The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-11-06
STORY OF An EYE WITNESS,
lie Tells of the Awful Cnlamity-Tho Ter
rible Loss of Life.

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STORY OF AN EYE WITNESS.
lie Tells of the Awful Cnlnmity-The Ter.
rible Loss of Life.
copyrighted, 1898, blythe Associated Press
MADRID. Nov. 5.-An eye witness oi
the terrible disaster at Santauder says
that the dynamite on board the Cabo
Machichaco was concealed under the
iron which formed a portion OF her
cargo
The fire is believed to have origina'
ted in some packages OF skins which
we're crammed into the steamers bunk
ers. When the fire broke out. still ac-
cording to the story told by this person,
the captain of the Transatlantic
steamer Alfonso MI ordered his steam
launch to be Lowered, and manned by
nearly all his officers and crew, whom
he sent to the assistance OF the burning
steamer. The steain launch with the
crew OF Alfonso XII on board, arrived
alongside the Cabo MachiChaCo just q
moment before the latter vessel blew up
and consequently they were blown to
atoms with the crew OF the dynamite
steamer.
Continuing he says: 1.-THE explosion
was like an earthquake. A shower OF
burning fragments fell upon the honses
which were already tottering, crushing
in the roofs, while heavy pieces OF iron
were hurled through the walls OF houses
with all violence OF cannon shots.
DEATH ON ALL SIDES.
"Houses were Immediately ignited by
burning timbers, which tell upon them
and the people who were not killed
rushed in terror into the streets where
a number OF them met death or we're
severely crushed or wounded by falling
| houses Others ran in terror from the
scene and hundreds mad with fear
abandoned the city, ran into the fields
shrieking and tearing their hair with
fury.
"0thers, after recovering from the
shock, hastened to the scene OF the
disaster in order to search for missing
relatives, whom they believed to have
met death through the explosion. Upon
arriving at the scene OF the wreck and
carnage they found the place covered
with dead and wounded, many of the
victims being SO horribly burned and
mutilated that their recognition by rela-
tives was utterly impossible.
"Words cannot describe the awful
scene amid those burning ruins and on
that death strewn ground. rendered
more hideous by the shrieKs Of pain
coming from the many wounded people,
living crushed beneath backened tim
Der and weighted down by dead bodies
or masses OF human frames torn to
shreds by the awful explosion. The
scene became more terrible still when
the relatives OF the dead, wounded and
missing came staggering with horror to
the spot.
"Many Of the searchers only recog-
nized parts OF the clothing OF those who
we're killed, and one unfortunate man
was identified by his watch, which had
stopped at the moment of the explo-
sion.
"There were many miraculous escapes
| from death.
DRIVEN CRAZY.
"on Saturday morning following the
awful night of fire and death number
OF people who had been shocked into a
state Of imbecility and madness were
found hiding beneath the ruins.
"For long time to come the city OF
Santander will need assistance from
other cities, in order to succor the
homeless and the wounded, to bury the
dead and to repair as far as possible, the
damage done by the awful dynamite
upheaval.
"rhe number of people who have
lost their senses through the explosion
is very great and it is openly asserted
that hundreds OF people have complete
ly gone out OF their minds and will
have to be confined in asylums for the
remainder OF their lives.
"Mandez Nunez street is completely
destroyed and a number OF adjoining
sections OF the city have suffered terri
bly, and are in ruins.
"Alany OF those who were thrown into
the water by the explosion we're carried
away BY the tide and drowned amid the
despairing lament OF the few who had
managed to struggle out OF that horri-
BILE swirl Of blackened corpses and
partly or entirely dismembered bodies.
"No correct estimate can yet be
formed Of the loss of life, some officials
claiming that thousands lost their lives,
while Others hold that the loss OF life
will not be over 500, and may be lower" 7"
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