New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-05
HALF IN RUINS.
urNDREDS OF PEOPLEK KILLED
. c.noo OF DYNAMITE EXPLODED ON THE
WATER FRONT.
.,,r SPREAD BY BLAZING FRAGMENTS
.ppALLING CALAMITY IN THE SPANISH
SEAPORT.

vrrJ. OF WOUNDED AND HUNDREDS MISS
ING, THE GOVERNOR KILLED
HALF THE CITY DESTROYED BY
FIRE AND EXPLOSION
CAUSE OF THE
DISASTER.
santander. Spain. Nov. IA terrible e~p'o-
..on occurred here last night The shocK was 50
,r.st that residents in the fdrthes' Pa''s vi
.he city thought an earthquake hao occuireu
md that the place about TO be oestioyeu'
rrs shin Volo. belonging TO the Nasco de An
SaIuza Company, with a cargo Oh o!hd'iii'e'
was living at a quay last evening WHICH, III
some way not yet explained she caugh' hre'
a large crowd soon gathered ana the ponce
who were evidently unaware OF the dangerous
character of he ships cargo, mace 10 a''einp'
% drive them away The Governor of the
crovince personally directed the efforts OF 'he
nrcmen to extnguish the hames' though lie was
fully awar. of the danger
While every effort being made to quench
~. eames there suddenly was heard a dull
roar followed by report which shook the
o,tv 10 its foundations. Every house around
the quay was wrecked. their walls being blown
IN as though made Of cardboard
AN AWFUL LOSS OF LIFE.
killed Many more missing, but most OF
Them are believed to have gone to the houses
of friends after their own homes were destroyed.
Ar,onp the dead are the Prefect the chief of
nol,ce and two judges. Sixty houses were
wrecked.
The horror of the disaster has rendered the
c.onle helpess 1t is impossible to obtain a
connected story from any of the eye-witnesses
~ the explosion. Those who saw 1t and iveo
are In such a state of excitement that they can
make only the widest statements
There Is no question, however, that IL Is one
of the most appalling disasters in Spain or else
where in Europe in recent years
LIVING PEOPLE UNDER THE RUINS.
The streets near the quay where the explosion
incurred are impossible. being filled with all
sorts of wreckage from the houses blown down. II
,s certain that number Of living persons are
under the ruins but the authorities ana people
are so helpless that little attempt is being mace
10 extricate them. A number OF soldiers wePr
nut at work to-day clearing away the deons
but their task is being performed In perfume
tory way Already they have come across
masses of human flesh, the sight OF which mas
made them SICK and they hesitate to push their
work with any heart, fearing the sights which
they know full well their labor Will uncover
The hospitals are filled with the lhJureo
people. and the physicians are doing everything
in their power to alleviate the agony Oh the
terribly mutilated persons writhing upon the
cots.
When the Volo blew up the Spanish steamer
Alfonso XII WIS lying alongside Of her. She
was completely destroyed. All her officers and
forty of her crew are missing, and 1t is certain
that every one of them was killed. The force
Of the explosion may be judged from the TACT
that portions Of the Volo and Alfonso XII were
thrown into the middle Of the town, carrying
death and destruction among them. The COM
mandant of the Civic Guard and many ofi1cials
and workmen were badly injured.
FIRE ADDS IT'S HORRORS.
Telegrams were sent to Valencia, Burgos and
Valladolid. asking that engines be sent on
special trains to fight tbs fire, but even with
outside assistance it found impossible 10
check the flames and half the city has been
destroyed by fire and the explosion Inc rail-
way station has been burned. and so rapld
was the spread of the flames that the trains
could not be hauled out, and they, too, were
DESTROYED The fire was communicated TO ao-
1acent quays by naming uranus 'hio"h ny ''e
exploding dynamite.
the explosion occurred was fired by the flying
pieces of burning wood The The ,nt, stauon began e,ar
was burned to death and many passengers
were suffocated. Dozens OF persons living
near the bay fled from their burning houses
and in terror threw themselves into the water.
The Ministers of Finance and the Interior lett
Madrid for Santanfer this afternoon:
Great delay is experienced in getting reports
Of the disaster the telegraph lines. Oniy
one wire is working out of the city, ana that
very slowly Nearly all the press dispatches
are carried TO points outside the city; tara tron,
1t will be necessary to send troops mere from
other cities o aid the officials.
Paris. Now A dispatch to the Ienps
from Santander says that the explosion uali. %
aged many vessels in the harbor. The Preiect
and a colonel of infantry are among the VIC
tins. Many Of the bodies Of those Killed were
blown into the bay or into streets cohslueTaoie
distance from the quay. The telegraph lnes
were almost completely wrecked. The nearest
telegraph station from which dispatches can be
expeditously sent is eight miles from the town.
Madrid. Nov A dispatch received from
Santander at o'clock this evening said that 200
persons were believed TO have been killed. and
$50 persons were being treated In hospitals ana
private houses for injuries Government
credit has been granted TO help the sufferers
RAIN OF BLAZING BRANDS.
dispatch received from Santander at ii
o'clock says that many local officials were on
the quay with the Governor when the explosion
occurred Behind them stood thousands Of
spectators who had been attracted by the
flames. which shot up above the masts and
whole structure of the quay into the air. Fire
brands and fragments Of wood and iron fell
like hall on the houses 200 yards from the
waterfront. Many persons were thrown ln,o
the sea and drowned. The crews OF the snip
and the tugboat alongside her were blown 10
pieces. Not one whole body Of a member OF
either crew has been found
The telegraph wires are working badly, ana
Il is difficult 10 get details. The report says
that the vessel carrying the dynamite was no,
the Volo. but the steamer Cabo Machcaco from
Bilbao. Troops were sent early this morning
from Santona sixteen miles from Santander, to
pull down the buildings rendered unsafe by the
explosion and to help put out the fires when
were incessantly breaking cut in different quar-
Nrs Of the water front At one time 1t was
feared that the whole city would be burned.
The Governors body was recovered Tonight
The Marquis Of PombO is missing. and Is be-
!ieyed TO be among the killed. The Queen-Regent
!s deeply affected by the disaster, and makes
requent inquiries for the last news from
Santander