Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-09-20
THE HORRORS OF WAR
4 Whole City Devastated and Thous-
andS of Women and Children En-
tOmbed in the Ruins-A Scene
of Awful Desolatior.
The Horrors of War.


the town and fort of Hatrass. The town
was the center OF the dominions of an
independents Raiah, snd was separated
from the fort by a distance OF less thar
half mile, The town was one Of great
strength, aid the fort was not less strong
IN Its defenses. The walls were thick
and high, strengthened by several In
mense bastions, while bitches thirty yards
wide and twenty-five feet of water, sur
rounded both the town and the fort
The conduct of the Raiah, Dyaram Jacocr,
had given cause Of apprehension to the
East India Government as TO his
designs against some OF their posses
sions. Accordingly. IL 1917 he Yves
summoned bY the Marquis of Hastings
to dismantle his fortihcations and dis
band his troops. At first he made pre-
tense of complying, but afterward re-
fused the demand. 4 considerable force
was therefore dispatched against him,
under the command of Major General
Marshall. The town was first attacked.
The batteries poured irto it an incessant
shower of bombs, shrapnel shells and
CongTeve rockets. The courage OF the
defenders was far inferior to the strength
of the Notifications, or the besiegers
would have found their undertaking very
difficult, if not impossible. As it 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
-ntu thp with r1onnn
They seemed determined to resist to the
last. The British General nobIy offered
TO guarantee the preservation of their
property if they would send their wives
and children to be guarded out OF the
Rajah's domInions. They were deaf to
all his entreaties and were resolved to
face the worst. The worst soon came. A
dire and unexpected calamity saved them
the, horrors and sufferines of a protracted
siege. A large shell from one of the
British mortars penetrated the great
powder magazine of the fort; a tremepd-
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 avoirdu pois.
The magazine consisted largely of sJone
vaults, extending far under ground.
This will account for some of the phe-
nomena and for tbs distance to which
the agitation of the ground extended. It
is supposed that many of the garrison,
with the major 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 were
entombed beneath the ruins of the build
irg.
The English guns soon ceased firing,
few knowing why, until the dreadful ex-
plosion almost paralyzed every observer.
From the narrative of al officer, We cite a
few interesting particulars: 81 was on
working party with 100 men, and had just
arrived in the tool yard, about 300 yards
from the left of the trenches, when 1 was
thrown fat on my face by some violent
shocks of the earth. Before the general
shock, the earth seemed IN commissions.
The walls surrounding the tool-yari were
propelled forward from the fort and fell
to the ground. Stones, bricks, pieces of
wood. and nearer the fort, bodies and
limbs were to be seen soaring in the air
in all directions. For tie moment con-
sternation and dismay were depicted in
every face. When l arose l felt much
alarmed; the earth seemed still to move
under me; and at first [ thought some
thing had happened to me alone;,
but, on looking round, L found my men.
some in the attitude of prayer and others
lying down, hiding their faces with fear.
Having recovered my senses, [ looked
toward the fort, and saw it enveloI ed in
one dark cloud of smoke Or dust, and
now and then streakes of fire issuing
from it's battlements. In the midst Of
this momentary alarm, there was en- in
distinct buzzing that the grand 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 bad
really been blown up By 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 TO be a solid aud subst8 ntial
structure, gradually and msjestically as
cended to the skies, bearing on is top
varlgated 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 was to be seen the setting sun,
spreading his luminous beams through
the gigantic phenomenon, and the beauty
of the sight vas beyond human fancy to
imagine. The tremendous volume of
smoke seemed TO rise perpendiculsrly,
bearing off a little with the Wind which
scarcely breathed. When it had ascend
ed so that the sun was visable under It,
the mass above changed color, and you
might trace on it the most brilliant rays
of the rainbow. This continued ascend
ing in various forms, until at last it wac
lost in the distance; after which every
eye was directed to the destruction below,
and the sight was frightful indeed.
Heads, bodies, legs, arms, hands, spears,
guns, muskets, planks and colors lay
Unfortunately among the piles of
ruins"
The shock was 50 terrible that is was
distinctly felt at Meerut, a distance of $50
miles.
The interior of the fort, some four Or
five hundred persons, horses and cat of
all descriptions were destroyed; b the
defenses of the fort were vervt tie in
jured, so that the firing on tn part of
the beseiged was soon renewed and kept
up during the rem ainder OF the day with
even greater spirit. This was a ruse,
however, TO cover the intended evacuation
of the fort, which took place the same
night. Many of the fugitives were cut
down by tx British, but msUy made
good their escape, among whom was the
Raiah himself. The fort and the town
were afterward completely dismansled.
Chambers Journal.
Coon in the Pulpit.
St Louis GIobe-Democrat.