The Irish standard., 1893-11-11
HUNDREDS ID KILLED,
y shipload Of Dynamite Explodes
at 6antander, Spain.
y scattorp Death and Destruction Through
the Town-Over 300 Killed and 400
Injured-Fire Completes
the Ruin.
BLOWN INTO ETERNITY

BLOWN INTO ETERNITY.
SANrANDER, Spain, Nov. 6.-By the
explosion of ship load of dynamite
Friday night hundreds, of persons were
killed and half of the town destroyed.
Crowds were on the quay watching the
vessel burn when suddenly her
dangerous cargo blew up, in
ptantly killing the daring fire
fighters and spectators. scatter
ing parts of the burning boats all over
the city and wrecking many buildings
Fire followed the explosion, which
many took for an earthquake, and be-
fsre it could be checked half the
town was in ruins. In the excite
zncnt the number of dead was placed
At /, 900, but 800 is probably nearer the
sorrect figure. Among the dead are
1he governor of the province, the pre-
feet, the chief OF police and two judges.
Latest Estimate of Losses.
Fifty private houses on Iendos and
Vlgos streets were destroyed by the
danes. In addition to these losses,
several important public buildings and
valuable archives were burned before
any Roadway could be gained ON the
Are.
Official kilograms state that many
1olies have been recovered from the
bay of Biscay and from the ruins. The
naeerial losses chiefly consist Of the
great number of houses burned and
which are valued at s50O,000.
According to official kilograms the
latest accounting shows that 300 per-
sons were killed and $50 wounded.
Driven Mad with Fright.
The effect of the explosion upon the
4nhabitants of Santander was bewild-
ering For some time after the dis
aster ehey were positively stunned
with dismay and then followed panic
during which 100 people are re-
ported to have gone stark mad. while
the vast majority We're SO paralyzed
with fear and shock that they were IN
capable of moving to the assistance of
the dying Or of making any effort to
extinguish the flames, which sprung up
from mass Of buildings and which be-
gan to spread with the most threaten
ing rapidity. The quay and prone
made close to the scene of the explo-
sion presented the most siclxening
sight ever witnessed. Mangled and
blackened corpses were scattered here
and there or were in heaps in many
cases upon the wounded and dying,
whose fearful shrieks of agony filled
the air and struck terror into the
hearts OF those who after time sum
moncd sufficient courage to venture
near.
Blown Into the Sea.
Over 100 are said to have been pre-
cipitated into the sea by the explosion,
md there beneath this hail of blood,
wood and iron they met death with the
crews of the unfortunate steamer and
the tugboat which was about to tow
her into the bay. On hoard the tug
boat were many citizens of Santander,
who were taking part in the work OF
rescue Ali of them have disappeared
forever.
Train Wrecked by the Shock.
A train from the province which was
Just arriving at the railroad station
when the Cabo Machichaco blew up
experienced the force Of the explosion,
was wrecked and set fire to and the
ma ority OF its passengers were burned
to death before any assistance could be
furnished them.
Santander was lately among the most
prosperous towns in Spain, but the dis
: aster which has overtaken it will take
many years to repair.
Victims Will Number 1000.
MADRID, Nov. THE number OF
dead, missing and injured at Santander
as still unknown. 1t is certain that the
number will reach 1000. Many per-
sons are dying from their wounds, and
several are expected to die as result
OF the fright they experienced at the
time of the explosion. Lopez Doriga, a
naval officer, who was an eyewitness
OF the explosion, asserts that there
were at least 1000 cases of dynamite
of thirty-tive kilos each on board the
steamer.
Arrival OF Iinmigrants.