Morris tribune., 1893-11-08
HUNDREDS PERISHED
THE DYNAMITE DISASTER AT SAINT
ANDER, SPAIN,

Ander and destroyed hundreds OF llves
has sent thrill of horror Throughout
Spain.
| Telegraphic communication with the
death and fire-stricken locality have moi
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,
4 is enabled 10 furnish what is regarded in
this capitol as complete story OF the
disaster so far as known.
Story of the Disaster.
The Cabo Machichaco, Spanish
steamship belonging to Hilbao, caught
fire at about 3 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 90 cases were
on the steamers manifest. The remain
ing 4S0 cases of dynamite were contrar
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
- 1-..1-o.,o ,,,5 eoo,, ,.ooo1 60 6nrcn1u
| 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 sent
to the scene. Leading municipal au-
thorities headed the fremen 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 30 cases of dynamite on
board, the fremen 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
90 cases of dynamite we're taken ashore.
A Terrible Explosion.
About 4:30 p. m. a detonation on board
showed, rs it afterwards turned out, that
the boilers had burst, and soon after
there was another terrible detonation
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 rife 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
neishboring houses, scattering
Death and Destruction
wherever it crushed downward. The
scene following the blowing up OF bhe
steamer is almost indescribable and the
effect Of the explosion of these 480 cases
of dynamite will hardly be believed.
Over the adjoining buildings, tottering
with wreckage, fell a shower of iron fol
lowed by huge pieces of wood and 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 q
conclusion that in addition to shaking
hundreds Of buildings
OFF Their Foundations,
it actually sank 100 small craft in the
harbor in addition to setting fire to 8
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 fercely 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
Bewi1dering in It's Intensity.
For some time after the disaster the
people were positively stunned with dis
may and horror and then followed
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-
able of moving to the assistance of the |
dying or of making any effort to extin-
guish the flames which sprang up from a
mass of buildings and which began to /
spread with the most threatening rapid
ity. The quay and promenade close to
the scene of the explosion presented the |
most sickening sight ever witnessed.
Mangled and BIackened 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
summoned sufficient courage to venture
near the carnage ground.
Over hundred people are said to have
been precipitated into the sea by the ex-
plosion, and there, beneath this hail Of
blood, wood and iron, they met death
with the crew of the unfortunate steamer
and the tugboat which was about to tow
hnr into the hay. Cr ts :l'sgboat
were many citizens Of s< ArGer who
were taking part in the work of rescue.
All of them have disappeared forever.
Fire Aids Destruction.
Soon after the explosion whole. blocks
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