Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-11-19

! ca IN 81. feterS today. The ediilCt
| was crowded and an Understandable
/ scene of confusion followed There
were no fatalities. AS soon as IN"
! echoes Of the tremendous roar Had
ceased a canon sought by rcassurimg
F., words to quiet the people. but in vain.
| They fled IN all directions ami It num-
| Der of women tainted. Women and
children screamed and men tried to
protect their families in the crush.
The church is so large, however, that
there was enough room for the crowd
TO scatter and not be seriously Injured.
No trace Of the perpetratcr Of the
crime has been found. Since st. Al
| acletus, who was ordained by Peter
| himself, erected an oratUry I'LL 50 a.
! ID. on the site Of the present bacilira
I to mark the spot Wher" the remains Of
st. Peter are buried, no such ,iaStardy
occurrence" is noted in the ANNALS o.
the church.
| To-day was III" anniversary Of The
dedication of the bdsiira to ST. Peter,
and twas beautifully decorated for the
| occasion. Holy relics were exposed
and q large number of tn" :.itntul at
tended tn" services. Cardinal Hnnrnl-
! In. formerly secretary ~ state. MuS
amoh,, Those lr, Srmt. He look rart in
! tn $, rvicr in the choir chapel rt..
last mass hnI just Been concluded.
when the cXiln"i"n occurred ana only
| one canon, Who had not quit. .irii. shed.
remained at the altar Of St Pctcrunil-
h. This altar is at the cnd Of IN,
rigii aisle. and it was near here that
| the bomb had been placed.
AS the canon turned to bless the
communicates there was tremendous
roar which echoed through the lofty
arches Of thr immense dome like a
thunder clap. At III" same time =
d. nsr smoke Sprrld thuu@huut this;
portion "f the basiiica ana a strong
od"r Of gun r"Td"r flied the air.
Confusion ami panic at once seized
tn" people. Til" canon at The altar
tried I" stem tn tide Of EAR H..
shouted out: do not b. afraid: ii il;
nothing. merely the monday gun" Ills
words, however. had little effect. They
Wtr" frightened by The smoke ana thr
pungent smell of powder and the 1un-
pie continued their headlong flight.
Chairs We're OvcrthroWn. making the
confusion more serious
Men ami women fled. stumbling in all
directions. ann ih" screams ~ children
and cries If anguish were Ii :trI ~ III
sides. and fo: Il few moments it scrrr-
~ as If nothing could obvint,. Il grave
disaster. Tho vast size Of thc church,
h"W"N' +. EIr" room for tn" crowd Ia
scatter anu at the cnl VI Il ff,y
moments III" lcopl,. W.r,, stlr.ul.s TO-
ward Oh" doors. excited ana nervous
but orderly.
AS soon rs the smoke cleared away n
hasty examination showed that nubo-ly.
had Been hurt in the crush ana further
nlor" that no one had been lvoundrl
by the explosion. Calm was cradIl,iv
restored ana people returned 10 view
tn" extent Of the damage
II was discovered that the ho,nb had |
been placed under ycaffnlding which |
il2d been erected t" facilitate repairs 10
III" roof exactly over the celebrated
t"iEb Of Clement XIII ~ Cunovl. |
which consists Of n figure Of the Pope
and two lions ana which is the most re
nlarkdhlc piece OF sculpture i'll the ba.-
ilic1. This tomb ranks among the finest |
effect Of modern sculpture and by its
execution Canova established his repu-
teton.
When the first gcndarmos reached
the spot the Scaffulding was found to
be Sm0udering, but this fire was east
ly eXtiiiGuished. The tomb was found
to hn absolutely uninjured ana even
the pavement shows scarcely any signs
of the explosion.
An examination Of the remains Of the
bomb leads to the surposition unless it
vas crudcly prepared on purpose. To
miSlcad that it was manufactured in
the country and brought inc Rome. 1t
is believed that the bomb had a very
long fuse in order to enable the crimi-
nal to gain the piazza before the expio-
sion. 1t has been impossible to trace
him. and no one has any recollection
of seeing a man who. by his move
mcnts might have aroused suspicion.
Tie Pope was engaged in his regular
room hour devotions when the bomb
exploded. He heard Il muiiied sound
which surprised but did not alarm him.
Monsigncr Misciatelli. sub-perfect OF
the Apostolic palaces. and Monsignor
Bisletl majordomo of the Vatican. at
once hurrielly entered the Pontiff's
chamber. They We're so pale that the
Pope Immediately asked: What has
happened?"
do rot nc alarmed. Holy Father"
was the answer. "A bomb has exploded
III the basilica. but fortunately there
are no deaths to deplore ana no one
has been wounded
The Pontiff asked anviouSly if the
church had been injured. Upon being
rcassured. he fell on his knees saving
he must implore mercy for the mis-
TI..1 ,f..,. o.
Soon after this announcement was made