New-York tribune., 1920-12-14
Cork a Wreck
As Terror Still
Grips People
CONTINUED from page 0ne)

heavy firing. Since there is 10 o'clock
curfew law in Cork. | went to q house
in King Street, on the north side Of
the city.
"At 1906 a servant girl told me
there was a big fire downtown, which
was spreading rapidly. I went to an
attic window and watched the subse-
quent events until the curfew law per
mitted me to go on the streets again.
The first building fred was Cash's
drapery shop, in st. Patrick's Street,
where there was n bomb explosion at
9:40. Then Grants, one of the prin-
cipal department stores of the city,
caught fire and later the entire south
side Of St. Patricks Street, from Cook
Street to Merchant Street, blazed up,
while there was series of explosions.
Fifteen minutes after midnight I
st. Patrick's Street district. At one Of
these there was heavy firing.
give lorries passed over st. Pat
ricks Bridge, along the quays, at 1:15.
Shortly afterwdrd three returned.
"Threc more lorries passed at 2:O5,
heading toward the Summerhill dis
trict, where the barracks are. At 2:30
the electric lights in st. Patrick
Street went out Just previous to this
4 cart drawn by two mules had passed
into the Summerhill district and short
ly afterwards explosions were heard in
the direction it had gone.
"At 3 o'clock tongue Of fame, ap-
parently about a yard long-I was
watching at distance of more than
a quarter of mile-shot UP out Of
the corner Of the City Hall where the
Lord Mayors Office is. This dsap-
peared and up to o'clock the flames
seemed to be dying down. After
they sprang up again and the City Hall
burned brightly. At 5:15 flames broke
through the roof and ten minutes
clock struck and the quarter hour, but
at 6:2O the whole tower collapsed. The
roof of the City Hall had fallen in
few minutes previously.
Chemicals Feed Blaze
"During this time the fires in St.
Patrick Street had continued to burn
vigorously. About 6:15 I noticed blue
flames there, as if Of burning petrol,
and soon other chemicals in business
establishments in that street caught
fire and sent up multi-colored flames.
About this time the concert hall and
the annex to the City Uall caught and
burned rapidly.
"The heat was so intense that the
fremcn had to seek refuge on a for
cign ship alongside the quay by the
City Hall. | am told that there were
explosions in the City Hall at this
time, making it dangerous for the fire
men to continue at work there
AT 6 o'clock. while it was still dark,
the church bells rang for early mass.
and again at 6:3o. At this time rifle
and machine gun firing and the ex-
plodng bombs could still De heard in
all directions. This continued until
shortly before o'clock.
"Pckcts from the republican army
were stationed in ST. Patrick Street
and held back the gathering crowds,
helped in the salvaging Of the ruins
and prevented looting. Shortly after
they were placed a lorry crossed St.
patrick's Bridge, the soldiers in it FIR
ing as they passed. The pickets split,
lining the street, while the crowds scat
tered.
Fires Burned All Sunday
AFTER that I went home and slept
four hours, joining the fire brigade
early in the afternoon. The fires
control early in the evening"
Witnesses say that the scene of Sat
urday night was one to inspire awe,
with the sky lit up by the flames, while
at times the shells Of the burning
buildings appeared like huge CRATES
1t was said that at times the flames
shot up as high as eighty-five feet in
the air and that quarter of mile
away from the nearest blaze one could
read newspaper print. The worst
periods Of the fire we're at midnight
and from to 6 o'clock Sunday
morning.
Fifty buildings were destroyed, so
far as can be counted now, and twenty
five partly burned in the central part
of the city, besides three or four small
shops and dwellings, which were de-
stroyed in other sections. Apparently
there was no loss of life. The prop
erty loss ranges between $4,000, 900
and $4,000 600. The Victoria Hotel,
which had been reported burned, was
undamagcd
ENJOYS Drivers Seized
The driver Of one Of the cars which
carried the members of the British