Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-11-25
MALTA, July 10:
PRIVATE LETTER

II now come tn relate to you an event
o. the most melancholy description, and al
most unparalleled in regard to the dread
IN! and miserable consequences. II hap
pc1cdthis morning. A ma azine took fire,
and blew uD with an explosion scarcely G.
yer known to be equailed; by it $40 bar
refs OF Sunpowder and above 1000 shells
and grcnades, were blown up. Such an
immense quantity as 10000 lbs. of gunpow-
der must occasion the most dreadful havoc
and destruction. The houses adjacent i'm
every direction were blown Immediately.
INTO ruins-and how shocking it was to the
inhabitants you may easily conceive, as
there was no chance Of escaping. The
buildings are al. OF stone, Of an immense
thickness. Ii is calcu. ated that one thou
sand persons have either persisted or are
dreadu!iy mnimed. The priucipal suffer-
ers are the Maltese, who chiefly lived near
the place. One man has lost his wife and
SIX chlldrcn-othcrs nearly the same; and
whole finn: les are buried together. Those
who escaped momeatary death perhaps.
are shockingiy dlsigured and maimeA, AID
Crawling about in a miserable condition -
Fourteen artiiierymcn, who we're IN the ma
s. zinc, were OF course blown to atoms
The band of q regiment 1.-THE 39.h) were
Just playing Good save the King near
the piace--two men were killed on the spot
the whole reminder were much wound
Cd. The guards on duty were killed. The
mag zine is situated on the side of the wa
ter opposite TO the city Of Valetta; it is cal
led Barmola. Stones were thrown over TO
US, some to the distance OF two miles 1t
was situated close 70 the water side, and the
bed or the sea was so shook by it, that it rose
up and overilowed the banks. Two vessels
(small ones) were sunk. Immense stones
were thrown ny, which fell into the water
others on the snps and rigging; one l saw
which fell on vessel Just arrived, weigh
ed an hundred weight. The guard ship,
the Madras man of war, is moored some
distance from the disastrous place; but a
stone eel on the quarter deck, and broke
the thigh OF the gunner, who had lately arr
rived. A Mr.. Woodhousc here, who, with
his brother, has grea. wine making con-
Germ in Sicily, has ost two hundred and Fl =
ty pipes of it worth nearly 7OOOi-they
were at some little distance from tho place !;
but the shock was 50 great that the casks
burst.
Gin short, it is scene of misery which
no language can describe. The churches
arc filed with the dead. A friend Of mine,
just come from the ruins, says, that he was
walking over them, when he lighted on the
head OF n woman. Her whole body was
crushed flat: and although it is only few
hours since the general calamity took place,
her body owing to the intense heat, was
entirely rHtrihed---Nothingfa farther has yet
been ascertaiHcd.
cit is supposed, however, that the men
were employed in cutting away the fuses
from the shells or doing something like that,
when by some means, spark arose. The
merchants here have begun subscription
OF twenty pounds each, for the relief ofthe
poor sufferers. "A whole town, ! may say,
is destroyed.
"The accident happened this morning
about quarter past six O'Clock They
say there arc now buried in the ruins one
thousand barrels Of gunpowdcr that are in
danger: but | trust 10 God it is untrue, for
were that blow up it would bring all Malta
in ruins. May the Almighty avert such
another disaster.