The Lamar register., 1893-11-11

HUNDREDS OF LIVES LOST.
A Vessel Loaded with Dynamite Catches
fire at che Wharf ar Ssptnnder'
spain, and the Explosion
Causes . TrfXhtfui

| IauAes IfiSniuf
Tragedy.
| Santander, a small seaport on the BAY oil
Blscay, on the northwest coast of Spain, was
| the scene of an awful catastrophe fuii
statement OF the number OF lives lost can
! probably never be given. but II Is knoSn that
several hundred people were killed
| The Cabo Machichaco, Spanish steamship
belonging TO Bnboa, caught FIRE at about
4 o'clock p. IN on the 5rd while The steamer
va, alonrside the quay di.charglng part OF
her cargo, which comprised nearly 2,Ooo tons
! Of merchandise, though the main part OF this
cargo was iron orc and uumLer of sacks OF
noar. barrels of wine, many cases OF petroleum
| and over so cases of dynamite. Of which only
| twenty cases were declared on the ste1mer's
manifest The remaining sso cases o; dyna-
/ mite were contraband and. TO tho shame OF
] the shippers OF this contrahand dynamite l.
has caused immense loss OF life and vast dam
! age to property. This dynamite was con
cealed under the iron.
/ The tire was first discovered in the coal
bunkers, aud il is .sld to have bcen due
Z either to spontaneous combustion or 10 some
carelessne.s on the part of the engineers or
aremsn. Flames broke out from the bunker
a, about the hour mentioned and soon ragged
I ships crew, though the latter promptly iook
; steps to smother the Ere. Finally, seeias
/ the IRE was spreading In the bunkcrs, and
that the smoke vas driving the crew from
/ below, the local authorities were notified, the
l fire department and detachment Of The civic
I guards btiag sent to the seeac. Leading
I municipal authorities headed the iFcHen anG
I guard. In the effort made t. save the steamer
/ The provincial governor, who vas oae OF the
+ first TO reach the spot, displayed the greatest
activity In dlreetins the operations, and uPon
I learning that there were twenty eases OF
( dynamite on board, the fremen were directed
/ to assis, the crew IN bringing this quantity OF
explosive matter .shore- This was toae "a
safety.
| Il was believed no more dynamite remained
/ on board, and, a. s:so, tug, which had besa
/ hAsiii; summoned to the spot HaS ordered 10
! tow the burning vessel oG; into the bay in
( order that the fame. might not communicate
J to the wharf and to adjo!slnE property, bat
before this could be done an exploaios on
I board showed, as IL afterwards iuraed oat.
that the boilers had burst, Aod sooa AiierTard
1 there was another terrible cetonziioa heard.
/ The steamer seemed TO open in halt, srnllag
/ = blaze OF fire skyuard. oyer which = efosn
| OF smoke rested for several ruinstes. A re-
/ port Of such awful iaiensi;y vas heard that q
shook the earth for miles around. eaGssd
/ houses TO toi;er. smashed every uisdos pane
4 within the radius OF a rife shot, allied the al,
with a mass OF nyins, burning wool. black
I ened timhers aad soorchei beams which sooa
I after fell, deAth-ceailng hail. upoa The
I aelghbor!pg houses, scattering death and Dc
siruetlon wherever Il Iierashed douEEzrl Tue
scene followins the blowing up oi the steam
: er Is almost IndescrIbable, aad the eject q
the explosion Of ihese $50 eases Of aynan.ie
] will hardly be believed. The poser Of the
I explosion shot tons Of iroa lato TIE ar uhsIc
| il mingled with the burning fragments % tac
steamship, the iron and wooden qaAy 4ad The
bodies OF hundreds of the uafortanA,s people
who were hurled upward at the same t.ne,
and the fAlline OF the burning mass can Be
! better imagined than described.
The quay and promenade close 70 the tesae
OF the explosion presented the most siekenia.
sight ever witnessed. MAnsled Aad hlackcneI
corpse. were scattered here and ,herr Ia
| heaps, in many cases among the dying and
/ wounded, from whom fFightigl shrieks OF
agony filed the air, Aad struck terror to the
hearts Of those Who, after a tirre. summoned
sufficient courage to venture near the carnage
around. Over hundred people arc sAid to
have been preclpltated into the sea by the ex-
plosion, and there, beneath thl, hail OF Iron
aud wood, they met death with the crews Of
the unfortunate steamer and the tugboat
which was about to tow her ,nto The bay
Aboard the tug were many citizens who were
helping the rescue. All Of them have dissp-
peared forever.
1t is stated ths; when the fire broke out the
captain of the Transatlantic steamer Alfonso
XII. ordered her steam launch to be louered
and manned by nearly all his officers and
crew, whom be sent to the assistance Of the
burning steamer. The steam launch with the
crew OF the Alfonso NIL on board arrived
aiong gside the Cabo Machichaco just moment
Before the latter vessel blew up. and eoEse-
auently they were blown to atoms with the
crew of the dynamite steamer.
Nothing In the shape OF attempting to
quench the flames was donc for long time
after the disaster, as the people were too
panic-stricken to sttelapt 10 do anything, bat
ran about In thousands and abandoned their
homes after the explosion. All the store.
were closed and the energies Of the people
seemed TO be al 4 standstili for long tlme
after the disaster and many of them arc .,ni
so prostrated that their death Is anticipated
as the result of the fright sustained A large
number of persons arc reported TO have gen.
stark mad.
The Spanish government sent the minister
of finance 10 dispense all necessary relief to
the sufferers.