The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1893-11-09
TERRIBLE CARNAGE
OVER 1000 PEOPLE PERISH.
santsnder. Spain. n Scene Of Death al
Desolation. Fire Finishes the rriehL
ful Havoc TO Life. Limb and
Property Start. d BY aDy,
ntmitc Explesion.

Dispatches from Ssntander. Spain. confirm
the rel ort that the ship Cato Machicsct
was blown to atoms by huge quantity OF
dynamite on board. by which hundreds of
people were killed and wounded. and th,
greater part of the town DESTROYED.
The vessel was discharging 1000 toni. Of
iron, many barrels OF petroleum and foui
ard several wine casks The captain had
declared only 20 cases Of dynamite Other
wise he would not have been allowed to
dock.
The fire started at o'clock Friday after.
noon in the coal bunkers. The custom or
hcers and police hastened TO remove the ~
cases Of dynamite which soon were landed
Mt safe distance from the vessel A tor
was then chartered TO tow the Cabo Macbi-
caco seaward. Meantime desperate efforts
had been made to quench the flames. The
captain and crew of the steamer Alfonso
MI boarded the burning vessel TO help
hight the flames. They worked for an hour
and a half without success At the end OF
that time the fire reached the petroleum.
Then came series OF awful explosions ~
the flames went from barrel 10 barrel O; the
oil, uhtil they reached the contrsbsnd dv-
Mantle. The tug had Just been moreG
alongside the vessel aud many town.p ople
had gone aboard either 10 satisfy their
curiosity or 70 help ex,ngush the IRE.
Then came the explosion Of the dynamite.
All on board the Cabo Machicaco ana many
along the dock were blown 20 a,e.s. IN,
tug vanished. The quay with its enormous
crowd ofspecta,ors rose slowly in the air.
The people were scattered in every dir,c
ton into the sea. Fire brands fell in show
ers over sea and land for radius of n nj,
and n half The Cabo Machicaco's anchoI
was hurled sos yards away and fell on ths
balcony ola house which Il comple,e!yl
wrecked, j, then sank deep IN the nave
ment below. Tie shock was felt in every
part OF the city. Houses rocked OF ,he!,
foundations and more than 100 we're set on
fire hy falling sparks The destructon I'M
the harbor was equally appalling. IN.
launch OF the Alfonso Nll.. which wa,
lying alongside and contained al the creA
not aboard the Mach hicaco, vanished with
the others
The survivors fed ashore shritk.nc. leav
ing the promenade adjoining the QUAY
strewn with dead, dying and mansled rem
nants OF human bodies. Wherever the ter.
rited fugitives turned they met onl3
fr'ehifnl destruction. Horror was added Il
horror in the wrecked and burning build
ings from which came piteops cries for heiu,
Many Of the fueitvss were thrown do%n
and tramped upon. NuRber are said II,
have lost their reason. The people were TOD
panic stricken TO think Of anything but
aviDg their own or their relatives lives anti
ignored their burning property.
When night fell the sky luridly r.f,c,et.
the fires burning iiercelv in various ia = OF
the city. Mendez Nunea street. rilni ms.
parallel with the quay was ablaze from enki
70 end. In the binding light and heat the
bands of rescuers worked to extricat. the
dead and wounded. On every side ver.
scenes OF u describsble con fusion and over.
whelmine grief The fire went on uncheck
ed throughout the night.
rHr TowN ~ TUINS
Block after block were IN ruins Tho peO.
pie were terror stricken. Thousands aban-
doned their homes and fed TO the ield. OF
outlying Villages Others rsmnlue8 to
search frantically among the ruins 2nd hall
barred bodies for their lost friends or rcla-
tives. Children, whose parents were dead,
wandered weeping through the street call.
ing for help.
During Saturday morning nc many ~
possible were collected al The town hal! aud
were fed and clothed. in the afternoon
many injured persons. insSne from terror
or pain. were found croUching IN al.ey way,
and outhOuses, far from the scenes OF the
fire.
The sea was tossed as IL by an earthQuak,
Tremendous waves broke up over the water
NF1n M NnWa NS 1Hl~.
shells against the docks
u is estimated TINT moIe Than | Ol0 uer.