St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-11-16

sANTANDER'S HORROR.
What Followed the Burning of Ship
Loaded with Dynamite.

OF dead, missing and wounded is
fully 1000. The people have not yet
recovered from the effects OF the
catastrophe, and are entirely apathet-
ic, paying no attention to business,
but standing about the streets dis
cussing in low tones the awful
calamity which has befallen the city.
The scenes in the neighborhood OF
the destruction wrought by the ex-
ploding dynamite were sad in the
extreme, and whenever body,
crushed and mangled beyond recog-
milton, was removed from the ruins
heart-rending wall went up from
women, who feared that the shape
less mass of flesh might be all that
remained of one of their loved ones.
There is no doubt that many of the
dead will never be identified.
The divers who were employed to
recover the bodies in the bay were so
appalled, at the number of the dead
and the grewsome appearance Of the
corpses that they refused to continue
their work, and begged the officials
not to insist upon carrying out their
engagements. The authorities grant
ed their petition, and men in boats
with graphing irons were employed
in searching for the dead who were
blown into the bay. Some of the
bodies show that death was caused
by drowning and not by the shock
Of the explosion. 1t is believed that
many persons were rendered partial
ly unconscious by the explosion and
their bodies thrown far out into the
harbor. They Of course were drown
ed, for in the terrible confusion no
one thought of attempting to save
the lives of those thrown into the
water. In fact, those near the scene
were thrown into a wild panic, and
had no thought of saving any one
but themselves.
Lopez Loriga, a Spanish naval
officer, states that when the fire
broke out on the Cabot Machicaco,
he, with number OF other officers,
went alongside the steamer to lend
their aid in extinguishing the flames.
The commander OF the port, finding
that 1t was impossible to fight the
hire with the means at hand, gave
orders that the steamer should be
towed from the quay and scuttled.
The fire spread so rapidly, however,
that it was impossible to make
towing lines fast to her. The COM
mander OF the port then ordered
that the steamer be sunk alongside
the quay. Hef sea-cocks were open
ed, allowing water to flow into her,
but the water entered slowly. The
vessel began to sink by the head. but
IN the meantime the fire continued
to spread aft, burning fercely. The
captain of the steamer, Alfonso XII
seeing that it would take consider.
able time for the vessel to sink. enter
ed launch with a number of his
men carrying tools to cut through
the plates of the Cabo Machicaco
for the purpose of giving free access
to the water.
At this time Senior Loriga left the
quay. lie pushed his way through
the crowd, which had gathered to
witness the novel spectacle of a
steamer on fire, and was behind a
cart, fifty yards from the quay, when
the explosion occurred. He re-
members hearing terrific roar, and
then he fell, half stunned, under the
cart. He is sure that the vehicle
saved his life, for as he fell shower
of rails, bars, joists and other wreck
age passed through the air where he
had been standing, moving down
the spectators like blades of grass.
The Cabo Machicaco for an instant
was lifted clear out of the water.
The forward part Of hef hull war;ad,
around and curved toward the stern,
and, falling back into the bay, she
sank. The vessels lying near her
hceled over with immense holes
blown in their sides, and as they
righted quickly filled and sank
Senor Loriea adds that when he
rcgained full possession of his senses
he found the dead and diving living
around him in every direction. Build
ings around the water front had
been wrecked, and as he looked he
saw number of them totterinp tc
their tall, as the frightened inmates
with terror pictured on their faces
sought to make their escape II
some cases the fleeing inmates hao
almost reached places of safety
when hundreds of tons of stone ant
brick came topping upon them, anc
their cries OF fear were suddenl,
huNhed beneath the debris. The al
WAS momcntarily darkened witt
clouds of dust, and then lon,
tongues OF flame assembled from tn
wrecked buildings, and in iev
minutes the whole water front nea
the explosion was mass of fire.
The scene which followed battle
description. The houses left stanc
ing had every window smashed
Roofs, many OF them of tiles, ha
disappeared, and little except tn
walls OF the houses was left stan,
ing. Me1, women and childre,
frantic with Tear, ran aimlessly t
ard frn or,,;,,,, .n.,,......s-