Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-03-15
FOREIGN FEATURES.
FURTHER DETAILS or THE SIEGE
DIN DISASTER.
Loss Of Life Great-The Havoc Not Yet
COmplete-Scenes ofAnarchy and
Confusion Other Disasters
Threatened.
The Szegedin Disaster.

PEsTH, March l4.-Large portions OF
the suburbs of Szegedin being below
the ordinary level of the river, the wa
ter which rushed in from the higher
ground behind the town bore down on
its way the high road embankment,
rushing in cascade into the lower
ground and inundating it with fearful
rapidity. Instead Of five or six hours,
which it was calculated it would take for
the flood to spread throughNthe town,
scarcely an hour and a half had
passed before Szegedin lay sub
merged up to its present
level. Withal, however, some hope is
entertained that on account OF the
alarm which, for days before the occur
renee OF the calamity. reused the inhab-
itants to their danger, and gave them
an opportunity to fly for refuge, the loss
OF life has not been very great, but the
victims must, at any rate, be numbered
by the many hundreds, If not by the
thousands. Nor is the havoc yet COM
plete. Besides those swept away dur
ing the night OF Wednesday, dull, fatal
sounds have been heard in all DIRECTIONS,
indicating the fall Of buildings. The gov
crnment commissioner says the poorer
classes were extremely unwilling to
abandon their homes. In many cases
force had to be used TO pluck the people
from houses that were in a dangerous
condition. All the communities in the
ncighbOrhood vie with each other in re-
licving the distress. The working
classes prefer abiding by the nearest
safe spot in town or close TO it. Thus,
thousands are cncampcd on the high
embankmcnt running along the river.
The Emperor Francis Joseph will
forcgo his visit to Pcsth to receive con-
gratulations on the occasion of his silver
wedding. lie desires that the money
intended for the festivities shall be dis
tributcd among the sufferers by the
flood. The Emperor and Empress also
give 10000 tlorins from their private
purse.
LONDON, March IA dispatch from
Szcgedin, Friday, says that a fearful
the remains Of the town are tossing like
the sea. The inhabitants whe have not
vet been taken away are crowded in the
citidal and upper stories of II few houses
and i'm railway carriages. The people
are fairly provided with provisions, but
thousands are enCamped on the dykes,
and with those il is impossible TO com
municatc. Four hundred corpses were
recovered in the village OF Szcgedin yes
tcrday. \ correspondent at Pcsth re-
ports the waters around Szcgedin sub
siding.
LoSDoN, March l4.--A dispatch from
Szcgelin says that the river NaroS is
rapidly rising and threatens New
Szcyglin Numerous villages in the
vicinity are crowded with refugees and
anarchy and confusion reign here and
in the surrounding country because OF
an insufficient numbCrof troops. Several
inccndiaricS have been summarily exc
cutod \ dispatch from Pcsth, dated
FRIDAY night, saws The northerly storm
drove the waves across the protect.
CzDngrad, which contains 5000 inhab-
itants, was partially inundated. The
people are actively repairing the dam
ages and may perhaps escape, as the
storm has ceased. Szentes, a town Of
26,OO0 inhabitants, is engaged in SINH
lar struggle with the waters.
PESrH, March 1.-THE government
commissioner at Szcgcdin reports that
he was rowcd through the submerged
streets and found three-quarters OF the
town in ruins. He thinks that ii the
water remains few days longer scarcely
two hundred houses will be- left
standing. The Bpurgomaster estimates
that several thousand persons were
drowned. He attributes the disaster to
the Incidence OF the inhabitants and To
the fact that the government commits
Sioncrs concentrated all their efforts on
strengthening the dams and dill not
prepare the means of saving life in the
event of the dams breaking.