The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1906-11-30
FIRED IN CHURCH
PANIC FOLLOWS EXPLOSION IN ST.
PETERS ROME.
DEED WITHOUT PARALLEL
Perpetrator Escapes While Men, Wom-
en- and Children Struggle
to Reach Exits.

Rome-Just after the last mass had
been said in the crowded st. Peters
cathedral Sunday, in celebration OF
the anniversary Of the dedication OF
the basiliea, a mar lighted the fuse
Of q bono which had been placed at
the altar of st. Petronilla. The ex-
plosion occurred as a canon, with Sp'
lifted arm, turned to bless the com
lubricants. Dense clouds Of smoke
rolled through the cathedral, the
crowd rushed panic-stricken for the
doors and in the excitement the bomb
thrower escaped,
The outrage is without a parallel in
Rome since st. Anacietus, who was
ordaiped by Peter himself, erected an
oratory in 80 A. D., on the site Of the
present boscilica, 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, a 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 il 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 flight.
Chairs were overthrown, making the
confusion more serious. Men and WON,
en- fed, stumbling in all directions,
the can of children and cries of
anguish were heard on all sides, and
for a few minutes 1t 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 endAf a few moments
the people ere surging towards the
doors, excited and nervous. but Or
derby.
As loon as the smoke cleared away,
a 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 redhle-re 10.
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
Kill, by Canova, which consists of {
figure of the pope, and which is the
most remarkable piece of sculpture in
the basiliCa, 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 s%caffolding was found to
be smoldering, but this fire was easily
eXtinsuished. The tomb was found to
be unlnIured, and ever the pavement
shows scarcely any signs of the ex.
plosion.
An examination Of the fragments of
the bomb leads to the supposition that
unless 1t 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 to
trace MIN, and no one has any recol.
lection of seeing a man who, by his
movements might have aroused sus>
picion.