TERRIBLE SCENE AT A FANCY FESTIVAL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 94, 21 April 1881, Page 4

TERRIBLE SCENE AT A FANCY FESTIVAL.

The!eorreßpondent of a Home paper "writes :— " Friday, 18th February, will be remembered by me as long as I live. [I should premise by saying that it is the custom of the artists in Munich to hold annually a feast, called the ' Kunstler kDeipe.' On the ocassion of this festival no ladies are admitted, and the artists go in every conceivable costume, from that of the Spanish grandee to that of the most hideouslooking beggar. The students belonging to the several echools give various entertainments, and as there is much drink to be har*, and much drunk, I ne°d not say that it is a very lively affair. At about 12 p.m., just as the feste was at its height, I (who was in tho American 'Block hut') heard shouts of * Fire P and shrieks for hep. There was a pmall openiDg into the street from our hufc, and a crowd of shrieking people came surging in. We, however, joined together and forced them out into the great hall, where a terrible scene confronted us. Amid a mass of panic-stricken people, rushing in. all directions', and wildiy dashing through the crowd, were five or six students completely enveloped in flames. One of the most terribly bnrnt (Herr Krieer, who has since died) came shrieking along, one mass of flame, and endeavored to get into our but. We succeeded in throwing him down iupt at the door, and, after pouring all the wate* we had upon him, threw a blanket over him, and at last extinguished the flamep. He was bo terribly burnt as to be unrecognisable. As I assisted to get him into a sitting posture his flesh seemed to peel off in my hand. We gave him some whisky, which revived him a little, and he wob then carried to the hospital. Altogether, 17 persons were burnt, 12 of "whom most seriously injured, were at once taken to the hospital. Up to the present (Sunday, 3 p.m.), eight are dead, one is expected to die, and there Bre three whose recovery is doubtful. What made it still more terrible was that most of those burnt were dressed in the Esquimaux costume made of flax, and fastened to a skin-tight canvas covered with a sort of pitch, which melted with the flames and stuck the tighter to them. It was horrible to see their frantic efforts to rid themselves of their fiery robe, but, of course, without success. A curious incident is that the Esquimaux had "painted on their hut words to the following effect : — ' Will be seen to-night, such a sight as has never been seen before !' and * Is not the devil painted on the wall ?' The origin of the fire was in the [Esquimaux hut, where three of the students were sitting together in a small cave at the back selling herrings. One of them reached out to get some money, and put his arm in the flame of a candle that was standing on a barrel. His coat of flax was at once in flames. The cave being so small, his companions could not escape, and so were at once on fire also. They rushed madly through the hall, and in that manner communicated the flames to the otherp. The greatest praise is du<3 to Herr Neidhard (music conductor) who, as the band were rushing away, ordered them to remain, and play ejaelection from * Carmen,' which, k storing tie confidence of the panic-stricken people prevented the catastrophe spreading to sn extent which is dreadful to contemplate. The hall was crowded to such an extent that it was scarcely possible for it to have held more, and as most of the people knew but of one exit, the loss of life, had the panic continue^, must have been great."