Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-02-27
A HORRIBLE EXPLOSION
A Hundred People Killed and Vas [
Number Injured,
THOUSANDS RENDERED HOMELESS
A Suburb of johannesburg
Completely Wrecked.
SCENES OF EXTREME WRETCHEDNESS

Ruin Wrought by the Destruction of Eight
Trucks Loaded with Explosivcs-tirou
convuised, Many buildings Demolished
and People Blown Through the air Like
Straws in Gust Of Wind.
Johannesburg, South African Re-
public, Feb. 20-Details are reaching
this city to day of what is probably the
most disastrous dynamite explosion on
record in any part of the world. Thous-
ands OF people have been rendered
homeless by the terrible calamity, about
100 persons are believed to have been
killed, between two and three hundred
men, women and children have been
severely wounded and many others have
been more or less injured.
Viedendorp, the scene of the calamity
is suburb of Johannesburg. In 1t
are huddled members of the poorer
classes of whites of tbs Rand, Malays,
Kafiirs and Cinnamon, who subsist for
the most part by doing odd jobs about
the place, which is railway transfer
station for the mining districts of the
section.
Among the freight cars standing on
the Shunt lines at Viedendorp yester-
day were eight trucks loaded with dy-
Mantle. The deadly stuff was hidden
under canvas covering, TO protect it
from the rain and sun. When evening
was approaching there was an explosion
in the freight depot, SO awful in its
force that the ground for miles around
was convulsed as If by an earthquake,
houses rocked and fell, masses of iron,
earth, stone, wood and human remains
were hurled skyward, tho windows OF
almost every house in Johannesburg
were broken and people were blown
through the air like struws before a
gust of wind.
The explosion tore hole 200 feet
long and so feet wide over the spot
where the eight trucks Of dynamite had
stood. The whole Of that quarter of
Johannesburg was literally blown TO
pieces. The effects of the explosion
can DO seen over a radius Of more than
u mile, and almost everything within
a half mile of the spot where the trucks
had been shunted was RACED TO the
ground and crushed beyond redemp-
ton. Iron work was twisted and torn,
stones were destroyed and brick work
was pulverized.
Fifteen minutes after the explosion
occurred the bodies of 40 dead persons,
all horribly mutilated. were picked
while the searching of the ruins con-
tinued without intermission. Over 200
of the most severely injured persons
were also carried away, and hundreds
of other wounded persons were taken
to places where they might be cared
for. In addition TO the wounded
thousands of people, rendered homeless
by the explosion, are being cared for
by the charitable and will receive as
sistance until they can begin life anew.
Probably the best idea of the force of
the exposition can be gathered from tho
fact that the iron axles of the trucks
upon which the dynamite was loaded
have been driven 20 feet into the hard
ground.
How the explosion occurred ie not
known. But a belief prevails that a
thieving Kallir found his way to the
shunted trucks and, in trying to break
open one Of the cases of the explosive,
being ignorant OF what il contained,
caused the disaster which has resulted
in so great loss Of life and rendered
so many people homeless and penniless.
The exact extent of the disaster will
never be known. According TO the
estimates, however, about 100 persons
have been killed and about 200 people
wounded severely. In addition it ia
estimated that about leo more have
been loss severely injured. Several of
the wounded have since died of their
injuries All the hospitals are filled
with sufferers from the explosion and
many private houses have been turned
into refugees for the wounded and
hopeless.
Most of the houses In Viedendorp
were built Of corrugated iron, as is
usual in South Africa suburbs, and of
this material, near the spot where the
explosion took place, hardly vestige
remains.
A popular subscription has been
opened for tho relief Of the wounded
and homeless. Already over $500, 900
have been raised and this amount
will reach $500, 600 before night Steps
have already been taken to clear away
the debris. A portion Of the money
subscribed will be invested in building
materials and the work of reconstruct
ing Viedendorp will be commenced a
soon as the remains Of tho dead are in
tered. This will probably be to-
morrow and the occasion will be
marked by a turnout of almost the
whole population of Johannesburg.
The Beers and the Uitlanders are
working tremendously 10 the succoring
OF the wounded and homeless. The
disaster seems TO have done great
deal towards healing tho soreness
which remained from the Jameson
raid and may do much to cement a
new and better feeling between tho
foreign population and their Boer
rulers.
President Kruger has teegraphed his
sympathy with the pcopIo OF Johannes.
burg in this emergency and is being
kept posted on all the details OF the
great calamity.
LATER ESTIMATES.
Johannesburg, Feb. 2l.-The latest
estimates place the number of deaths
from the explosion of 20 tons of dyna-
mite at Viedendorp, Wednesday even
ing, at 100 and about 400 persons were
more or less seriously injured. Some
of the wounded have succumbed to
their injuries. The white victims were
chiefly Of the poorer class of Beers.
Whole families of white people were
wiped out
President Kruger has arrived here.
In a speech he congratulated the i'm
habitants upon the splendid manner in
which they have sunk all race feuds in
the common endeavor to relieve the
suffering resulting from tho disaster.
He added that he earnestly trusted
that the good feeling which has arisen
from common sorrow may have per-
manent results and lead to much
better feeling between the Beers and
the Uitlanders. The presidents re-
mar ks have had great effect upon the
foreign population and it is believed
that the reforms in the internal adj
iministration of the Transvaal, which