Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1906-11-24
BOMB FIRED IN CHURCH
PANIC FOLLOWS EXPLOSION IN ST,
PETERS ROME.
DEED WITHOUT PARALLEL
oerpetrator Escapes While Men, Wom
on and Children Struggle
TO Reach Exits.

Rome-Just after the last mass had
1een said in the crowded St. Peters
cathedral Sunday in celebration OF
he anniversary Of the dedication Of
he basiica, a man lighted the fuse
If a bomD which had been placed at
he altar Of st. Petronilla The ex-
llosiun occurred as a canon, with Up
fitted arm, turned to bless the COM
Hunicants. Dense clouds of smoke
'olled through the cathedral the
crowd rushed panic-stricken for the
loors and in the excitement the bomb
.hrower escaped,
The outrage is without a parallel in
Rome since ST. Anacietus, who was
ordained by Peter himself, erected an
oratory in 80 A. D., on the site Of the
present hoscilica, to mark the spot
where the remains of st. Peter are
buried
That no one was injured by the ex-
plosion or in the panic that followed
seems miraculous. As soon as the
echoes of the roar had ceased, canon
sought, by reassuring words, to quiet
the people but in vain They fed in
all directions, and children screamed
and the men tried to protect their
families in the crush
The canon at the altar tried to stem
the tide of fear He shouted out.
DO not be afraid it is nothing;
merely the MONDAY gum"
Mad Rush For Doors.
His words had little effect They
were refuted by the smoke and the
pungent smell of powder, and the peo
pie continued their headlong fight
Chairs were oyerthrown, making the
confusion more serious. Men and wom'
en- fed, stumbling in all directions
the screams of children and cries OF
anguish were heard on all sides, and
for few minutes it seemed as If moth
ing could avert a grave disaster
The vast size of the church, how
ever, gave room for the crowd to scat
ter, and at the end of a few moments
the people were surging towards the
doors, excited and nervous, but or
derly.
As soon as the smoke cleared away,
hasty examination showed that no
body had been hurt in the crush and
Furthermore, that no one had been
wounded by the explosion. Calm was
gradually restored, and people re.
turned to view the extent of the dam.
age,
The bomb had been placed under a
scaffolding that had been erected to
facilitate repairs to the roof exactly
under the celebrated tomb of Clement
NIL, by Canova, which consists of a
figure Of the pope and which is the
most remarkable piece Of sculpture in
the basiica This tomb ranks among
the finest efforts of modern sculpture,
and by its execution CanOya estab
lished his reputation
When the first gendarmes reached
the spot the scaffolding was found to
be smoldering, but this fire was easily
eXtinguished, The tomb was found to
be uniniured and even the pavement
shows scarcely any signs Of the ex
plosion.
An examination of the fragments OF
the bomb leads to the supposition that
unless it was manufactured in the
country and brought to Rome. 1t is
believed that the bomb had a very
long fuse in order to enable the Grim
inal to gain the plaza before the ex
plosion. 1t has been impossible tc
trace him, and no one has any recol
lection Of seeing a man who by his
movements might have aroused sus
picion.