A FEARFUL FIRE.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12506, 6 April 1909, Page 1

A FEARFUL FIRE.

, GREAT LOSS OF LIFE. . An appalling disaster which has , practically exterminated some of the ! wealthiest and most prominent fami- ( lies in the Mexican state" of Guerrero occurred on Sunday night at Acauplco the principal town of province (states a London exchange of Feb 21). ; During a gala performance the Flores Theatre suddenly caught fire, and over 300 people out of an audience of between 800 and 900 were burned or crushed to death.. in the space of* a few minutes. The theatre, a huge, flimsy, wooden structure, with only three narrow exits, one of tfose being at the back of the stage, was profusely hung with bunting and decorations in honour of the Governor's visit. These hangings, Ai-. j S .' considered, greatly contributed to the rapidity with which the flames enveloped the building when the fire "broke out. A play, which formed the first por- , tion of the evening's entertainment, had been satisfactorily concluded and then the audience settled down to witness a cinematograph display. Suddenly, as a bull fight was being shown on the screen, there was a sharp explosion. The cinematograph films caught fire, and a great burst of -flame at once enveloped the machine and_ the flimsy materials surrounding it. Several men sprang forward to attempt to extinguish the flames, and • ; in so doing knocked over the stand, thus spreading the fire, which. in the ■■ space of a few moments had involved '■ the lower floor and had run up the : hangings. and along the galleries. ! Within a few minutes the theatre was one great furnace. There was " a prolonged and terrific shriek swelled by many; voices for help, and then, so mercifully quick was the work of destruction, within a few more minutes a]l was quiet again except for the sobbing and groaning people outside who witnessed the tragedy, and for the roar of the flames as they swept from the theatre to the adjoining wooden buildings. " The Mexican firemen, did their t es i with the antiquated appliances they possess, but all hope of saving the theatre was lost from the first. They therefore turned their attention to the adjoining structures, which were tho Customs House and the Post Office. These, however, were also destroyed. It was near the front exit that the fire commenced arid~'many of those who escaped were badly burned in doing so. The roof pf the theatre fell in a quarter of an Tiour after the fire commenced, burying all the people left in the burning ruins. Not a family in Acapulco but mourns a loss, and in one or two instances whole families, some of them wealthy '• and prominent have been exterminated. .. A despatch from Acapulco puts tho number of dead atrabout 320. Women and children ■ were apparently the worst sufferers, being trampled dowa by the men in the rush for the doors.

A great impetus to thq work of completing St. George's Collegiate Church in Jerusalem has been given by tho King's donation of one hundred gum- .^ eas. It will bo remembered that Queen Victoria in 1897 presented a marble font with oaken canopy to the church. The Bishop ■in Jerusalem writes to say that the freedom of religion under the present happy constitutional Government in the Turkish Empire offers the most powerful argument in favour of the specify, completion of the building, for which a sum of £2300 is. still required.. Apropos . of tho recent, visit, of the Duke of Connaught ta Italy specially to convey his condolence to the Government on account of the disaster at Messina. I (T. P. O'Connor) heard a. good story the other day of his association with an earthquake. When, with the Duchess, he was visiting Jaooii some years ago, ho remarked to his host at table when the programme for his visit was put before him : "Well, I think you have planned averything connected with 'this conn-' bry there is to see, but," he added laughingly,' "there is one thing you cannot put on your programme, and that is an earthquake." Hardly had he snoken. when the house began to temble violently, and the scrvnhts standing at tlje door bowed tosrether, and the host said. "Your Highness, the honourable earthquake!" — "Black and White.' It is stated in Berlin that an ocean cable 7,000 miles long will soon cross tho Atlantic, connecting Germans with South American countries. The first section of the cable will.be laid by the promoters, the German Soiith American Telegraph Company, during this year.- Leaving Germany at Borkum, in the North Sea, tho "cable -will land at Teneriffe, where there will he a station ; the next section will be from" Teneriffe: to Monrovia, Liberia, and then across the Atlantic to Pernambuco. _ . ■ An Edsjbaston (Birmingham) lady lately advertised for a cook general, fend applied to the former employer, of one of the applicants for a testimonial which she received couched in the following extraordinary terms : — "In reply to your reasonable request,' Molly F. has lived with me. 14 weeks. I have found her invariably good tempered, dirty, cheerful, obliging, destTUCtive, respectful, and incorrigible. She is a better cook than any girl have over employed, and one of tho best breadmakers I ever saw,. With neatness and carefulness and economy she would make an excellent servant. I heartily recommend her to all Christian philanthropists,, and her employers to Divine mercy." On th° strength of this unique reference the girl was engaged on a month s trial. What the result was we do" not know. . '