Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-10-24
A STORY OF LONG AGO.
The Greatest Explosion or Gunpow-
der Ever Koowr.

Some few miles To the north of Agra,
between the rivers Ganges and Jumna,
stood, in the early part of this century,
the town and fort of Hatrass. The
town was the center Of the dominions
of an independent Rajah, and was sep
arated from the fort by distance of
less than half a mile. The town was
one of great strength, and the fort was
not less strong in its defenses. The
walls were thick and high, strengthen
ed by several immense bastions, while
bitches thirty yards wide and twenty
live feet deep, with five feet of water,
surrounded both the town and the fort.
The conduct of the Rajah, Dyaram
JacOOr, had gwen cause or appTehen-
sion to the East India Government as
TO his designs against some of their pos
sessions. Accordingly, in 1917 he was
summoned by the Marquis of Hastings
to dismantle his Notifications and dis
band his troops. At first he made pre-
tense OF complying, but afterward re-
fused the demand. y considerable
force was therefore dispatched against
him, under the command of Major
General Marshall. The town was first
attacked. The batteries poured into it
an mcessant shower of bombs, shrapnel
shells and CongTeye rockets. The
courage of the defenders was far infer
iOr to the strength of the fortihcations,
or the besiegers would have found their
undertaking very difficult, if not impOs-
sIble. As IL was, In three or four days,
before any important breach had been
made, the garrison evacuated the town
and took refuge IN the fort. On enter
ing the town, which they could do only
10y means of scaling ladders, the besieg-
ers found the gates barricaded with
stones and immense bales of cotton.
The full force OF the cannOnade was
now directed upon the fort, the defend
ers returning the fire with much ell
ergy. They seemed determined to re-
sist to the last. The British General
nobly offered to guarantee the preser-
walton of their property If they would
send their wives and children TO be
guarded out of the Rajah's dominions
They were deaf TO ali his entreaties and
were resolved 10 face the worst. The
worst soon came. y dire and uneN-
pected calamity saved them the horrors
and sutfeTings of a prOtTIcted siege. y
large shell from one of the British NOR
tarS penetrated the great powder mag
aZine OF the fort; a tremendous eXplO-
sion was the result. The store OF pow
der IN the magazine was immense, the /
accumulation of many years, amount
ing 10 1T least 1000 maunds of eighty
pounds each, or 10000 pounds avOir-
dupois. The magazine consisted large
ly of stone vaults, extending far under
ground. This viii account for some of !
the phenomena and for the distance To |
which the agitation of the ground eN- (
tended. II Is supposed that many of |
the garrison, with the major part Of the /
fsItff.FraFr
IN these vaults from the British shells. /
which were very destructive, and that
many OF these were entombed beneath
the ruins of the building.
The English guns suddenly ceased
hrlng, few knowing why. until the
dreadful explosion almost paralyzed |
every observer. From the narrative of
an officer, we cite a few particulars:
Il was on woTking-paTty with luO |
men, and had just arrived in the tool
yard. about three hundred yards from
the left Of the trenches, when | was |
thrown Hat on my face by some violent
shock of the earth. Before the general |
shock the earth seemed in violent con-
'ulsions. The walls surrounding the
were propelled forward from J
he fort and fell to the ground. Stones,
bricks, pieces OF wood, and, nearer the
- - ANN4N1 anu AAAAAho were 10 De seen 1 ,
caring in the air in all directions
Tor the moment CONSERVATION and dis ;
nay were depicted IN ever face. When +.
arose / felt very much ..Ltrmed; the ,
arth seemed TO move under me, and at
rst | thought something had happen
d TO me alone; but. on looking round,
found my men, some in the attitude
4 prayer and others lying down, hid
ng their faces with fear. Having re- !
covered my senses. | looked toward
he fort and saw it envelOped in one
iense cloud of smoke or dust, and now
md then Streaks of fire issuing from It's
lattlements. In the midst of this mo-
nentary alarm there was an indistinct
)uZZlng that the grand magazine of the
,nemy had been blown up. This re-
poIt having reached my ears, | ran. or
rather rolled, along the trenches, and
was informed that their grand maga-
Tine had really been blown up by one of
our shells. Again looking toward the
.omb OF destruction, what a sight met
the eye! The smoke which arose from
the ruins seemed to he solid and sub
structure, gradually and ma
ascending To the skies hear |
ing on its top variegated volumes of
Vapor, that seemed To ride upon il
From the ascending mountain We're |
ever and anon yOmited forth sheets of |
vivid tire, and glittering sand fell in
showers upon the spot. Through this |
dense but really uusubstantIal mass |
was 10 be seen the setting sun, spread :
ing ms luminous beams through the (
gigantic phenomenon, and the beauty |
OF the sight was beyond human fancy
TO imagine. The tremendous volume |
OF smoke seemed TO rise almost perpeu-
dlcularly, bearing off little with the | I
wind, which scarcely breathed When |
IL had aScended 50 that the sun was | {
visible under 1t, the mass above chang (
ed color, and you might trace on it the l
most brilliant rays of the rainbow. |
TINS continued ascending in various
forms, until 1T last it was lost in the |
distance; after which every eve was di- {
rected To the destruction below, and
the sight was friEhtful indeed. Heads. s
bodies, legs, arms, hands, spears, guns,
planks and colors Law iudis-
crlmlnately among the piles Of ruins - 4
The shock was 50 terrible that it was
distinctly felt at Meerut, distance of
loo miles 6
The interior Of the fort, some four or {
nye hundred persons, horses and cattle ,
OF all descriptions were DESTROYED but .
the defenses of the font were verv little I
injured, SO that the tiriu. on the part of {
the beSleged Was soon renewed and Z
kept up the remainder of the day with
even greater spirit, This was \ ruse.
however, TO cover the intended evacua- a
lion Of the fort, which took place the a
same night. Many of the fugitives G
were cut down by the British, but i
many made good their escape, among 5
whom was the Rajah himself. The
Tort and the town were afterward COM
pletely dIsmantled. d
4 French manufacturer has applied :
Electricity to the aid of weayers in a
'ome- what curious manner. He has
to each OF his looms an indi-