Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-09-20
THE HORRORS OF WAR
A whole City Devastated and ThouS
ands Of Women and Children En-
tombed in the Ruins-A Scene
Of Awful DesolatiOn.
The Horrors of War.

between the rivers Genges ard 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
ependsnt Rajah, and was separated
from the fort by distance of less thaz
half mile. The town was one of great
strength, AID the fort was not less strong
in its defonses. The walls we're thick
and high, strengthened by seveeal luz
mense bastions, while bitches thirty yards
wide and twenty five feet of water, sur
rounded both the town ana the fort.
TnoccudUct of the Bal ali, Dyaram J acoor,
had given cause of apprehension to tue
East India Government as to his
designs against some OF their posses
sions. Accordingly. in 1917 he was
summoned by tho Marquis of Hastings
to dismautle his fortihoations and dis
band his troops. At first he made pre-
tense of compl ring, but afterward re-
fused the demand. A considerable force
was therefore dispatches against him,
un5er the command of MajOr-General
Marshall. The town was FIRST attacked.
The batteries poured into 1t an ineessant
shower of bombs, shrapnel shells and
Congreve rockets. The coul age of the
defenders was far inferior to the strength
of the Notifications, or the bssiegers
would have found their undertaking very
difficult, if not impossible. As IL was, in
three or four days, before any important
breach had been made, the garrison evac
uated the town, which they could do only
by means of scaling ladders, tho 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 defenders
returning the fire with much energy.
They seemed determined to resist to the
last. The British General nobly offered
to guarantee the preservation of their
property if they you'd send their wives
and children to be guarded ont OF the
Rsjsh's domInions. They were deaf 10
all his entreeties and were resolved to
face the worst. The worst soon came. A
dire and unexpected calamity saved them
the horrors and sufferings of q protracted
siege 4 large shell from one of the
British mortars penetrated the great
! powder magazine of the fort; tremeud
Gus explosion was the result. The store
of powder in the magazine was immense,
the accumulation of many years, amount
| ing TO at least 1000 mounds of 80 pounds
each, or 100000 pounds avoirdupois.
| The magazine consisted largely of stone
vaults, extending far under ground.
This will account for some of the phe-
nomeua and for tho distance to which
the agitation OF the ground extended. 1t
| is supposed that many of the garrison,
with the maj OF part OF the women and
children, had sought refuge in the vaults
| from the British shells, which were very
destructive, and that many of these we're
entomhed beneath the ruins of the build
irg.
The English guns soon ceased firing,
! few knowing why, until the dreadful ex-
plosion almost psralyzed every observer.
From the narrative of an officer, we cite
few interesting particulars: 81 was on
working party with 100 men, and had just
arrived in she tool yard, about 800 yards
| from the left of the trenches, when | was
| thrown fat on my face by some violent
| shocks OF the earth. Before the general
shock, the earth seemed il commissions.
| The walls surrounding the tool yard were
propelled forward from the fort and fell
/ to the ground. Stones, bricks, pieces of
wood, aud nearer the fort, bodies and
limbs we're to be seen soaring in the cir
| in all directions. For tie Inom mt con
steruetion and dismay were depicted in
every face. When I arose | felt much
! alarmed; the earth seemed still 70 move
under me; and at first | thought some
/ thing had happened TO mo alone;,
! but, on locking round found my men.
some in tho attitude of prayer and others
| lying down, hiding their faces with fear.
| Having recovered my senses, l looked
| toward the fort, and saw it enveloped in
ore dark cloud of smoke or dust, and
now and then streakes of fire issuing
| from it's battisments. In the midst OF
| this momentary alarm, there was an in
distinct buzziug that the grand IN magazine
| of the enemy had been blown up. This
report having reached my ears, l ran, or
rather rolled, along the trenches, and was
| informed that their grand magazine had
really been blown up b. one of our
shells. Again looking toward the tomb OF
destruction, what a sight met my eye!
! The smoke arose from the ruins which
seemed 10 be solid aud substantial
structure, Gradually aud msiestically as.
cended TO the skies, bearing on is top
vaugated volumes of vapor, that seemed
/ to ride upon it, From this ascending
mountain were ever and anon vomited
! forth sheets OF vivid fire, and glittering
sand fell in showers upon the spot.
! Through this dense but really unsubstan-
| tial mass w.s 20 be seen the setting sun,
spreading his luminous beams through
the gigantic phenomenon, and the beauty
of the eight was beyond human fancy TO
! imagine. The tremendous volume OF
smoSe seemed 20 rise perpendiculsrly,
! bearing off little with the wind which
scarcely breathad. When it had ascend
4 ed go that the sun was vissble under 4,
! the mass above changed color, and you
might trace on it the most brilliant rays
! OF the rainbow. This continued ascend
1 ing in various forms, until st last it was
/ lost in the distance; after which every
! eye was directed TO the destruction below,
and the sight was frightful indeed.
4 Heads, bodies, legs, arms, hands, spears,
guns, muskeis, planks and oolors lay
iudisoriminstely among the piles Of
ra'ns.n
The shock was 50 terrible that Is vas
! dis inctIy felt at Mserat, a distance OF 100
miles.