Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1893-11-09
AN APPALLING CALAMITY.
Three Hundred Persons Killed by u
Dynamite Explosion i'm spain.

Dynamite Explosion in spain.
The steamship Cabo Machicaco,
from BiIboa with cargo Of dynamite,
living at quay in Santander. Spain,
took fire Friday evening. An eXplo-
sion followed which resulted IN the
killing of about three hundred per
sons, including the governor, project,
chief of police, two Jud ges, twenty
seven civil guards, aud the whole pc
lice force except two members.
The steamship was discharging 1908
tons of iron and many barrels OF pc
troleum and flour and several wine
casks. The captain had declared on
" twenty cases of dynamite. Other
wise he had not been allowed to dock.
The fire started at 3 o'clock on Fri
dav afternoon in the coal bunkers.
The customs officers and police has
tened TO remove the 20 cases of dyna-
mite. which soon were landed at a
safe distance from the vessel. A tug
was then chartered to tow the CambO
Machicaco seward. Meantime drs-
perate efforts had been made to
Guench the flames. The captain and
crew Of the steamer Alfonso tnt
Twelfth boarded the burning vessel
to help fight the flames. They worked
for an hour aud half without sue,
| cess. At the end of that time the fire
reached the petroleum.
Then came series OF awful eX'
| plosious as the flames flew from bar
rel to barrel of petroleum until they
reached the coutraband dynamite.
The tug had just been moored along
side the vessel and many tOwuspeo-
pie bad gone abroad, either to satisfy
| their curiosity or TO help eXtinguish
| the fire.
Then came the explosion of the
dynamite. All on board the Cabo
Machicaco aud many along the dock
were blown 10 atoms. The tag van
ished. The quay. with its enormous
crowd of spectators, rose slowly III
the air. The people were scattered
in every direction jnt" tHr sea and on
the land. Firebraud~ fell IN showers
over sea and land Tor radius Of a
| mile and half
The shock was felt in every part OF
the city. Houses rocked to their
foundations, and more than enc hun
dred were set on fire by falling ire
brands.
The destruction in the harbor was
equally appalling. The launch of
| the steamer Alfonso MI, which was
living alongside and contained all the
crew not aboard the Machlcaro. van
| ished with the others. Ine survivors
ashore fled shriekinS, leaving the
promenade adjoining the quay
strewn with dead and dying and man
! gled remnants Of human bodies.
Wherever the terrified fugitiyes
turned they met only trightful de
struction. Horror was added to hor-
ror in the wrecked and burning build
! iugs, from which came piteous cries
for help. Many of the fugitives were
thrown and trampled upon. Num-
bers are said to have lost their rea-
son. The people were too pane
stricken TO think of anything but saw
| ing their own or their relatives lives,
| ignorant their burning property.
When at last ii few persons with
some presence of mind collected II
was at once resolved 10 telegraph an
appeal for help TO the government
and to the municipal authorities OF
other cities. Every available surgeon
was summoned to the scene, and such
supplies of medicines, stimulants,
bandages, &c, as could be hurriedly
collected were distributed where they
could do the most good
When night fell the sky lurIdIy re-
flected the fire burning fiercely IN va
rious parts of the city. MendeZ
Nunez street, running parallel with
the quay, was ablaze from end 10 end.
In the binding light and heat the
bands Of reScuers were collected 10
extricate the dead and wounded. On
every side were scenes ofiudeScrlbable
confusion and overwhelming grief.
The fire burned unchecked through
out the night. Block after block
sank in ruins. Every street near he
water front was filled with the noise
of crashing buildings.
The people were terror-striken.
Thousands abandoned their homes
and fled to the fields or outlying vii
lagos. Others remained to search
| frantically among The heaps OF ruins
and half burned bodies tor their lost
| friends or relatives. Children whose
parents were dead wandered weeping
| through the streets, calling for help.
| During Saturday morning as mauy
| of them as possible We're collected at
| the town hall and were fed and clothed.
| In the afternoon many injured persons
| insane from terror or pain, were found
| crouching III alleyways and outnouSes
| far from the scenes OF the fire.
\ train which was entering the
station when the explosion occurred
was set on fire by flying pieces OF
burning wood. The station began to
burn a moment later. The station
master was burnt to death and many
passengers were sulTocated. Dozens
of persons living near the Bay OF
| Biscay fled from their burning houses
and in terror threw themselves into
| the water.
Divers were put to work as soon as
they could be obtained. They found
piles of maugled bodies among the
! ruins of the sunken vessels. In one
pile the remnants of fifteen bodies
we're found; in another, the severed
| limbs and trunks of twenty-five more.
The work of collecting the bodies pro
ceedS slowly, because the bodies un-
der water can be eXtricated only with
! the greatest difficulty from the wreck.
age in which they have been wedGed
| and half buried.
There is great suffering and desti.
tuition among the people, and the gov
eminent has taken charge of the work
of relief.
The latest reports from the devas.
! tated city say that the dead. injured
and missing number fully a thousand.
Catarrh Cannot be Cured