COLLAPSE OF A MEXICAN MARKET.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7372, 25 January 1902, Page 3 (Supplement)

COLLAPSE OF A MEXICAN MARKET.

KANSAS CTTY (Mo.). December 22. —A special to the " Star " from San Antonio, Tex-., says: T?y the collapse of the City Market House at Zacatecas. Mexico, fory-five lives have been lost and over a score of persons seriously injured, some of them so badly that they cannot recover. Fifteen bodies have been taken from the • ruins, and a large force is at work clearing away the debris in order to remove others.

The market-house was one of fche largest biddings' in Zacatecas. and was owned by the city. Its lower portion was composed chiefly of cold storage cellars, in which the local merchants stored their perishable goods, and it was in the basement section that the fire originated. The flames had gained such headway that the entire building was ' seen to be doomed, and the efforts of the firemen and citizens were directed to saving goods in the storage compartments in the basement and on the first floor.

Hundreds of men formed into gangs and were busily engaged in the work of saving goods when the entire superstructure, weakened by the rapidly spreading flames, collapsed without a moment's warning, crushing and burying dozens of those engaged in the work of salvage. Those who escaped injury from the blazing ruins were so ter-ror-stricken that it was difficult to organise any effort at rescue.

The cries of those in the ruins could be heard, but there was no hope of rescue. The fire department is poorly equipped, and the supply of water inadequate, so that no effective resistance could be offered to prevent the spreading of the fire.

The fire finally burned itself out, leaving many unfortunates buried beneath tons of wreckage. As soon as possible an effort was made to get out the bodies of the dead, but the heat drove back the rescuers for hours and only fifteen of those who were nearest the outer walls of the building could be removeu. Exactly how many have been killed cannot be known until tne ruins are cleared away, and this workj with the primitive methods in use, will occupy some days. •