The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1893-11-09
HUNDREDS Persisted
DYNAMITE DISASTER AT SAINT AN
DER, SPAIN,

was Veff1Dle IN AUS hcSuICS-lAWIu1S scenes
Of Observation-Disclosures of Small Craft
Sunk and Many Larger Vessels Set ON
Fire-The People Terror Stricken.
MADRID, Nov. 6.-The terrible disas-
ter which has wrecked the port of SAINT
Ander and destroyed hundreds Of lives
has sent thrill Of horror throughout
Spain.
Telegraphic communication with the
death and fire-stricken locality have not
yet been reopened, the particulars con-
corning the horrible calamity reaching
here in driblets and by roundabout
way such as dispatches from outlying,
towns. The Associated Press, however,
is enabled to furnish what is regarded in
this capitol as complete story Of the
disaster SO far as known.
Story of the Disaster.
The Cabo Machichaco, a Spanish
steamship belonging to Hilbao, caught
fire at about o'clock Friday afternoon
while the steamer was alongside the
quay discharging part of her cargo,
which compromised nearly 1900 tons of
merchandise, though the main part of
this cargo was iron ore and number of
sacks of -four, barrels of wine, many
cases of petroleum and over 500 cases of
dynamite, of which only 20 cases were
on the steamers manifest. The remain
ing 4sO cases of dynamite were contra
band, and to the shame of the shippers of
this contraband dynamite it has caused
immense loss Of life and
Vast Damage to Property.
The fire was first discovered in the
coal bunkers and soon ragged so fercely
as to be beyond control Of the ships crew,
though the latter promptly took steps to
smother the fire. Finally, seeing that
the fire was spreading in the bunkers,
and that the smoke was driving the crew
from below, the local authorities were
notified, the fire department. and de-
tachment Of the civic guard being ser.
to the scene. Leading municipal an
thorities headed the firemen and guards
in the effort made to save the steamer.
The provincial governor, who was one Of
the first to reach the spot,
Displayed the Greatest Activity
in directing the operations, and upon
learning that the ships manifest showed
that there were 20 cases of dynamite on
board, the firemen were directed to assist
the crew in bringing this quantity Of ex-
plosive material ashore. This was done
in safety. In the meantime thousands of
people had crowded down to the quay
and thronged the promenades contiguous
to it, attracted by the fire on board the
steamer. The fire from the ships bunk
ers spread quickly and ignited the petro-
leum which formed part of the cargo and
which the authorities had, for some rea-
son or other, failed to remove when the
20 cases Of dynamite were taken ashore.
| A Terrible Explosion.
About 4:30 p. m. defamation on board
showed, as it afterwards turned out, that
the boilers had burst, and soon after
there was another terrible defamation
heard, the steamer seemed to open in
| half, sending blaze Of fire skyward over
which crown Of smoke rested for sew
eral minutes. The explosion was Of such
awful force that it shook the earth for
miles around, caused houses to totter,
smashed every window within the ra-
dius of a rifle shot, filled the air with a
mass of flying iron, burning wood, black
ened timbers and scorched beams which
soon after fell, death-dealing hail upon
neighbo,ing houses, scattering
Death and Destruction
wherever it crushed downward. The
scene following the blowing up Of the
steamer is almost indescribable and the
effect of the explosion of these $50 cases
of dynamite will hardly be believed
Over the adjoining buildings, lettering
with wreckage, fell a shower of iron fol-
lowed by huge pieces Of wood ard the re-
mains Of human bodies. and above all
dropped flaming splinters, which set fire
to hundreds of buildings. The force Of
the exploding dynamite caused such a
conclusion that in addition to shaking
hundreds Of buildings
| OF Their Foundations, p
\ it actually sank 100 small craft in the
harbor in addition to setting fire to d
large number of other vessels and start
ing confagrations upon several Of the
larger ships, including the Alfonso XII,
which vessel caught fire SO suddenly and
burned SO fiercely that 40 of her crew
lost their lives on board of her. Nothing
is as yet reported here concerning the
damage done to foreign shipping, but the
loss is said to be very great. The effect
Of the explosion upon the inhabitants OF
SAINT Ander was
Bewildering in Its Intensity.
For some time after the disaster the
people were positively stunned with dis
may and horror and then followed a
panic, during which 100 people are re-
ported to have gone stark mad, while
the vast majority was SO paralyzed with
fear and the shock that they were incap-
| o11a of roox,;,,or ~ tho occicfopco of tho