The Sun.
London, England, 1856-11-29 00:00:00

THE FATAL EXPLOSION AT _RHODES,

The Presse d'Oriefet publishes a letter which gives
some details of the destruction of a part of the town of
Rhodes by the explosion of the powder magazine :
" In the afternoon of the 6th Rhodes was visited by a
most violent thunderstorm, and several houses were
struck by lightning and more or less injured. Suddenly
a tremendous explosion was heard; the ground shook
as from the effect of an earthquake, and windows were
smashed in every direction. The explosion was followed
by two others, and a dense black smoke arose. It was after
a time ascertained that the lightning had fallen on the
Church of St. Jean, and had penetrated into the subter-
ranean vaults underneath used as a depot for gunpowder,
and in which an immense quantity of that commodity
had recently been placed. It is impossible to depict the
horror of the scene. Not a house was left standing in
the whole quarter of the city near the church, and that
building itself was completely levelled with the ground.
The quarter was the richest and handsomest of the
town, but not a vestige of it now remains. Disfigured
bodies were lying about on the ground, and the groans
of the dying were beard on every side. Had prompt and
immediate assistance been given, there is no doubt that
many lives might have been saved ; but every one was
thrawn into such consternation by the suddenness of the
catastrophe that but few had presence of mind enough
left to undertake the painful task. Night soon arrived,
and from some strange motives of safety, which are in-
explicable under such circumstances, the gates were
closed, and the operations for assistance were for a time
suspended. Mr. Campbell, the English Consul, having
assembled some workmen, had the gates again opened
and proceeded to the scene of the disaster, and as well
as they could cleared away the ruins, particularly at
the places where the groans of persons etill
were the most distinctly heard. This work was'
one of great difficulty, for the rain fell in such tor-
rents that it was impossible to keep a torch burning. At
daylight next morning more efficient means were r
nised. Several dead bodies were got out, and two young
girls
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tion of between 400 and 500 who werev in the quarter at the
time of the explosion. Only about 150 of the bodies have
yet been found, as they ara all so deeply buried under
the ruins. Only two Christians were killed, the quarter
being inhabited entirely by Turks. The family of the
Mal Muduri Parley Effendi, composed of 18 persons,
have all perished. His mother, his wife, and his daughter
were found about 500 yards from their house. That
functionary was at the time proceeding home, and was
only slightly injured by some falling stones. The
Governor-General himself was slightly wounded on
the head by some broken glass. Some idea of the
force of the explosion may be formed from the
fact that a barge in the harbour was sunk by a
quantity of stones falling on her, and beating a bolo
through her bottom, and by a sailor being killed by a
stone striking him on the head at a distance of more than
1 half a mile from the spot,"