Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-04-05
HORRIBLE HOLOCAUST.
A Terrible Calamity at .
Mexican Bull Fight.
GAIETY cHANGEDTo MOURNING
Women and Children TrampleG
Underfoot and Burned by
the Flames.
Associated Press Dispatches to the Hs.A1..I

CIscINNATr, April 4. A special
from the city of Mexico says: The
Twe Repaolics publishes the fol-
lowing advices from Celsya: Sunday
afternoon about forty-five minutes
past A O'Clock the bull ring Of Celays
was crowded with spectators OF the
exciting national sport. A company
of bull fighters from Leon was sti1l
playing with the first bull, when . fiEs
suddenly broke out on the sunny
side Of the plaza. A panic seized. the
vast assembiage and
A FRIGHTFUL CATASTROPHE
Was the result. The plaza was c,u-
structed OF wooden masts, reeds, etc.,
and it was due to this fact that the
majority escaped without injury.
being able to force an opening to per-
nit an exit at the different points.
but many women and children jump
ed from the top, distance OF two
hundred to three hundred feet, and
over one hundred persons were ser
iously wounded. Eighteen lives wero
lost. The side of the plaza being lined
with mating as dry as tinder and
there being slight wind blowing, the
ampitheatre was in blaze in q few
seconds. Nine dead bodies, in some
cases 80 charred as to be unrecogniza-
BILE, have been taken from the ruins.
Nine persons were so badly burned
they died in a few hours. Sixty-eight
persons were very badly burned, and
at least ten of them will die this week.
Fifty persons in escaping were knock
ed down and trampled upon by
THE PANIC STRICKEN THRoNa
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 all who stood in their way.
Among the eighteen dead were two
women, who were first gored to death
by the bulls and their bodies after
wards burned. Scenes in the neigh
borhood Of the bull ring were sicken-
ing beyoud description. Women and
children Invested of their clothing
and
CRAzED WITH SUFFERING
From their burns, ran aimlessly
through the streets and could scarcely
be overtaken or collected by their
friends. Several persons lost their
lives from the severe mental shock to
which they were subjected. The fro
was incendiary. In the Celaya iaiI
were number of prisoners, army de-
serters, ETC., who had obtained per-
mission from the authorities to attend
the bull fight. They were accom-
panied by strong guard of soldiers
to prevent escape, but one of the de-
serters surreptitiously struck q match
and lighted one of the dry portals. In
an instant the "Sol" side of
THE RING WAS ABLAzE.
In the confusion and excitement the
prisoners succeeded in making good
their escape. The best society of
Celaya was in attendance--it was
Easter Sunday, the return of the sea-
son of gaiety after Lent. There was
an unusual number of ladies and little
children present and these were the
sufferers. No man lost his life.
Helpless
LITTLE ONES AND THEIR MOTHERS
Who could not desert their offspring
were victims of the appalling catas-
trophe. Celaya is in mourning to-day.
On every side is heard sounds of
wailing for the loved ones dead, dying
or suffering. 1t is the saddest trag-
edy that has occurred in the three
centuries of the city's history.