Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-11-10
A SPANISH CITY WRECKED
by an Explosion of Dynamite in
Ship.

The Number Killed Estimated as High
rs IOOO---Many Buildings Destroyed
by the Explosion and by Fire.
The city of Santander. Spain, situated
on a headland in the Bay of Biscay, was
the scene of an appalling disaster Friday.
which resulted in the loss of hundreds of
lives and the destruction of valuable build
ings The reports are indefinite, but the
number of people who persisted was not
less than POO, and the estimates run as
high as 1000.
The ship Cabo Machicaco was at the
quay and was disChargng 20OO tons Of iron
and many barrels of petroleum. The cap
tain declared only 20 cases of dynamite
otherwise he would not have been allowed
to dock The fire broke out in the coal
bunkers The dynamite was quickly NOV
ed to the shore A tug was towing the
doomed ship seward and sailors were
fighting the flames when the fire reached
the petroleum. causing a series of eXplo-
sions as the flames went from barrel TO
barrel of petroleum until they reached the
contraband dynamite. a tug had Just
been moored alongside the vessel and many
townspeople had gone aboard either to sat
isfy their curiosity or TO help eXtinguish
the fire. Then came the explosion of the
dynamite.
All on board the Cabo Machicaco. and
many along the dock were blown TO atoms.
The tug vanished. The quay, with its
enormous crowd of spectators. rose in the
air The people We're scattered in every
direction, into the sea and up on the land.
Firebrands fell in showers over sea and
| land for a radius of a mile and a half.
The Cabo Machlcacos anchor was hurled
500 yards. and fell on the balcony OF a
house, which it completely wrecked /,
then sank deep in the pavement below.
The shock was felt In every part of the
/ CITY. Houses rocked to their foundations.
and more than 100 were set on ire by fall
ing tirebrands The destruction in the har-
bor was equally appalling.
The launch OF the steamer Alfonso XII.
/ which was lying alongside. and which CON
tanned all OF the crew not aboard the Cabo
1 Machicaco, vanished with the others. The
/ survivors ashore lied shrieking. leaving the
/ promenade adjoining the quay strewn with
/ dead and dying and mangled remnants OF
| human bodies. Wherever the terrified tu-
/ gltiyes turned they met only frightful de
/ ,truCtiou.
Horror was added 20 horror IN the
/ wrecked and burning buildings. from which
/ came piteous cries for help Many Of tho
/ tugitivcs were thrown down and trampled
| upon. Numbers are said to have lost their
/ reason. The people were too panic strick
/ en- TO think of anything but saving their
/ own or relatives lives and ignored their
! burning property.
When az last few persons with some
/ presence OF mind collected, 10 was at once
/ resolved TO telegraph an appeal for hell
/ TO the government and 20 the municipal
/ authorities OF other cities. Every avalla-
/ bile surgeon was summoned 20 the scene
| and such supplies of medicine, stimulants
] handages. etc. as could be hurriedly col
/ lected were distributed where they would
/ do most good
When night Eel, the sky uridlv reflected
| the fires burning nercely IN various part.
| OF the city Mendel Nunez street. run
ming parallel with the quay. was ahlaz,
/ from end Co end. In the binding Ugh,
/ and heat the bands OF reScuers worked 10
/ eXtrlCate the dead and wounded.
! On every side were scenes of iudescriba-
| bile confusion and overwhelming grief.
/ The fire burned unchecked throughout the
night Block after block sank IN ruins
/ Every street near the water front was filled
/ with the noise oi crashing buildings
The people We're terror stricken Thou
/ sand, abandoned their homes and fled On
/ the fields or outlying villages. Others rc-
manned 10 search trantica.y among the
/ heaps OF ruins and hait-burnei bodies Tor
| their lost friends or relatives Children
/ whose parents We're dead wandered Weep.
ing through the streets calling for help.
Ii is now said that there were over 60
4 cases of dynamite hidden in the vessrl.