Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-03-15
Ihe Disaster TO S@enedin.


PEsrH March 14.-A large portion of the
suburbs of Szegedin being below the level of
the river Thesis, the water which rushed in
from the higher ground behind the town,
bong several feet above the present level of
tue river, bore down on it's way the high road
embankments, rushing in cascades into the
lower ground and iuundating the town with
fearful rapidity. Instead of the five or six
hours which it was calculated the flood would
take to spread through the town, scarcely an
hour and half had passed before Szegedin
lay submerged mp to Its present level. With
al, however, some hope is entertained that on
account of the alarm which few days be-
fore the occurrence of the calamity aroused
the population to a sense of their danger
and gave them opportunity to fly for refuge,
the loss of life has not been very great. But
the victims must at any rate be numbered bv
many
HUNDREDS IF NOT BY THOUSANDS,
Nor is the havoc yet complete. Besides
those swept away during that terrible night,
all through Wednesday dull, fatal sounds
were heard in all directions, indicating sue
cessive falls of buildings. The special GOV
eminent commissioner says the poorer
classes were extremely unwilling to abandon
their homes. In many cases force had to be
used to pluck people from houses that were
IN dangerous condition. All the commu-
mites in the neighborhood vie with each
other in relieving the distressed. They are
sending provisions by land and water, and
opening their houses to secure refuge. Com
paratively few, however, seem to avail them
selves of the latter offer. The working
classes especially prefer abiding by the near
est safe spot in the town or close to it. Thus
thousands are encamped on the high en-
hankment running along the river. which
stands firm. On that account an opening of
this embankment to let the water from above
and behind the town run into the river in
front could only be imperfectly carried out.
The Emperor Francis Joseph will forego his
visit to Pesth to receive congratulations on
the occasion of his silver wedding. He de-
slres that the money intended for the festiv-
tiles shall be distributed among the sufferers
by the flood. The emperor and empress also
gave 10000 aorns from their private purse.
THOUSANDS sTARv1NG-REL1EF.
LONDON, March l4.-The lord mayor of Lon
don, at the request of the Austrian ambassa-
dor, has opened subscriptions for the relief of
Szegedin. correspondent at Szegedin tele-
graphed Thursday that thousands of people
We're starving. The correspondent passed in
taken refuge in a church. The boat was unable
to afford them any help. There were hardly
any serviceahle boats available. In a school
house l.5O0 people had taken refuge and were
were proceeding to aid the submerged city had
bean stopped by the Storm which had cut off
communication by river.
OTHER CITIES THREATENED
VIENNA March 14.-The authorities at Szentz
Fasarhely, aud Csongrad which towns contain
IN aggregate population of eighty thousand,
have telegraphed to Pesth for aid. The dykes
protecting them from the waters are threat.
ened. Sickness has broken out among the
refugees encamped on the dykes at Szegedin.
THE STORM STILL RAGING.
LONDON, March IA dispatch from Szepe-
din Friday, says: A fearful storm is still rag
ing and the vast lakes around the remains of
the town are tossing like the sea. The inhabi-
tants who have not yet been taken away, are
crowded in the citadel and upper stories of
few houses, and in railway wagons. These
people are fairly provided with provisions, but
thousands are encamped on the Dykes and
with those it is impossible to communicate.
Four hundred corpses were recovered in the
village of Szegediu yesterday. A cor
respondent at Pesth reports the waters
around Szegedin subsiding.
RISING RAPIDLY.
A dispatch from Szegedin says that the river
Naro3 is rising rapidly and threatens New
Szegecin. Numerous new villages in the vicin-
ity are crowded with refugees. Anarchy and
confusion reign there and in the surrounding
country because OF the insufficient number of
troops. Several inceudiaries have been sum-
mariiy executed.
MORE DANGER.
A dispatch from Pe5th, dated Friday, says a
northwesterly storm drove the waves across the
dykes protecting Csongrad, which contains 49,
900 inhabitants, and the town was parti ally in
undated. People arc actively repairing dam
ages, and may perhaps escape as the storm has
abated. Azentz, town of 49, 900 inha bitants
are engaged in a 81 milar struggle wit the
waters.
INCIDENCE THE CAUSE.
PEsTH, March 14.-The commissioner at
Szegedin reports he was rowed through the
submerged streets and found three-q quarters of
the town in ruins. He thinks if the water re-
mains q few days longer scarcely 800 houses
will remain standing. The burgomaster esti-
mates that several Thousand persons have been
drowned. He attributes the disaster to the in
doleuce OF the inhabitants, and to the fact that
the government commissioners concentrated all
their efforts in strengthing the dams. and did
not prepare means Of saving life in the event
OF the contingency breaking of dams.