The Advocate, 1887-06-09, Page 6A last (Thursday) night's Paris cable
says: The greatest excitement prevails in
the city to-day over last night's terrible
accident. At first it was thought the loss
of life was small, and that only profession-
als were burned, but every hour adds to
the number of the dead, and not alone
ballet girls and stage hands fell victims to
the cruel flames, but also many well known
in the best Paris society.
At exactly a quarter before 9, just as the
curtain was about to fall at the end of the
first act of "Mignon," Mlle. Merguillier,
who, as Philene, was singing the waltz song
to the chorus accompaniment, suddenly
ceased singing and disappeared. She had
stood in front of the cottage at the right of
the stage, which was overhung with trees,
when showers of glowing cinders began
falling about her. The instant she van-
ished M. Taskin, who sang Lothario,
stepped to thofront amid the falling embers
and Said " Don't move It's nothing."
In the stalls and the pit, where the danger
was most evident, the audience began
rapidly but quietly to leave the house. In
the galleries, where the magnitude of the
fire was not visible, people remained seated.
By this time the stalls were emptied the
house was full of smoke and the entire
stage ablaze, Sconce of terror followed.
The screams of the ladies mingled with the
shouts of the people tippet the stage. A.
frantic crowd came tumbling over each
other. Ph:A:1y women in full evening dress
and delicious toilets from Worth, Felix and
Rouff, rushing pell-mell With shop girls and
cocottes, came pouring out like'an avalanche
into the Plebe Boieldieu. Cloaks and
wraps, of course, were left behind. A cold
rain came down steadily, kit luckily there
was not a breath of wind. Other scenes of
panic occurred in the Rue FaVart, where
from the stage entrance bevies of figurantes
and half dressed ballet girls came tearing
screaming. The supers and members of
the chorus were terrified, and some of the
latter fled with nothing on but tights. The
flames spread with such rapidity that in
fifteen minutes the stage was a vast fur-
nace.
Several actors escaped by climbing to the
roof on the side of the Rue Marivanta,
where they were rescued. The audience
was delayed a few minutes by a dense
Smoke and insufficient light. The direc-
tor of the Soleil, his wife and two children,
escaped without injury. The killed in-
cluded four firemen. There was not a
frantic rush in the theatre, but it is believed
that the staircase became blocked. M.
Tasquin implored the audience to remain
seated until the exits were opened, which
they did. If they had made a rush for the
doors the loss of life would have been ter-
rible. The police outside were unable to
restrain the crowd, who besieged the
building, inquiring for their friends inside,
until a military cordon was called. One
man, who wanted to rescue his brother and
sister, raved and tore his hair and menaced
with a stick the people who stopped him
from rushing into the blazing building.
The scene outside was one of wildest ex-
citement. Falling embers struck horses
in the surrounding streets, causing them
to plunge and rear. Flames shot out of
every window, forcing the crowd into the
narrow streets, where the crush was ter-
rific.
A figurante says there were 150 persons
on the stage when the fire broke out. She
heard the glass falling like a hailstorm,
but told the other girls not to niind it.
But while she was speaking a column of
flame burst through the wings with a
roar, and all rushed pell-mell from rthe
stage.
It is still unknown how many persons
were unable to escape from the doomed
building.
Only a fortnight ago M. Stenackors
called attention in the Chamber of Deputies
to the dangerous condition of the Opera
Comique, which was the oldest theatre in
Paris. The Figaro also called attention to
the same thing after a recent twelve-hour
benefit performance.
down, -followed by chorus singers, the scene
shifters and the carpenters.
No one knew as yet whether there were
any casualties. ,There were hundreds of
peOple in the galleries, but the police and
the Aremen declared that the most of them
escaped. The offigiel report, however,
states that there .are dead and 110
wounded. I saw one scene ehifter—e.
• youngeleolting man, with bushy black
beard—dragged. out of the flames, antfo,
cated and bleeding from a bad gash in the
heed,. and brought' into the nitre faeldene-
hie Cafe Anglais, at the peeper of the
Boulevard des Italians and the Rue Mari-
vaux, whore he was plaepd on :01c4ining
table, and .died inabout five minutes.
Six stout firemen made a gallant charge,
axes fn hand, gttengit. the flames, and
rescued an iron safe containing the receipts
of the -evening, which they carried to the
editorial rooms of the Geulpie, near by.
The consternation of the boulevards
reached its climax at about o'clock,
when et least a, hundred thonsand people,
blocked all the streets leading to. the ligrn,
ing theatre, while the firemen, in bresen
helniets, aided: by .a battalion of the. .31st
regiment of the line, kept back .:theerpwd
and helped -to take the wounded to the
police station of the Aug Rechlieu, where
military ambulances stood in readiness to
convey them to their homes in cots.
At the police station I. saw three
flearentes, pretty young girls, lying dead,
Their clothing was burned off them, and
their chests and arms were black with the
'flames.. The number of dead in this police
stetion is eleven and the wounded twenty-
eight. Men and women were lying about
groaning with pain from burnS, while the •
doctors are hard at work doing their best
to resuscitate those who are but partitelly
suffocated.
Mlle, Merguillier, who played Philene,
gives the following graphic account of her
experience " Ah I my poor theatre! I
loved it so I" she exclaimed, tragically. " It
seemed a part of me.. I was in. the scene-
with the choristers when the fire began. I
had finished the duo with M. Soulacroix,
faut Savior,' when he said to, me, rais-
ing his eyes, 'Look! we are afire! Save.'
yourself without delay.' I left the stage.
in the midst of the scene, but, . notwith,
standing, cast my eyes over the .eudito-
rium, where already the people ware
springing to their feet, climbing over the
stalls and rushing rearward with cries of
terror. I hurried to the green-room, where
I hoped to find comrades whom I could
accompany to the stage entrance, but.
it was deserted and almost dark. The lone-
and exploded below. Women, half-clad and liness terrified me, but I .tried to collect my
carrying their costumes, fled from the stage' thoughts. I remembered that a corridor
Extraordinarily Exciting Scenes -- The
Theatre Previously Condemned.
he last (Wednesday) night's Paris des
pato* says: The. Opera Comique took fire
this evening, and the whole building is now
wrapped in flames. Several persons have
been injured. Fourteen persons who
jumped from the windows are dead and 43
were injured. It is probable that many
were crushed to death in the galleries, but
at present this is uncertain. The fire broke
out during the first act of the opera
" Mignonne." One of the wings caught fire
from a gas jet, and the entire stage was
immediately enveloped in flames. The fire
soon spread to the whole house. Madame.
Mergvillier and Messrs Tasquin and
Boquath were on the stage when the fire
broke out. All the actors ran out in their
stage costumes. The audience got out
easily, but the gas was turned off before all
had left the building and it is feared some
were left in the upper tiers. The roof soon
fell in, sending showers of sparks around.
With the exception of Madame Sellier, who
perished in the flames, all the actors
escaped, though several of the supernumer-
aries were injured severely.
Five bodies, terribly burned, were con-
veyed to the 'National Library. Among
them was the body of a woman grasping a
little boy in her arms.
The money receipts were saved.
The firemen showed the greatest courage.
Messrs. Goblet, Thibaudin and Gagnon
were onsthe spot soon after the fire started,
and they remained throughout with the
fire officials. The Military Club rendered
great assistance in the work of rescuing the
people. Nineteen persons are now known
to be dead. Many of these were supers.
An artificial fire apparatus, which, had
been placed in position in readiness for the
burning of the place in the second act,
rolled down from its place near the roof
FATAL PARISIAN FIRE.
The Opera 09mi9.118 Takes The During
Performance,
OW= DESCRIPTION OP THE TRAGEDY:
TWO. Hundred Persons Cremated in the
Parisian Pire,
running parallel with Rue Marivanx ended
in an exit reserved for the administration.
In two seconds I was face to face with that
door. It was fast. I knocked violently
with bleeding knuckles, but without
answer. At that moment I was filled with
a terrible anguish. I was caught in a trap.
I was lost. My retreat across the stage
was cut off. I felt that behind me were
unknown horrors. I knew not where to
turn for aid. Already the corridor was
full of smoke, which choked me. Then,
in sheer hopelessness and despair, I
shrieked. A voice without answered,
' We wil save you!' The door was burst
in, and I fainted. I came to in a cafe on
the Rue Marivaux. Then after a little time
'I came home. I am sure that many unfor-
tunate people have been lost. Oh I I am
so sorry!"
At 2 p.m. twenty bodies, in a terribly
mutilated condition, have been recovered
from the ruins. The remains era princi-
pally those of ballet girls, choristers and
machinists. Five of the bodies are those
of elderly ladies, and one of them is that of
a child. The firemen are lowering some of
the bodies from the fourth story of the
theatre by means of ropes.
At 4 p.m. twenty more bodies were re-
covered fromthe ruins of the Theatre
Comique. The search for victims con-
tinues.
The ` remains of three men and two
women were found in the stage box, where
the victims had taken refuge from the
flames. It is ascertained that many bodies
lie buried in the debris in the upper gal-
leries, from which escape was exceedingly
difficult. Late this afternoon the bodies of
eighteen ladies, all in full dress, were found
lying together at the bottom of the stair-
case leading from the second story. These
ladies all had escorts to the theatre, but no
remains of men were found anywhere near
where the women were burned to death.
[This theatre was first opened in 1838,
it being built upon the site of the Favart
Hall, which was also destroyed by fire.
The theatre was situated alongside of the
Boulevard des Italiens, facing on the Rue
Favart, the Rue de Marivaux and the Place
Boieldien, and one of the landmarks of the
period of Louis Phillippe. The interior
construction was in every way defective,
and it has been often remarked that should
a fire ever break out a terrible catastrophe
would result, The seating capacity of the
house was about eighteen hundred. The
main exit from the Opera Comique was on
the Rue Boieldien.;
The walls of the theatre began falling
this evening and the search for the bodies
had to be abandoned for the day.
The library attached to the theatre was
entirely destroyed, with all its contents, in-
cluding many valuable scores.
Six thousand costumes were burned in
the wardrobe.
The Government propose to close several
of the theatres because of their deficiency
in exit.
The work of searching for the bodies of
the victims of last night's fire was resumed
to-night, and a number more were ex-
humed.
The official statement says fifty bodies
have already been recovered.
M. Reveillon, a Deputy, speaking in the
Chamber of DepUties this afternoon, esti-
mates that at least 200 persons lost their
lives in the fire.
The Chamber of Deputies has voted a
credit of 200,000 francs for the relief of the
sufferers by the Opera Comique fire.
The Opera Coinique was insured for one
million francs.
To-day 156 missing persons have been
inquired for by relatives. They are sup-
posed to have"perished in the flames.
The bottom of the theatre is flooded
With water to a depth of five feet and sixty
bodies have been found floating in the
water by the fireinen.
The finding of charred remains continue.
The remains can be identified only by
means Of trinkets.
A Paris cable says : The roll call Of the
A span of mules drawing a plow near
Montgomery, Ala., were attacked by a
swarm of bees a felt days ago and stungto
death. The driver saved his life by running
away after a vain effort to drive the bees
from the mules.,
Tragedy at a Revivalmeeting,
A Charlottetown, P. E. I., despatch says:
At O'Leary Station, a school teacher and
singing master named Mackinnon got into
an altercation with one Currie at the close
of a meeting held by Blue, the evangelist.
Currie took off his coat to fight. They
clinched, and Currie was heard to exclaim,
" My God, I am stabbed," The fight was
stopped, and it Was found that Currie was
stabbed through the, left lung. Currie can-
not live. Mackinnon was arrested and
committed for trial. He says he acted in
self-defence,
O'Brien at Montreal.
A Montreal despatch says : The demon-
stration in honor of O'Brien last evening
was most enthusiastic. There were about
1,500 torches in the procession, in which
wore four bands. As they passed along the
streets O'Brien and Kilbride were loudly
cheered. Chaboillez square, where the
meeting took place, was filled with people.
In his speech Mr. O'Brien strongly de-
nounced his assailants in the west and
inveighed against Lord Lansdowne. Reso-
lutions were passed condemning the
attacks oh Mr. O'Brien in the west and
Lord Lansdowne's treatment of his ten-
ants. After the meeting, O'Brien was
banquetted at the St. Lawrence, Hall by
the local branch of the National League.
From 100 to 150 persons sat down, repre-
sentatives being present from Ottawa and
other places.
attaches of the Opera Comique made to-
day shows that seventeen actors and em-
ployees are missing, eseelnettve of the super-
numeraries, who were :engaged nightly as
they weep needed, and pf whom no record
was kept,.
There are one hundred. missing.i. that is
to say, there are that :MMW -Wheac!..relatives
and 1494cle have reported theM to the
police as hitting gone to the Opera Comique
o Wednesda , ni *ht but who hays not
turned up. This brings the total list of
casualties up to 226. Crowds stand around
the police stations eagerly gazing at the
feee -ef:eeele newly, neaetliedviotine, in the
hope of finding :a lest father, brother,
methee pr eieter,
Near!
the
ar .filled
with women. in tears. y all ehodice
are those of welhdressed .persons, Almost
all still have on their gloves. Many of
the 'bodies are twisted into strange, weird
ehapes, Some seemed .liroiled, aa- if on a
gridiron.
Under the debris pf a narrow staircase I
saw a group of .severi. corpses, -whose
charred imd.hlackenedmpruhers were inter-
twined in almost La0000n coils. One of
these was that of a woman whose face
was literally roasted like an-pverdone piece
of beef, In her ears glistened a pair of
large solitaire diamond earrings, ,.Her
right arm was fractured her left arm was
WOO about. a smaller corppeapperently
that of a girl 12 yeaxs." old—probably
her daughter, Other .corpses in this group
were so hlack and so mangled that it was
almost impossible to say whether they were
the remains of human beings or of animals.
A, few yards distant wore the remains of
a young ballet girl. Her limbs were still
clothed in rose-colored tricots that made
her look as if still living. No part of her
body was burned, nor did it bear any traces
of wounds. Her death was evidently caused
by suffocation, for the poor girl had torn
from her skirts a handful of gatize which
she had crammed into her mouth in her
vain efforts to keep out the .smoke.
REMARKABLE RESCUE.
A Child Pulled 100 yeet lip a Well Hole
With a Hook.
A San Antonio, Texas, despatch says :
The story of a singular and serious acci-
dent comes from et-German settlement
near New Braunfels, fifty miles north of
this city. One of the farmers in that
vicinity recently started boring an artesian
well in his back yard. After going 160
feet without signs of water he abandoned
the project and removed the framework
around the well hole, which was eleven
inches in diameter. From time to time
neighbors examined the well and by this
means the hole was left uncovered. One
day this week the farmer's 2-year-old child
was playing in the vicinity of the well and
when its mother came to look for the little
fellow he had disappeared. Becoming
alarmed she searched the yard, and going
to the well heard from its dark bottom the
plaintive cry of "Papa I papa I papa!"
When the woman realized the truth she
was frantic, and running tp the field called
her husband and his helpers. The news
quickly spread among the neighbors, who
congregated to offer assistance. At first
the parents could think of no way to rescue
the child. A rope was dropped down, but
the child could not grasp it. The cry grow
fainter and fainter, and at the end of the
first six hours a stout iron hook was low-
ered; and after many fruitless attempts,
occupying two days and nights, the dis-
tracted parents sucbeeded in dragging the
child to the surface more 'dead than alive.
The little fellow now lies in a very critical
condition, its body fearfully lacerated by
the hoop and greatly, exhausted from its
long immurement.
DYING OFF LIKE SHEEP.
Frightful Ravages of Cholera at Buenos
Ayres.
A Philadelphia telegram- 'says : Chief
Officer Gray, of the barque McLeod, of St.
John, N.B., which arrived at this port
to-day from Buenos Ayres, tells a frightful
story of death from cholera in that portion
of the Argentine Republic. He says that
while his vessel was lying in the harbor of
Buenos Ayres the people of that city and
the suburbs were dying off like sheep, and
the disease seemed to spread like wild fire.
The wife of the captain of the barque
Golden Rule, the chief mate and one man
of the barque Bremen, and four men of the
barque Wylower, were stricken down with
the disease while the McLeod was in port.
As fast as cases were discovered the patients
were removed to a hospital in the city, and
when death relieved the victims from their
suffering they were at once removed, and
their bodies burned. It was only after
earnest efforts and appeals that the body
of the wife of the Golden Rule was saved
from cremation. ,
ST. LOUIS LAWYERS
Indulge in Fisticuffs and Street Brawls
and One GetS ,a Ride in the Patrol Wag-
gon.
A St. Louis despatch says: The Court
House was turnedinto something of aprize
ring for about two hours Saturday after-
noon, State Legislator William P. Macklin
and his son and Alexander J. P. Garesche
and two sons figuring as combatants. The
parties are all prominent,. the older Gar-
cache being one of the leading lawyers in
the city. The trouble grew out of a law-
suit, and W. P. Macklin found occasion to
consult the elder Garesche and then to
strike him. The latter struck back and
chased young Macklin out of the Court
House. Alexander Garesche, jun., heard
of the trouble and went in search of Mack-
lin, and revenged his father's ill-treatment
with a kick and a blow. Again Macklin
fled, but soon returned backed by his father
and a brick which he had tied in a hand-
kerchief. The Garesches were talking to
several lawyers when they were confronted
by the Macklins. A scrimmage ensued
and Macklin, jun., threw the brick at the
younger Garesche's head, but missed it.
Judge Vallyant, with several of the court
officers, separated the belligerents. Two
hours later Macklin, jun., was met on the
street by Edmond Garesche, another son of
the eminent lawyer. He took Macklin to
task for abusing an old man, and when
Macklin retorted Edmond struck at him.
A lively retreat saved him and in the chase
Edmond felhand Macklin,seeing his advan-
tage, kicked him in the face. The younger
Garesche regained his feet and for two
blocks chased Macklin, capturing him in a
saloon. It took two minutes for the police
to get on the scene, and half of that time
Garesche was getting ready for MS victim,
but the last minute was put in with a ven-
geance, and when Macklin rode down to the
Four Courts in the patrol waggon his face
was out of shape and a mass of bruises. All
the parties were released on bail.
A man while riding, on a Maine railroad
a few days ago thought that ho felt a bug
crawling on his neck and grabbed for it,
Then there was a scream, and the man
found himself clutching the back hair of a
Woman who had been sitting• behind with
her back to his,
The Common Council of Utica, N. Y.
has passed an otdinance Which requires
farmers who sell their products froni house
to house or on the Streets to pay a license
fee of $5,
DISASTROUS 00NPLAGRATION.,
A Million Dollars' Worth, of Property'
Destroyed in 'New York.
HUNDREDS ,OF HORBRS BOASTED ALIVE.
A last (Friday) night's New York
despatch says : The Belt Line oar
stables, extending from 10th avenue between
53rd and 54th streets westward to about
the middle of the long block, took fire
about 1.30 o'clock this morning. The hay
made a brilliant blaze at first,. but soon
clouded a large part Of the neighborhood
in dense smoke. The general call for all
engines was sounded. The flames leaped
aorose 10th avenue, 53rd and 54th streets,.
and set many frame dwellings and stables.
on 'fire. These were all destroyed. The
police reserves from all the adjoining pre-
cincts were called out. The stables, which
were of brick, were entirely destroyed,
The rapid spread of the flanies was
due chiefly to the fact that a strong
wind was blowing. The inflammable
character of the building, divided
up as it was into stalls with loose
wooden partitions, and the great amount of
hay and straw stored in it, contributed to
make the spread of the flames almost
irresistible. There were very few watch-
men or stablemen on duty and the flames
were so fierce and spread so rapidly that
only 25 out of the 1,300 horses in the stable
were got out before the smoke and flames
drove the men from the vicinity. The
houses on the east of 10th avenue were two
story frame structures and burned fiercely.
the inhabitants being forced to rush from
their moms to the street in their night-
clothes in order to save their lives. In the
roar of the tenements was a large coal yard,
which caught fire. A six-story tenement
house on Fifty-fourth street, opposite the
stables, was next seen to be in flames. As,
far as is known all the tenants escaped with
their lives and without serious injury, but
none of them were able to save much furni-
ture or clothing. The streets were filled
with
THE PANIC-STRICKEN OCCUPANTS
of the tenement houses, not only those
whose houses had, been burned over their
heads, but others who feared that in so
tremendous a conflagration their homes
also would be destroyed. Notwithstanding
the kindness of neighbors, the night was a
hard one for many who wore thus rudely
driven from their homes. Two policemen
and a numbet of firemen were overcome by
the heat, bat they soon recovered. In the
first few minutes the fire had gained head-
way the horses screamed terribly, but
the dense, black smoke from the burning
hay and raw soon did its work. At a
quarter to 3 the fire 'was burning in four
separate blocks, and on the west side it was
spreading toward 11th avenue, the firemen
being so closely occupied that they could
not chock it in this direction. The rear of
the houses on 55th street to the north were
also catching on fire. By 3 o'clock the fire
was rapidly spreading southward and
threatened to entirely consume the block
bounded by 10th and llth avenues and 53rd
and 52nd streets.
The fire was finally got under control at
4 o'clock this morning. The stables with
contents and the frame houses on the
opposite side of 10th avenue and down 54th
street were destroyed. The loss will be
over 1$1,000,000. Elizabeth Walsh, aged
76, one of the occupants of house 540 west
54th street which was burned, was sick in
her bed. The police rescued her and
brought her to the sidewalk, where she.
expired from fright and the shock.
MEXICO SHAKEN.
An Earthquake Shock Yesterday Morning
Scared the Natives.
A last (Sunday) night's City of Mexico.
despatch says: A. heavy earthquake shock
was felt in this city and throughout the
valley at 2.50 this morning. Saturday
afternoon had been extremely warm, in
fact the weather for the last four days had,
been extraordinarily warm for this region,
which generally enjoys °every mild degree
of temperature even in summer. Late
Saturday afternoon there were several
whirlwinds in the valley and in the city,
carrying clouds of dust and fine gravel high
in the air. Old citizens, with the memory
of previous earthquakes in mind,- predicted
shocks here, and to-day they are regarded
as prophets. At exactly 10 minutes to 3
o'clock there was felt, not only in the city
but suburban towns, a violent shaking of
the earth or sort of lifting motion which
lasted five seconds. Next there came, pre • -
faced by a low roar as from the bowels of
the earth, and accompanied by a stiff'
breeze, a violent oscillation of the earths
from east to west, which awoke nearly,
every one, lasting, as it did, thirty-nine,
seconds. Houses swayed as if they were.
ships at sea, and persons arising from their
beds were in some cases thrown with force to,.
the floor. Bells were rung in hotels, and,
everywhere doors were forced open. Then,
came still another oscillation of much vio-
lence, proceeding from north to south.,
During this shock crockery was thrown,
down and pictures demolished in several!
houses. A scene of the wildest confusion,
followed. Thousands of persons dressedt
themselves and did not go to bed again.
Reports received to-day do not show any
fatalities as the result of the earthquake.
At the School of Mines the seismic instru-
ment showed that a heavy shock had taken
place. These instruments are self register-
ing, and prove that the shock this morning.
Was a severe one. The weather to-day is
still warm, and another shook is predicted.
Canada's Salt Fish Trade with Spain.
A London cable says : The English
Consul at Cadiz says the Canadian salt
fish trade with' Spain has for years been
heavily handicapped. The anticipation
that the Dominion would secure a fair por-
tion of the trade as a result of the come
menial convention between Groat Britain
and Spain proved fallacious. The Govern-
ment bounty enables the French colonial,
to undersell ours, the difference in price,
amounting to eight or nine shillings per.
fifty, kilos. The state of affairs is peculiarly-
hard to our colonies, for while taking on an,
avetage 150 cargoes of salt yearly from ,
Cadiz we do not sell a single cargo of fish.
*AT* AND JEALOUSY
Desalt 011 Extraordinary Poisoning
Tragedy to Austria.
last (Thursday) xtightql Vienna cable
says : Five thrilling acts might easily he
made out of a peasant tragedy just reported
from Galicia. In a little village with an
unpronounceable name lived a happy
family, consisting of an old man palled
Dackof, his wife, Maruncka, and two sops,
Josef and „Peter. porno time ago Josef was
married, and in due course his wife pre,
feinted him with two. children. The extra-
ordinary fondness of old Dackof for his
grandehildren awakened the jealousy of
Marunoka, who, After watching her hus-
band, came, to the conclusion that he woe
carrying on an intrigue with his daughter-
in-law, Meanwhile Peter Dulcet, the un-
married son, had grown suspicious that
hie brother was.trying to cheat him out of
his inheritance.. Jealousy soon turned
to hate, and, after talking matters
over, mother and son resolved on
vengeance. The next Sunday they asked
Josef's wife and children to, dinner and set
a hearty meal before them, with a tooth-
some cake to crown- the feast.. Nobody
touched the cake that day, however, which
was lucky, for it was poisoned. The Sun.
day following Maruncka renewed the ex-
periment on, a more elaborate scale. This
time she made two similar cakes—one
poisoned
'
the other harmless—and to in.
duce the victims to eat she herself took a
piece of one cake. A few hours later elle
expired, having eaten of the wrong cake.
Peter Dackof now tried his hand and suc-
ceeded better than his mother. One day
he contrived to put some poison into the
soup of his sister-in-law and her children.
The children both died in convulsions, but
their mother, having taken very little soup,
recovered after a terrible illness. The
murderer, happily, did not escape. Having
been arrested on suspicion, he was tried
and condemned to death. His appeal
against this sentence has just been rejected,
and Peter will shortly be handed over to the
hangman.
SEVENTY-FIVE LIVES LOST
By the Explosion of Fire Damp in the
Scotch Coal Pit.
A last (Sunday) night's Glasgow cable
says: Further particulars of the explosion
in the Udstone pit show that the number of
men entombed was less than first reported.
Forty-five miners who were imprisoned in
the upper seam of the pit wore rescued,
but one of them died after being brought
to the surface. The others are suffering,
however, from the effects of the shook
and the fire-damp: Access to the lowest
seam, where 70 men are confined, is found
to be blocked by the debris tumbled down
by the explosion. It was in this seam that
the explosion 'occurred, and it is not be.
lieved that any of the 70 men down there
can be rescued alive. There are 70 others
still imprisoned in the middle seam. Hopes
are entertained of saving most of these.
The volunteers working for their rescue
can hear them calling for help. Cries of
" Come I" " Help !" " Come quickly !" have
been heard frequently, and they have
impelled the rescuers to the most frantic
exertions to save them. The Udstone pit
is situated in the most fiery of the coal dis-
tricts of Scotland. As soon as the fact of
the explosion became known, miners from
all the neighboring collieries hurried to the
scene to help in the work of rescue. The
pit head has been surrounded ever since the
disaster by a large growd of weeping women
and children. Five dead bodies have
already been taken out of the mine. Com-
munication was opened yesterday afternoon
with the middle seam and a number •of
miners entombed there were rescued alive,
although much prostrated from fire damp.
Five of the men found in the seam were
dead when the rescuers opened it. The
lowest seam has been reached too late to
aescue any of the miners who were at work
there. Not oho of the unfortunate men was
found alive. The total number of lives lost
by the explosion is believed to be 75.
Probably the largest vineyard in the world
is that owned by Senator Stanford, near
Vine, Cal. On a; 30,000.acre ranch he has
3,500 acres 0/kilted in bearing vines. The
vineyar4 is divided into 500-acre tracts, Mak
Mod of the work is &Me by Chinese,