fog was so heavy
that he stopped the engines and allowed the
vessel to drift with the tide. After she had
drifted thus for forty minutes, the captain
heard the whistles of steamers on both port
and starboard sides. He thought that the two
steamers were passing him in parallel lines.
A moment later white light doomed up on
the starboard bow, and before anything could
be done the Kirby Hall struck the City of
Brussels with terrific force. The captain of
the CITY of Brussels stuck by his ship till she
went down, and then chung to spar until
rescued. Ten men were drowned.
Four days later occurred the appalling loss
of life in the Milwaukee hotel fire. The hotel
was veritable death trap. The fire started
in the basement at 4 a. Man hour when all
the inmates were asleep-and shot up the
shaft like meteor. In minute suction OF
the air from the shaft into the corridors had
carried the flames into every story, and before
anyone had time to give an alarm the whole
north end of the structure was sea OF terce
and roaring flame. The stairway around the
elevator shaft was burned away, and the sleep
ers were caught in an awful trap. Another
stairway was at the extreme north end OF the
building, but almost inaccessible. The flames
and smoke swept through the corridors, and
the affrighted guests were aroused by the sui
locating smoke pouring through the apertures
of the doors, followed by the glare of the lire.
Some rushed forth almost into the heart OF
the flames and struggled toward the further
stairway. A few of them escaped; the others
were overcome by the smoke and roasted In
the fire. But most of the people were awaken
ed too Late When they jumped IN alright
from their beds and threw open their doors
they were met by surging flames. They flew
to the windows. Five or SIX or seven stores
below was the stone pavement. Many jumped
and were picked up manged and dead. 9th
ers sbrank back from the fearful jump until
the flames swept into their rooms and s4rlV-
elled them into unFecpgnizabe shapes. Many
women hung from the window sllls and rent
the air with screams until the lire licked their
hands and they went spinning down to hor-
rible death At one time there were five wo-
men hanging at the same time from the sixth
story windows. Below were thousands OF
men looking on Mortified and powerless as
the women dropped one by one To the street
and were picked up dead. The servant girls
had no chance of escape, for the fire rushed
up the stairway, consuming 1t as 1t passed,
and swept into the servants rooms. One at
ter another they jumped from the windows IN
the top story of the burning building to the
street below. Thousands looked on and saw
them meet their death. The proprietor OF the
hotel became insane The belief was general
that somebody had set fire to the building, as
no less than four attempts to burn 1t down
had been made within two years. The num-
Der of lives lost was "A.
While they were still digging bodies out OF
the Milwaukee ruins the Planters House, a
big hotel in ST. Louis, caught fire. 1t started
at the same hour in the morning as the Mil
waukee fire, but most of the guests escaped
three, however, were killed.
On the 18th day of the month 10000 people
were driven from their homes in Hungary by
the floods, Many were drowned. The dykes
around Raah gave way, and the deluge CON-
pletely inundated the town. Great distress
still prevails there.
On the l4tn occurred a. HIC III ii
nircus in Russia. 1t was in some respects
even more horrifying than the disaster at Mil
waukee Eight hundred people were packed
into a circus building in Berditshetf when the
alarm of fire was given. The structure was
built of wood, and was without windows. The
performance was about half over, and two
clowns were in the ring, Suddenly third
clown rushed i'll and shouted "tlre!' The
people thought it was part OF the perform
ance until the ringmaster ran out shreklng at
the top of his lungs. A moment later the hire
began to creep from the stables. The people
rushed for the main entrance. The doors
opened inward, and were forced shut and
held there by the pressure of the terror -strlck-
en- multitude. Some fought their way to the
two side exits, but both were firmly nailed up,
and defied all efforts to break them open.
1t was impossible for the victims to escape.
When the people realized this they began to |
throw their children into the ring from all
parts of the 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 20O chill
dren huddled together in the ring and watch.
ed the slow approach of the fire with hlanched
faces. A few cried piteously, but most OF
them we're awed and fascinated. But as the
fire crept around the building, the parents
forgot heroic impulses, and one by one jumped
into the ring too. Soon the enclosure was a
mass of struggling, fighting, terror stricken
men and women. The poor children were
trampled under foot by the mob as it surrged
franticalIy about. Then twelve or fifteen hor-
sea. seorched and maddened by the flames,
sprang into the ring, where they bounded
frantically about among the people trampllng
them to death. The whole ring was now a
struggling, fighting mass. The fire brigade
was summoned, but it did not arrive until
half an hour after the fire began, and then 1t
was impossible to do anything toward putting
out the fire, as the tanks were frozen After
great effort the doors were cut away, but near
" 300 people had already persisted: At the
main entrance the scene was horrltylng Inc
blackened bodies of scores OF victims lay
packed in the doorway, where they had been
held as in wise and slowly roasted to death.
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