Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 January 1900 — PANIC IN A CHURCH. [ARTICLE]

PANIC IN A CHURCH.

Altar Drapery Catches Fire at Mass in Holyoke, Mass. The New Year's mass in the Sacred Heart Church at Holyoke, Mass., early New Year’s morning came near ending in a frightful loss of life through a panic. •There were 1,500 ]>eople in the church, and even the vestry and aisles were filled. The Rev, P. B. Phelan was celebrating mass when one end of the light drapery covering the altar was blown against a lighted candle. The next moment the entire front of the chancel was a mass of flames. A cry of “Fire" went up from a dozen throats, and then followed a scene of confusion Which for a moment promised to result in a repetition of the burning of the Church of the Precious Blood in 1874, when seventy-five men lost their lives. Men sprang to their feet and ran shriekingitoward the exits. The aisles became filled with a solid, struggling mass of humanity. Men and women were trampled upon in their mad frenzy to escape. Cries and : prayers filled the auditorium. A great loss of life was only averted by the coolness of a dozen men, who with quick presence of mind extinguished the flames before they had made further headway, and by cool words quieted the excited crowd. As it was a number were injured, though not seriously.

One of ithe agencies through which the English war office is supplied with news Tttiti the army in the field with orders is a military bicycle corps, recently organized in Gape Town. This is the first time suqh .a corps has seen active servsoe in the field, although all the standing armies now have such couriers.

A get cat saved the life of .Storekeeper Frank Sidney, at Fieldsboro, Del. There was » folaze in the store,'and Sidney’s room, where he was asleep, was filled with smoke, but he was awakened by the cat walking over him ana mewing in his face. ' • ,C' - Fifty short, preetjeal dairy, rules for. the production and handling of pure milk, printed oa large cardboards, have been distributed by the tens of , i thousands among American farmers by the Bureau of Animal Industry. Interstate commerce commission has extended, the. time to Aug- 1| 11800. to. allow railroads to equip cars with auto- •* 4,i 1 * !< >r*~ - j , ■< J—Ur vocintM'si do yi: