Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-04-12
Appalling Catastrophe During the
Progress of a Bull Fight at Celaya,
Mexico.
The Arena Deliberately Fired by Con
Yicts, Who Escape in the Awful
Confusion.
Eighteen People Killed and Over a
Hundred Trampled Upon aud
Otherwise Injured.

CrNcINNAT1.-A special from the City
of Mexico says: The Two Republics
published the following telegram, dated
Celaya, at 5 p. M, Tuesday.
Sunday afternoon, about 4;45 O'Clock,
the bull ring here was crowded with spec
tators of the great national sport. The
com pany bull-fghters from Leon was
still playing with the first bull, when a
fire suddenly broke out on the sunny side
of the plaza. panic seized upon the
vast assemblage, and frightful specta-
Gle waSthe result. The plaza was con.
structed of wooden mssts, reeds, etc,
and it was due to this fact that the ma
jority of the peOpls escaped without in
jury, being able to force an opening
permitting an exit at different points;
but many women aud children jumped
from the top, distance of 200 to 300
feet, and over one hundred of them were
seriously wounded.
Eighteen lives were lost. The sides of
the plaza being lined with mating as dry
as finder, and there being slight wind
blowing, the amphitheater was in blaze
in a few seconds. Nine dead bodies, in
some cases so charred DIS to be unrecog-
smoking ruins. Nine persons were so
badly burned that they died yesterday.
This makes eighteen deaths in all up to
to-day. Sixty-eight persons were very
badly burned, and though they still live,
at least ten of them will die this week.
fifty persons, in escaping, were knocked
Go .gn and trampled upon by the panic
stricken throng, and are very seriously,
but not fatally injured.
The bulls, maddened by the roaring of
the flames, broke loose from their stalls
and rushed Wildly through the surging
mass of humanity, tossing aloft and
knocking over ali who stood in their way
Among the eighteen dead were two
women who were frs gored to death by
the bulls aud their bodies afterward
burned.
The scenes in the neighborhood of the
bull ring were sickening beyond deserip-
tion. Women and children Invested
themselves of their clothing, and
crazed with suffering and their burns
ran aime5sly through the streets, and
could scarcely be overtaken by their
friends. Several persons lost their rea-
son from the severe mental shock to
which they were subjected. The fire wef
incendiary.
In the Celaya jail were number Of
prisoners, army deserters ETC. VINO had
obtained permission from the authorities
to attend the bull fight. They were &C
companied by a strong guard of soldiers
to prevent escape, but one of the desert
ers surreptiously struck a match and light
ed one of the dry mats, and in an instant
the side of the ring was ablaze. In
the confusion and excitement the prison
ers made good their escape.
The best society in Celaya was in at
tendance. II was Easter Sunday, the re-
turn of the season of gayety after Lent
There was an unusual number of ladies
and little children present, and these, as
oftrn is seen in such events, were the suf-
ferers. No man lost his life. The helpless
little ones and their mothers, who would
not desert their offspring, were the vic
Tins of the most appalling catastrophe
Celaye Is mourning to day. On every
side is heard the sound of waiiing for the
loved ones, mourning for those doomed
70 die of suffering, by those whose wounds
will not prove fatal.
1t Il the saddest tradegy that has ever
occurred in the three centuries of the
city's history.