The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-11-09

| "ASAA ohO views VI lu6 ulIOfIuaJe
steamer and tug boat which was about
to tow her into the bay.
On board the tug boat were citizens
OF Satandar, who were taking part
In the rescue. All disappear
ed forever. A train from
The province, which was lust
arriving at the railway station when
the steamship blew up, experienced
the force of the explosion, was wreck,
ed and set on fire and a majority of
its passengers burned to death.
Soon after the explosion whole
blocks upon MendeZ Numez street
parallel with the city quay, were blaz-
ing and in other portions of the CITY
were flames. No one dared or cared
to make any attempt to stay the
spread OF the contlagration, and those
who preserved enough presence of
mind to do so ran wildly about town
crying in Mortified accents the news of
the disaster to those who had rushed
from their houses into the streets in
alarm, fancying the end of the world
had come. In the midst of this scene
OF horrible panic men and women
tore their hair and cursed or prayed.
A few brave men retained presence
OF mind enough to jump on hoseback
and ride to the n eareSt railway station
where they caused kilograms to be sent
the government and authorities of
other cities imploring succor for the
wounded and asking that fire engines
be promptly dispatched to the scene,
as failure to do so Immediately would
result in the utter destruction of San
lander. The cities of Valladolid, Bur
ges, Bilbao and Barcelona were quickly
aroused by appeals for assistance and
immediately took steps to do every.
thing possible to assist the stricken
city. Fire engines, physicians, medi-
cine and food we're soon sent, and moth,
ing left undone to relieve distress.
Large forces of troops were also dis
patched to Santander, the soldiers
rendering most valuable assistance in
the work of salvage and rescue,
The loss sustained by property own
ers and poor people who have lost
all through the explosion and fire is
immense. The loss of life has not yet
been determined. Many victimsin ad-
dition are unknown and there seems to
be no way of telling how many met
their death in the water. Some idea
of the force of the explosion can be
formed from the fact that a man was
killed by piece of iron falling from
the Cabo Machichaco at Pena castillo,
two kilometers distance from where
the steamer blew up. Another re-
markable effect of the explosion is
that the unfortunate steamers anchor
was blown into the air by the force of
the dynamite and fell in a street 800
yards away from where the explosion
took place. In falling the anchor
smashed stone balcony into pieces
and sank deep into the stone pave
nent below.
Many details OF the explosion and
ire at Santander are still lacking,
owing TO the fact that telegraph com
is not renewed and that
none of the local newspapers have
been able to appear since the disaster.
Even private letters, owing to the
panic which prevails, have not reached
jhis city from Santander and but
ew private kilograms have been trans
nitted. Santander was lately among
;he prosperous towns in Spain, but the
disaster which has overtaken 1t will
Jake many years to repair.
The whole country is indignant at
jhe criminal conduct of the captain
and crew of Cabo Machichaco,
as we'll as the criminality of those
who shipped the contraband cases OF
dynamite, and the general opinion is
that the government must take i'm
mediate steps to punish the people
who shipped the dynamite, as the
leath of the captain and crew OF the
steamer is but poor compensation to
the 1000 victims and the destruction
caused by the criminallty to the city OF
Santander.
The explosion of dynamite lifted the
sea up into the air like waterspout,
enormous quantities OF mud
and stones with the wreckage and
hurting them for a great distance on
every side. Words cannot describe
the awful scene amid tho burning
ruins and of the death strewn ground,
rendered more hideous by the shrieks
Of pain coming from many wounded
people living crushed beneath the
blackened timber, weighted down by
dead bodies or masses OF human
frames torn to shreds by the awful ex-
plosion. ..ru
The scene became more terrible still
when the relatives of the dead,
wounded and missing came staggering
with horror to the spot in order to
search for the remains OF those they
loved. The relatives of those who es-
caped death knelt by the side OF their
wounded friends, and lifting up their
hands to heaven thanked God for their
escape from an awful death. Saturday
morning following the awful night OF
fire and death, a number OF people
who had been shocked into state
of imbecility or madness were found
hiding beneath the ruins. Crowds OF
orphans yesterday gathered at the
town hall bewailing lost mothers or
fathers and asking for assistance 10
the search among the ruins for tne
bodies Of their loved ones, A.. -,
For a long time to come the city VIII
need assistance from other cities 10
1sher 10 saeeor the homeless ana
bury the dead and repair as
for a. possible the damage done .ny
the awful upksaval. Nothing IN She
shane s OF attempting to duench the
aames was done for long tinae alter
tbo disaster. as people were too panic.
jug I. 10 do ANYTHING but run about