Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-04-24
big POWDER EXPLOSION
A Large Magazine Near Rome
Blows Up With Dis
astrous Results
Two Hundred and Fifty Tons
Of Powder Shakes the
Eternal City
The Number Killed and In
jured Estimated at One
Hundred and Twenty

RoME, April 23-About o'clock this
morning "a tremendous explosion shook
the city 10 It's foundation. spreading ter
ror and dismay on all sides. People
rushed aArighted from their homes into
the streets, houses rocked, pictures fell
from the walls. thousands Of panes of
glass We're broken everywhere, crockery
shattered, furniture overturned and
chimncys crashed down upon the roofs
and IN some instances toppied over into
the street below.
The cupola Of the house Of parliament.
Immediately after the explosion, shook
violently and then collapsed with a crash
which added stll further 10 the feeling Of
terror
The scenes on the streets aud Ia the
houses after this fearful explosion have
possibly never before been equalcd during
the history Of modern Rome. All the
thOrOughfares are strcWn with bricks,
stones Spliutcrs ana other debris hurled
there by the force Of the powerful cOncuS-
sion. The doors, windows and cupDOards
Of houses were burst open, rents and
cracks appeared ia the walls, plaster fell
from the ceilings and general desOlatiOn
prevailed.
la many instances people were thrown
from their beds by the shock, and cries Of
terror tiled the air us thousands OF tami-
lies rushed out into the streets, parents
with their children iu their arms. chill
drcn leading aged parents, the younger
helping thc elder. All made for the
streets as If their only chance for salYa-
iiOn was dependant on reaching open air.
The general opinion was that Rome was
8. 81. lAr 4.
a second shock might reduce the city To
ruin. Many fell ON their knees and
prayed aloud. Finally when something
Ike order had been restored the real
cause Of the shock became known. IL
was discovered that the immense powder
magazine at Pulli Panjaloe, four kiO-
metres from here, had exploded and that
IL had caused enormous damage TO the
neighboring fort which was filled with
soldiers.
The reports Of the affair which have
reached here say that happily the officer
in command Of the fort heard a rumbiDg
sound previous TO She Hnai explosion, and
hastily ordered the soldier, 10 leave the
fort, and thus succeeded i'm avoiding ter
riblc catastrophe. As 10 was, several
peasants who were Iu the vicinity of the
scene Of the explosion were Killed out
right aud "a number Oi others injured.
King llumbcrt aud his military stan,
quis iii RudIni, and all the members Of the
italian cabinet have left the city for the
scene Of the disaster.
Around the ruin, of the powder maga-
ziuc aud fort "a Gordon of troops has been
drawn In order 90 keep back the crowd Of
people who, now mat the cause at the eX-
plosiOn is known, have flockcd TO POzzi
PaHtal9e.
All the houses within q radius Of a kilo-
meter of the scene of she explosion were
seriously damaged. The exact number Of
killed and wounded is unknown. Two
officers were dangerously wounded aud
fully l2J civilians are suffering from
wounds or bruises caused by the cXplos-
lon. King liumDort used his own carriage
10 convey the wounded 10 the hospital
The race, which were 20 have taken
place this morning have been postponed
on account OF the disaster.
The vatican shook with the rest OF the
city's building, with the force OF the ex-
plOsion, and several stained glass win
dOws were shattered. A full estimate Of
damage cannot he made. hut Il Is heavy.
The interior Of the old palace and sew
eral churches were severely Injured.
Another report says five persons were
killed, IN addition So the large number Of
wounded already mentioned.
The magazine contained 80 tons of
powder. The cause OF the explosion Is
unknown