Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-03-13
A BURSTED DAM.
AWFUL CATASTROPHE IN HUNGARY
A Whole Town Submerged - Houses
Crushed by the ScOre-Eighteen
Hundred People Homeless
Heartrending Scenes,

SZEGEDIS, March l2.-lne catastrophe
for some days apprehended, occurred
this forenoon. Aided by gale the water
broke through the dam and rushed in
broad streams towards the town. The
inhabitants are fleeing. The synagogue
las fallen in burying a number OF Peo-
pie who had taken refuge in it.
LONDON, March IA dispatch from
Szegedin, Wednesday morning, says:
After fearful night Cfanxiety all efforts
proved useless. The water broke
through with immense force at 30 clock,
carrying away part of the railway sta
ton, embankmcnt and rolling stock.
Within three hours the town was many
feet deep in water, and terrible suffer
Ing is commencing. Shrieks and cries
from thousands are heard. Houses
are crashing by the score, and in many
cases carrying their inmates with them.
There is no gas, the works being fifteen
feet in water. fear We shall run short OF
iood. One boat was just going to save
Il large house full Of people, when a
fearful crash carried with II the whole
living freight. The scene is simply
heart-rcnding. over ,SOOpeOplc are out
oi house and home. Hundreds are
drowning and the water Is still rising
rapidly.
Szrgcdn is the second commercial
town in Hungary, and has been in Im-
incnt danger the past week ui lnunda.
ton from the river Thesis, which flows
through the town. Several large dykes
protecting the back Of the town have
hursted, and the safety Of the town de-
pcuds on the embankment ot the rail
way, to strengthen which all efforts
have been concentrated.
PE,TH, March 1.-THE latest trlr-
grams announce that the Hood with a
terrific roar II rushing from both sides
over SIrgrdin. The horrors of the situ-
alton battles all description. The town
is, in Tact, destroyed; two-thIrds ri it are
now submerged, including the Citidal,
post and telegraph offices; whole rows
ul HOUSES are falling; the Orphanagc and
synagogue are destroyed; all the inmates
ii the former were buried in the ruins;
tao manufactures are on fire; the in
habitant- are flying Ia New Szcgedin
anl more elevated parts Of the town.
The municipality oi pcNth Is making
every effort To- send aIdtu Szegedlni two
relief trains have started. ACCOmmUda-
tiUms ipr the iugitiyrs have been pruvl-
drd in the barracks andpubic buildings
oi pcsth.
LoNpoV, March l2-An official tclc-
gram confirms the reports "t the terri
bic aspect Oi the town and the dcstruc-
ton ui the hundreds ul houses. Ii
state, that the removal of the people is
proceeding without disorder. So far
only four corpscs have been found. The
dams are bcirg cut in several places Ia
allow the water To run off. No cXCcs-
rs are reported, but precautions have
been taken iur the protection OF
property.
loNno~, March IA Nmddrfs
Pcsth dispatch SAYS: One hundred
square miles in the ucighborhO"od ul
SL,.rlin are flooded, and the crops in
the district are lost The government
ha, sent 10000 tiorinS for the re-
lief oi the inhabitants The Radicals
in the Diet violently attacked the
government Tor ncgiecting 10 take
precautions To- prevent the calamity.
LoNpoN, March IA Tm,s special
from PrSth states that the latest report,
this evening from the Special Govern
mrut Commissioner at Slegcdln says:
Besides the tour cuTpscs which have
been brought in, thirty more are re-
ported from other quarters. Several
fires occurred, and there are strong sus-
picion, ui incruljarism. The water Is
Vet rising hut communication towards
Trmrswar Is still open. The
Eruption uI water came at
last - suddenly that the Workmen bare
Is had time 10 reach town. Ample pro-
visions ui boats have been made
rhroughhuvt the town, bat it j. feared
that such inuudatiun happening IN the
depth IT night cannot hut drown many
persons. Trlcaaphic communication
with Slr.riiu was interrupted daring
lur greater part Of "Wednesday until
evening.