Gold Hill Daily News

The Holyoke Holocaust.

Springfield, Mass., May 28.—The bodies of fifty persons burned to death at Holyoke last night have been identified, in addition to those of fifteen or twenty who were at once removed to their homes by their friends. Nearly seventy have died, and some forty more are more or less burned or otherwise injured. The hero of the disaster was John Lynch, a brave fireman, who was first to respond to the alarm. He describes the scene when he reached the burning church as appalling. Wedged tight and immovable in the doorway was a dense mass of humanity, none of them able to stand upright from the terrible pressure of the crowd behind, while upon and over them a sheet of fire rolled like a wave, streaming far out into the open air. Without stopping to consider their danger, Lynch and Chief Engineer Mullen rushed into the flames, spurred on by piteous cries of "For God's sake come and help us," and began pulling out bodies. A moment later and a well directed hydrant stream from Mount Holyoke Hose struck the brave rescuers, and undoubtedly saved them from being burned alive. The first persons drawn out were burning, but they passed directly through this stream of water, and the flames were extinguished. Some poor creatures fell fainting on the long flight of wooden stairs leading down to the street, and a few were able to walk. By this time the entire Fire Department had arrived, and worked with such energy and will that when the fire was extinguished the charred wooden walls of the structure were standing, and were pulled down by the hook and ladder men, in order that the search for bodies might be made. It was only a few moments after the water struck the building before the fire was out, but the destruction to life during this brief period was terrible. Some sprang from the gallery windows and were seriously injured. One person appeared at a window completely wrapt in flames, and after tottering there an instant fell to the ground dead and un recognizable. Hundreds of men went to the wreck as soon as opportunity was offered, to search for bodies, and a force of police was organized to keep back the crowd which had gathered. The greater number of bodies was found in the fatal entry way, burned, some of them, to a crisp. The body of one woman was found in the seat she occupied, with her clothing burnt entirely off. A fleshy woman, weighing about one hundred and eighty pounds, was dragged screaming from the mass. She was carried a short distance from the church and placed on the grass, while her flesh actually peeled off her back, and in a moment, she fell over, dead. The scenes of last night and to-day in the school-house basement, where the bodies of the dead were carried, were heartrending. A coroner's jury was summoned to-day, but the excitement continues so great that it was judged best not to attempt taking evidence, and the inquest was adjourned till Monday.

Louis Des Jerdin, 54 years old, whose wife and daughter were both burned to death, became insane to-day from grief.

Springfield, Mass., May 28.—The following are the latest revised figures of the Holyoke disaster: Dead, 71; fatally burned, 22; otherwise burned and wounded, 27. Of the 71 dead, 55 were females and 16 males.