Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-11-06
BLOWN 10 ATOMS.
Hundreds Are Killed BY a
Dynamite Explosion.
SPANISH TOWN SUFFERS
By a Steamer Blowing Up
Near a Wharf.
Portions Of a Cargo Of Iron Carried az Re.
markably Long Distance.

MADRID, Nov. 6-The Cabo Machichaco,
a Spanish steamship, caught fire at about
8 o'clock on Friday. After a while the
steamer was alongside the quay discharg-
ing her cargo, which comprised nearly
1000 tons Of different merchandise, though
the main part of this cargo was iron ore
and a number of sacks Of -four, barrels OF
wine, many cnses OF petroleum and over
500 cases Of dynamite, of which only 20
CASES were declared on the steamers mani
fest, the remaining $50 cases of dynamite
being contraband.
The fire WAS fest discovered In the coal
bunkers and ragged 80 fiercely ~ to be be.
yond the control of the entire ships crew.
Finally he local authoriti were notified,
and the fire department and "A detachment
Of the civic guard we're sent To the scene.
The provincial governor, upon learning
that the ships manifest showed that there
were 20 cases of dynamite on board,
direct d the fremtn to assist the crew in
bringing this quantity Of explosive mate
rial ashore. This WAS done In safety. 1t
WAS believed that no more dynamite re-
mained on board on the Cabo Machichaco,
aud tug was ordered To tow he burning
vessel out into the bay hat the flames
might not come to the wharf and to ad-
joining property
Horrible Scene.
In the meantime thousands of people
had crowded down to the quay and
thropged the promenades contiguous TO
IT, At about 4:30 D. m a detonation on
board the steamer. showed that the boilers
had burst, and soon after that there was
another detonation, and the steamer
seemed 10 open in halves. A blaze shot sky
ward, over which crown Of smoke rested
for several minutes. Then report of such
awful intensity WAS heard that IL shook
the earth for miles around, caused houses
to otter, smashed every window in the
radius of rife shot, fl led the air with an
immense mass Of flying iron, burning
wood, blsckened timbers and scorched
beams, which soon after fell like death
dealing hail upon the neighborhood, scat
tering death and destruction wherever it
crushed downward.
The scene following the blowing up of
the st teamer Machichaco is almost indescrib
able. The lwer Of the dynamite shot tons
of iron into the air, where il mingled with
the burning fragments Of the steamship,
tug and wooden quay, rs we'll rs with the
mangled bodies of hundreds of unfortu-
nate people who were hurled upward at
the same time, and the falling of this hor
rible mass can be better imagined than
described.
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
crashed flaming splinters, which set fire to
hundreds Of buildings
Its Tremendous Power
Tba fnrca nf tho aynlodiDu dyna IA
caus d sucn cuncu-sions that, in addition
| 10 iaking HUNDREDS OF build ngs To their
foundations, it actually sunk 100 small
claft in the harbor besides setting tire to
| a large number of other vessels aud start
| ing confagrations upon several Of the
| larger ships. including the Alfonso XII,
Which vessel cIught fire so suddenly and
burned 50 fiercely that 40 Of her crew lost
| thei lives OH board of her.
The loss to foreign shipping is very
great The effect of the explosion upon
| the inhabit nts Of Santander was be-
widering. For some time after the dis
aster the people were positively stunned
with dsmay aud horror, and then fol-
lowed a panic, during which a hundred
| people are reported to have gone stark
| mad, while the va t majority were so
paralyzed with fear and shock that they
| were incapable Of moving to the assistance
| Of the dying or OF making any effort to
| extinguish the flames which sprang up
from mass of buildings, and which be-
| gan t. spread with the most threatening
rspidity.
| Ground Covered with Corpses.
The quay aud promenade close to the
scene of the explosion presented one of the
most sickening sights ever witnessed.
| Msngl a'd backened corpses were
| scattered here and there or were in heaps
| intermngled with shreds of human bodies
piled In many Cases upon the wounded
| and dyinA, whose fearful shrieks of agony
| filled the air. Over l0J people are said to
have beeu pr cpitated into the sea by the
| explosion, and there beneath this hail Of
blood, wood and iron they met death with
| the crews of the unfortunate steamer and
| the ;ugbcat, which was about TO tow her
| into the bay. On board the tugboat were
many citizens of Santander, who were TAX
| ing part in the work Of rescue; all Of them
have disappeared forever
| A train from the provinces. which just
| arrived 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 jprity of its passen.
| gers were burned to death before any as
| tistance could be furnshe them,
| Soon after { eX Xtlusion whole blocks
| upon MendeZ Nunez street, paral ell with
| the quay, were blazing, and other portions
| OF the city were g. flames.
| The cities of Vallad lid, Buryos, Bilbao
| and Barcelona were quickly aroused by
| appeals for assistance aud Immediately
took steps TO assist the stricken CITY.
MODEL GRAND RANGE FOR 1898.