Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2024 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== Boston Evening Transcript Friday, 28 May 1875 A TERRIBLE CALAMITY Catholic Church at Holyoke Destroyed by Fire - Seventy-five Men, Women and Children Burned, Trampled and Crushed - Horrible Scenes of Suffering. Partial List of Killed and Wounded. The most terrible disaster in the history of Holyoke occurred Thursday night in the burning of the French Catholic Church at South Holyoke during the evening service. The exercises had nearly closed and the ves- per service was being sung, when A CANDLE SET FIRE TO THE DRAPERY around the altar, and the walls being low it streamed up and caught the building. Immediately a panic en- sued and the people rushed for the doors. The gallery skirted both sides of the building, with one entrance from the front on the stairway leading from the gallery. The people were packed in a solid mass, struggling to clear themselves as the flames rushed towards them, and this soon became blocked, rendering exit impossible, and many jumped over the sides of the galleries on the crowd beneath, and were trampled on and killed. The priest's residence joined the church on the rear, and many escaped through an entrance leading to the house, back of the altar. The priest's exertions to keep order were fruit- less. THE SCREAMS OF THE WOUNDED AND DYING Made a deafening tumult, drowning the voice of the pastor, who worked most heroically and was personally instrumen- tal in saving many lives. One family of four were in the church and all were killed. Many were pulled out by the arms and feet, so badly burned that they lived but a few hours, the flesh peeling off on being touched. Some were taken out with scarcely any flesh remaining on their bones. The people in the gallery were in a worse position, if possible, than those in the body of the house, they being imprisoned by the dense crowd which pressed against the gallery doors. Quite a number sprang over the gallery rail upon the heads of those below, adding fresh consterna- tion to the panic-stricken people there. Swift as a whirl- wind the terrible flames surged around the edifice, sparks and embers fell upon the congregation, their clothing and hair caught fire, and the frantic crowd was literally in a blaze. EFFORTS TO SUCCOR THE UNFORTUNATES in the burning building were almost futile. An alarm was given by those nearest the door who escaped, and firemen were on the ground in less than three minutes; but only a few could be got out of the burning structure even so soon as that, a wall of flame barring the entrance against ingress or egress. Water from the engines seemed only to add fuel to the flames, and it was soon evident that no- thing more could be done, though the firemen worked like heroes. An immense crowd gathered, and relatives and friends of those in the church forced their way close to the walls, it being almost impossible to prevent some from rushing into the flames. Above the roat and crackling of the fire and the rattle of the engines, the shrieks and groans of the poor mortals roasting to death in the church could be clearly heard, and, joined to the sobs and wail- ings of those outside, struck terror to the hardest hearts, and few eyes were dry among the people who heard the griev- ous sounds. THE TERRIBLE SCENE was soon over, for in less than twenty minutes after the fire broke out, the shrieks of the hapless victims whom the rescuing party were unable to reach were stilled in death, and the fierce flames were fast demolishing the edifice, the dark volumes of smoke veiling the horrible spectacle within. By persistent efforts the firemen sub- dued the fire, and as soon as it was possible leaped in among the smouldering ruins and began the work of REMOVING THE BODIES As corpse after corpse was brought out and tenderly laid upon the ground, it was surrounded by people seek- ing their lost friends; but the disappointments were many and bitter, as the poor mortals who perished so pitifully were in most cases disfigured beyond recog- nition, and were simply charred masses of flesh and bone, with scarcely a vestige of clothing upon them by which they could be identified. As fast as the dead were removed, most of them were carried to the base- ment of the Park-street schoolhouse. CARING FOR THE WOUNDED AND THE DEAD. The Sisters of Mercy from the convent were soon on- hand, caring for the wounded and holding services over the dying, while Father Dufresne also held many serv- ices over the dying. His mother was among those ter- ribly burned. Father Dufresne lost most everything in his residence, so rapidly was the building consumed, it being as dry as tinder. The large wooden tenement block of Joseph Prew, near the burned church, was thrown open for the receptacle of the dead and wounded, and several deaths occurred in this building during the night. Several were also taken to the New York Mills boarding house, and the physicians gave the wounded the best of medical care. Those who were too badly burned to recover were put under the effects of mor- phine and passed away without a struggle. PARTIAL LIST OF THE KILLED AND WOUNDED. The recognized dead up to last night were as follows: Mrs. Burgess Mrs. Victor Morin Mr. Carlixte Larivie Mrs. Lavinia Mr. Desperdus, wife and four children Isaac Morin Fabier Moreau Misses Exida La France, Justine Barsson, Alphonsine Moreau, Mary Daucette, Etta Menener, daughter of Augustus Coache and Alzene Newton. Badly burned - Mrs. Theophile Blanchard Mrs. Burdeaux Mrs. Dupont Hermine Laponte Henriette Timinor Calixte Dufresne Charles Comore burned badly but will recover, as will probably the brother of Father Dufresne, and it is estimated that fully twenty or thirty were taken to other houses, some of whom must die. Fatally Burned - Mary Goding Mary and Lucy Hicks Louisa Brown, a young chapel girl, Victoria Brison Louisa Torrier Lizzie Merces and Lena Blair. A large majority of these must die. One girl terribly burned was removed to the House of Providence. Drs. Chase and Smith dressed the wounds of thirteen of those injured, and four other physicians attended from two to four persons each. Among those in a dying condition were Mary Lachanel Mrs. Bridge, mother of seven children, one of whom is missing and probably among the dead. Baslanth Briggs Sophia Hibbert Annie Lapowite Lacoster Elidor Slightly burned - Louise Puquette Louise Terriere Wounded - Rosalie Davian In Pascal Parquette's family there are one dead and two dying. In the family of Francis Derry there are four slightly burned and one missing. The priest's house, which joins the church in the rear, was also burned. The bodies were taken to Peter Manatt's, on Main street, and the Park-street schoolhouse for temp- orary storage. Besides sixty-eight dead, there are enough fatally wounded to carry the total loss up to seventy-five. AFFECTING SCENES, While the exercises were being held over the dying the most intense quiet prevailed, and the rough laborers knelt upon the floor with uncovered heads, but about the morgues and in the streets the wailing of the multitudes was piti- ful to hear. THE EXCITEMENT IN THE STREETS was of course intense. During the fearful moments the con- flagration lasted, wild efforts were made by people, frantic with terror, to rush into the burning building to rescue their friends. This was particularly the case with parents who had on the first impulse rushed from the church to save their own lives, but subsequently remembered that they had left children behind to perish. Actual personal violence had to be used in several cases to keep the women back. All about the streets men, women and children were wandering, piteously inquiring if their friends had been saved. One woman was absolutely sure that her husband had perished, and could only be quieted by the assurance from a friend that he had just been talking with him. One of the most touching cases was that of two little girls, about a dozen years old, who rushed for the entrance of the building while the fire was at its height, thinking to find their father and mother, who were within. They could only be restrained by an officer who took them in his arms. THE MEANS OF ESCAPE It is a disputed question whether both of the front doors of the church were available. There are those who state posi- tively that one of them was closed; that it was impossible to open it on account of the rush. One man, it is asserted, went to the closed door and, flourishing a club, threatened violence to anybody who came near, in order to get the crowd away, but without success. Others state as positively that both doors were open. The church was erected in 1870, as about 100 x 60 feet, two stories high, built entirely of pine with galleries on the sides and north end about twenty- five feet in width, and was ceiled to the ridge. There were two entrances on the north end, then a vestible whence the doors opened into the body of the church. Into this vesti- bule the galleries opened. At the rear end was another door by which a few escaped. Immediately on the flames breaking out, all in the galleries rushed to the east doors and crowded each other so that they fell upon one another and choked up the doorways with the bodies piled all ways sev- en or eight deep, and here most of the lives were lost. From this mass Chief Mullen rescued one young woman after having taken off the dead bodies from above her. EFFICIENCY OF THE FIREMEN The utmost credit is due the fire department for the man- ner in which they managed their part of the work. They were on hand very promptly, and Mr. Stevens, superintendent of the water works, says that in a long experience of fires he never saw one so well directed. Each engine kept two streams playing, one jet being specially turned upon those who were engaged in pulling out the people from the ruins. Some diffi- culty was experienced in getting the water started, on account of a defect in the first hydrant tapped, which was a Matthews hydrant, but afterwards successful connections were made with the Pattee hydrants. So effective was the work done that the floor of the church was not burned. Chief Mullen got his whiskers scorched and was otherwise burned. John Lynch, of the Mt. Holyoke Hose Company, received quite sever injuries in the shape of burns about the face and hands. Great admir- miration is expressed for his heroism. He is said by reliable men near to have been the first man who went to the rescue of the victims blocked up in the doorway. Indeed it is already proposed to award him a medal. INCIDENTS OF THE NIGHT OF HORROR Peter Monat, to whose store the dead bodies were afterwards first taken, was in the body of the church with three children when the fire caught. He immediately ran toward the flames and attempted to put them out with several pails of water taken from the priest's residence adjoining the church. Finding it useless he then tried to save some of the furniture, but was quickly driven away. He and his children were all saved. One girl escaped from the gallery by jumping upon the back of a man, who carried her out, while her sister, who was with her, was burned. Several members of one of the hose companies were playing ball near the church when the fire broke out, and the relief steamer was out for practice, so the fire department was promptly on the spot. The scenes at the doors are described as fearful. They were blocked with the struggling people seeking exit. Outside the people cleared the way several times, but as often it would become blocked up again. Windows were broken out, and some es- caped in that way. The last to get ot of the church are said to have been a man and wife and a little girl. The father took up his daughter and rushed with her to a place of safety. Louis Langlors of the Riverside Mill went in to render assist- ance, when a little girl came tumbling down before the door, under the feet of the throng. Though he burned his hands sadly in doing it, he was able to pull her out but little injured. A young woman beat out one of the window frames and jumped to the ground safely. An old woman of sixty went to the same opening, and hesi- tating to jump was pulled inside by her hair by a brutal fellow. He jumped clear, and she fell and was seriously in- jured. Of a family of five, four got out alive - one little girl of a dozen years being burned; and it moved many persons when her little brother tearfully sought her and at last dis- covered her dead on a neighboring bank. John Lynch, a mason, finding the people pressed in at the bottom of the church door, pulled them down at the top, thus saving a dozen lives. Ex-Constable Casey describes the scene as he saw it with a glass from the top of the Hutchins House Block. The whole thing was over in fifteen minutes. He could plainly see, through the rafters and frame, the poor people running about. Large black spots could be seen. These spots went out in a brilliant light, succeeded by a dark frame. Lewis Roberts, who with his family of four children, was in the gallery, saved his three daughters by forcing them out of the door, but his eleven-year-old boy, a bright lad, perished in the flames. Many people were badly injured by jumping from the gallery windows, which were from ten to twelve feet above the ground. Abbie Hebbert and a six-year-old child escaped from the build- ing after their clothing had caught fire, and many persons had their limbs broken in attempting to escape. A man named Roberts came near losing his own life is assisting others, his head and face being terribly burned. The latest despatch to the Republican from Holyoke says it is not quite certain that all the bodies have been taken from the ruins, in the haste to get as many as possible from the building before it fell. Many were taken out a short distance, and it is possible a few more may be taken from the debris. In the rear of the church was the priest's residence, about 30 x 24 feet, which was also destroyed. The walls were pulled down after the fire was mostly put out. One woman jumped from the highest window down upon the front step, breaking an arm, but she is not known to have been other- wise injured. A man with two children in his arms jumped from a window and escaped. One poor woman, enveloped in flames, shrieked out, "For God's sake, save me!" and she was dragged out by John Lynch. The church society was established about seven years ago, and Father Dufresne has been the only pastor. The parish included all the French Catholics of the city, whose number is estimated at from 2000 to 2500 people. The inquest will be held tomorrow at 9 A.M. The loss on the church is total, but is small, being an old structure, while there is $4000 of insurance on it, with $4000 on the priest's house. ================================================================================