The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-03-20
AWEuL CArAsrRoPHE.

AWFUL CATAsTROPHE.
The City Of Szegedin, in Hungary
submerged and Destroyed.
Eighty Thousand People Render.
cd Homeless and Many Lives
Lost.
SzEGED1N, March 1.-THE catastro-
phe for some days apprchended oc-
CURED this morning. Aided by gale,
water broke through the dam, and
rushed in broad streams toward the
town. The synagogue has fallen,
burying number of people who had
sought refuge in it.
LONDON, March l3.-The Daily News
special from Szegedin says: "Since
the last telegram the water has risen
in town five feet. The situation is
becoming worse and worse. Sixty
thousand persons are without q roof
to cover them. 1t is feared the loss of
life is very great, and it will increase
during this terrible night"
The foregoing, coming directly from
the spot, is probably more trustwor-
thy than the official account previous
ly received from Pesth. The violent
attacts in the Hungarian Diet possibly
cause the Government to make its re-
port of the disaster as favorable as
possible. Accounts of the disaster re-
ceived from Vienna say the upper
floors of all high houses are crammed
with people in momenlary fear of
death. 1t is though some few houses
which are built of stone may stand.
LONDON, March l3.-The Standards
Pesth correspondent says one hund-
red square miles in the neighborhood
of Szegedin are flooded. Tie crops
in the district are lost. The Govern.
ment has sent 10000 florins for the re-
lief of the inhabitants. The Radicals
in the Diet violently attacked the Gov
ernment for neglecting to take pre-.
cautions to prevent the calamity.
Later dispatches represent tho situ-
alton IS growing more serious.
A dispatch from Szegedin, dated
Friday, says: "A fearful storm is still
raging. The vast lake around the re-
mains of the town is tossing like the
sea. The inhabitants who have not
yet been taken away are crowed in the
Citadel and upper stories of the few
houses and in the railway wagons.
These people are fairly provided with
provisions, but thousands are encamp.
ed on the dikes and with these it is
impossible to communicate. Four
hundred corpses were recovered in
the Village OF Szeoged yesterday"
A correspondent at Pesth reports
the waters around Szegedin subsiding.
A dispatch from Szegedin says
"The River Naros is rising rapidly,
and threatens New Szegedin. Numer.
Gus villages in the vicinity are crowd
ed with refugees. Anarchy and con-
fusion reign here and in the surround.
ing country, because of the INSULT.
cient number of troops. Several in
cendiaries have been summarily exc.
cuted.
A dispatch from Pesth, dated- FRI
day night, says: GA north " esterly
storm drove the wave across the dykes
protecting Csongrad, which contains
10000 inhabitants, and the town was
partially inundated. The people are
actively repairing the damage, and
may perhaps escape, as.the storm has
ceased. Szentes, a town of 26,OOO in
habitants, is engaged in similar
struggle with the waters"
VIENNA, March 14.-The authorities
at Szentes, Vasarhehy and Csongrad,
which towns contain an aggregate
population of eighty thousand, have
telegrsphed to Pesth for aid. The
dykes protecting them from the wat.
ers are threatened. Sickness has brok-
en- out among the refugees encamped
on the dyke at Szegedin.
PEsTH, March 16.-The whole coun-
try between Szegedin and Temisvar is
strewn with caravans OF people All
the villages and boroughs have hos
pitably opened their houses and stores
to refugees. Railway trains yester-
day took to Temisyar about 5000 ref
ugees. while 500 people went by steam
er to Szentes. engineers and soldiers
are busy with their relief 'pontOons
and boats, there being still great need
of them. The Emperor has contribu-
ted further sum of 10000 forins.
SZentes is now the only place in
danger. The Emperor will go to Sze-
gedin Sunday evening. An official
statement shows that Of s 100 houses
in Szegedin all except 26l have been
destroyed. Most of the habitatiOns
destroyed were of the lower classes of
the population. A dispatch from vi
emma states it is though; that 6, 900 per-
sons have been drowned.
SZEGEDIN. March lG.-The lowest
estimate now current fixes the num-
Der OF drowned at 1000 Many per-
sons b.lIeve that 1000 persisted, as
the gale prevented a minority Of the
Inhabitants from hcs;ins the first
alarm. Some of the largest houses
fell on Saturday. One Is said to have
overwhelmed eight, (probahly eight)
families, and another hity-six persons.
Tonight many people are still Oh the
roofs OF houses and in trees.
Diphtheris has broken out among
the fugitives in SZeoged. Sixteen
thousand horses and cattle and 10000
sheep have been lost. The water falls
very slowly, only receding three inches
Saturday night. Frost is causing
great suffering. Women on board the
rescuing steamers refuse to part " ith
the corpses of their children. The ref
ugees on the embankments are eating
seed corn. Accouchements occur in
boats and on railroad tracks.
Is AN Atheist competent witness