The record-union., 1893-11-06
victims and the destruction caused by
their criminality.
LATER PARTICULARS.

MADRID, Nov. 5.-The terrible disaster
which wrecked the port of Santander and
destroyed hundreds of lives sent thrill
of horror throughout Spain. Every piece
OF news which reaches Madrid not only
confirms the most sensational reports,
but pictures the disaster in more vivid
coIors than hitherto.
The story of the great disaster, as gath
cred for the Associated Press, is as fol-
lows: The Cabo Machichaco, a Spanish
steamship belonging to Bilbao, caught
fire about ) O'Clock Friday afternoon.
The origin Of the lire is unknown, but it
was soon beyond control of the ships
crew. The local fire department and a
detachment of civic guards were sent to
the scene, and the leading municipal
authorities aided in an effort to save the
steamer. In the meantime thousands of
people crowded to the quay and thronged
the promenades contiguous TO ii. The
fire quickly ignited the petroleum which
formed a part of the cargo. Twenty eases
of dynamite which were regist' -. on
the ships papers were carried ashore, but
the ship also had on board 4S0 cases more
which did not appear on the papers and
OF which the authorities had no knowl-
edge.
About 4:30 the ships boilers burst with
a terrific report, and soon after there was
another terrible detonation. The steamer
! seemed to open in half, sending blaze
! of fire slyward. over which a crown
| of smoke rested for several minutes.
| The report was Of such awful intensity
! that IL shook the earth for miles around,
| caused houses to totter, smashed every
window within the radius Of rifle shot,
| filed the air with a mass of flying iron,
! burning wood, blackened timbers and
! scorched beams. which soon fell upon
neighboring houses, scattering death and
Il J. dow
ward. The explosive shot tons Of iron
ore, which composed part of the ships
cargo, into the air, where it mingled
with the burning fragments OF the steam
ship tug and wooden quay, as well as
with the mangled bodies Of hundreds of
unfortunate people, who were hurled up
ward, and the falling OF this horrible
mass can be better imagined tha II de-
scribed.
The flaming splinters set fire to hum
! dreds Of buildings, causing a frightful
panic. The force of the exploding dyna-
mite caused such a conclusion that it
actually sank hundreds of small craft in
! the harbOr, in addition to setting fire TO q
| large number OF other vessels, and start
ing contiagrations upon several Of the
| larger ships, including the Alfonso MI,
which vessel, as already cabled to the
! Associated Press, caught fire so suddenly
and burned so tiercely that forty or her
crew lost their lives on board her.
The damage TO foreign shipping is said
! to be very great. For some time after
! the disaster people were positively
stunned with dismay and horror, and
then followed panic, during which hum
dreds of people are reported to have gone
stark mad, while vast majority were so
paralyZed with fear and shock that they
| were incapable of moving to the assistance
of the dying or making any effort to eX
| tinguish the flames, which began to
! spread with most threatening rapidity.
Along the quay and promenade mangled
and blackened corpses were scattered
here and there or in heaps in many cases
upon the wounded and dying. whose
fearful shrieks of agony filled the air.
Over hundred people are said to have
been precipitated into the sea by the ex-
plOsiOn, and there met death.
MANY BODIES IDENTIFIED.
LONDON, Nov. 5.-The Madrid CORE
spondent Of the Times says: Up to the
time of sending this dispatch lbs bodies
had been identified and buried at San
tander.