The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-11-06

A train from the province which was
just arriving at the station when the Cabo
Machichaco blew up was set fire to, and
the majority of its passengers were burned
to death before any assistance could be
furnished them.
Soon after the explosion whole blocks
upon Mendez Nunez street, parallel with
the quay, were blazing, and other portions
of the city were in flames. No one dared
or cared to make any attempt to stay the
spread of the confagration, and those who
preserved enough presence of mind to do
so ran wildly about the town crying in
Mortified accents the news of the disaster
to those who had rushed from their houses
into the streets in alarm, fancying that
the end Of the world had come.
Aid from Other Cities.
In the midst of this scene of horrible
panic when men and women tore their
hair and cursed or prayed, few brave
men retained presence of mind enough to
jump on horseback and ride to the nearest
railroad station, where they caused tele-
grams to be sent to the government and
authorities of cities. Fire engines, physi-
clans, medicines and food were soon sent
from Valladalid, Burgess, Bilboa and
Barcelona and large forces of troops were
also dispatched TO Santander, the soldiers
rendering assistance in the work of sal
vnge and rescue.
The loss sustained by property owners
and by people who had lost their all
through the explosion and fire is immense.
The loss OF life is not yet determined, but
some hundreds of dead bodies have been
identified, while others will never be
recognized among the heads which have
been gathered in heaps around the fatal
spot, and there seems to be no way OF tell
/ ing how many met death in the water.
The shower of iron from the dynamite
laden steamer fell on nearly all of tho
the town and injured buildings at a
great distance. Some idea of the force Of
the explosion can be formed from the
| fact that man was killed by piece Of
| falling iron at Pena Castillo, two kilo-
meters distant from where the steamer
blew up
Another remarkable effect of the explo-
sion is that the unfortunate steamer an
! chored nearby was blown in the air by
force of the dynamite, causing the anchor
| to fall in street 800 yards away from
where the explosion took place. In falling
the anchor smashed n stone balcony into
pieces and sank deep into the stone pave
ment below.
| Tho Shock Caused n waterspout.
The explosion lifted the sea up into the
air like waterspout, mingling enormous
quantities of mud and stones with the
wreckage, and hurting them for a great
distance on every side.
Many details Of the explosion are still
lacking, owing to tho fact that tele
graphic communication has not been
renewed, and that none of the local news.
papers have been able to appear since the
disaster, Even private letters, owing to
the panic which prevails, have not reached
this city from Santander, and but few
kilograms have been transmitted. San
tander was among the most prosperous
towns in Spain, but the disaster which
has overtaken it will take many years tc
repair.
The whole country is indignant at the
conduct of the captain and crew of the
Cabo Machichaco and these who shipped
the contraband $50 cases of dynamite, the
general opinion being that the govern
ment must take immediate steps to punish
the people who shipped the dynamite, a,
the death of the captain and crew of tbs
dynamite steamer is but poor compensa
ton to the thousands of victims of the de
struction caused by their criminality.
Two seamen who escaped from the dy
| Mantle laden steamer have arrived a
Blboa, after having been blown up il
that We ssel and thrown a great distanc,
out to sea, falling among mass of burn
ing wreckage. One of the seamen has hi
hair badly singed and the other has al
arm injured, Both assert that the crev
of the dynamite ship were ignorant Of tn
presence of the contraband dynamite ol
board of her.
No correct estimate can yet be formed o
the loss of life, some officials claiming
that thousands lost their lives Will
others hold that the loss of life will not b
over 500, and may be lower.
The burning debris set fire to the rail
way station at Solares, thirteen miles from
Santander.
Among the victims were the civil gov
ernor several judges, the captain of tn
port his daughter, the colonies command
ing the troops and gendarmes, severa
,, magistrates, policemen, soldiers and tn
Marquis Casatombo.