The morning call., 1893-11-06
Hundreds of People Blown Into
Fragments.
THE AIR FILLED WITH DEATH.
Scores Escaped the Explosion Only
to Be Swallowed Up by
the Sea.


Madrid not only confirms the most sensa-
tional reports. but pictures the disaster In
more vivid colors than hitherto. The
story of the great disaster is as fol-
lows:
The Cabo Machichaco, a Spanish steam
ship belonging to Bilbao. caught fire about
o'clock Friday afternoon. The origin of
the fire is unknown, but it was soon
beyond control of the ships crew. The
local fire department and a detachment
of the civic guard were sent to the scene.
and the leading municipal authorities
aided in the effort to save the steamer.
In the meantime thousands of people
crowded to the quay and thronged the
promenades contiguous to it. The fire
quickly ignited the petroleum which
formed a part of the cargo. Twenty
cases of dynamite which were registered
on the ships papers we're carried ashore,
but the ship also had on board 4S0 cases
more which did not appear on the papers
and of which the authorities had no KNOW
ledge.
About 4: 80 the ship's boilers burst with
terrific report, and soon after there was
another terrible deton alton. The steamer
seemed to open in half, sending blaze of
fire skyward over which crown OF smoke
rested for several minutes. The report
was of such awful intensity that it shook
the earth for miles around, caused houses
to totter, smashed every window within
radius of rifie-shOt, filled the air with
mass of flying iron. burning wood, black
ened timDers and scorched beams, which
soon after fell upon the neighboring
houses, scattering death and destruction
wherever it crushed downward. The ex-
plosive shot tons of iron ore. which COM
posed part of the ships cargo, into the
air, where 1t mingled with the burning
fragments of the steamship, tug and
wooden quay, as well as with the mangled
bodies of hundreds OF unfortunate people
who were hurled upward and falling. This
horrible mass can be better imagined than
described.
The flaming spinters set fire to hun
dreds of buildings. causing frightful
panic.
The force of the exploding dynamite
caused such concussion that it actually
sank hundreds of small craft in the har-
Dor. in addition to setting fire to large
number of vessels and starting conflagra-
cludiug the Alfonso XII, which vessel
caught fire so suddenly and burned so
dercely that forty of her crew lost their
lives on board of her. Damage to foreign
shipping Is said to be very great.
For some time after the disaster the
people were positively stunned with dis
may and horror, and then followed panic,
during which hundreds Of people are re.
ported to have gone stark mad, while the
vast majority were so paTalyzed with fear
and by the shock that they were incapable
of moving to the assistance of the dying or
making any effort to extinguish the flames.
which began to spread with most threat
ening rapidity.
Along the quay and promenade mangled
and blackened corpses were scattered here
and there or in heaps. in many.cases upon
the wounded and dying. whose fearful
shrieks of agony filled the air.
Over 100 people are said 10 have been
precipitated into the sea by the explosion
and there met death. A train just arriving
was wrecked by the explosion and set fire
to and a majority of its passengers were
burned to death.
Soon after the explosion whole blocks
opposite the quay were blazing and other
portions of the city were also in flames.
In the midst of this horrible panic a few
men retained presence of mind enough to
ride to the nearest railway station and
send kilograms to the Government and
authorities of other cities imploring sue
cor.
The cities of Valladolid, Burgess, Bilbao
and Barcelonn Immediately took steps to
assist the stricken city. Fire engines. ply
sicians, medicine and food soon were sent
to the relief Of the distressed. Large
forces of troops were also dispatched.
The monetary loss sustained was enor-
nous. The loss of life is not yet deter
mined, but some hundreds of dead bodies
have been identified. while others will
never be recognized from among the mass
ofs blackened trunks. heads and limbs
which have been gathered together in a
heap One man was killed by piece of
iron falling at Pena castillo, two kilo-
meters distant from where the steamer
blew up. The steamers anchor fell 800
yards away from where the explosion took
place.
Many details of the explosion and fire
are still lacking. owing to the fac: that the
telegraphic ond postal communications
have not been renewed. Santander was
lately among the most prosperous towns
in Spain, but the disaster which has over
taken il will take many years to repair.
I he whole country is indignant at the
criminal conduct of the captain and crew
of the Cabo Machichaco, as well as the
erimnality of those who shipped the con-
traband 4S0 cases of dynamite. The gen.
eral opinion is that the Government must
take immediste steps to punish the people
who shipped the dynamite. as the death of
the captain and the crew of the steamer
is but poor compensation to the thousands
of victims and destruction caused by their
criminalty.
LONDON. Nov. 5.-The Madrid corre-
spondent Of the Times says: Up to the
time of sending this dispatch 125 bodies
have been identified and buried at SAINT
aDder.
NEW YORK, Nov. 5.-The World Mad