The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-02-21
MORE THAN 100 SLAIN
The Horrible Dynamite Explo-
sion at johannesburg.
MANY BODIES TORN TO PIECES.
A Reflect Fund of $500 600 Eaised-in
the Day OF Addiction Beers and
Uftln1dsr~ Fraterntze-

johannesburg. PEP. S--DrA1st7 a
reaching this city today Of what VAS pioo-
ably the most disastrous dynamite expo
sion on record in any part o. the ~orio.
Thousands of people have been rendered
homeless by the terrible calamity. Au1at
1as are believed TO bavs been killed no
or three hundred rneu. ~ousen ana ehais'fsA
were severely wounded, and many others
more or less injured.
Nie6endorp. the scene Of the CALAMITY =
above johannesburg. In IN are hIiaisa
members OF the poorer CLASSES. whites
Ma1ays Kaflrs and Cinnamon, who ssIsssist
for the most part by doing odd Jobs about
the place. which is a railway transfer sta-
ton for the mining districts. Among the
freight cars standing on the snznt tracks
al Sisdend0rp yesterday were eight trncks
loaded with dynamite, hidden IN
der canvas coverings 10 protect
N from the rain and the SUM-
AS evening was approaching there was an
explosion near the freight depot. 50 awful
Ia intensity that the ground for niles
around vas eonyulsed as II by earthquake
The houses rocked and fell. and masses or
iron, earth. stone. wood aud human Fs-
mains we're hurled skyward-
The Windows Of almost every house IN
johannesburg were broken. and people
were blown through the air Ike straw De-
fore a gust OF wind. The explosion had
torn a hole 30 feet long and eight feet
wide over the spot where the eight trucks
OF dynamite had stood few moments be-
fore. All that quarter OF Niedenaorp
was literally blown TO pieces. The eIeet
Of the explosion could be seen over RAJ
dius Of more than mile. and almost eN-
erythlag within half mile OF where the
trucks had been shuHted for the night was
RACED TO the ground and crushed beyoad re-
demption Iron work was twisted and
torn. stones destroyed and brick work pal
verified. On the ground We're TIE black
ened shapes OF human remains, limbs,
heads. trunks. seorehed and torn
The victims were mostly Maisys. kafrs
and Chinamen whites being la the minor
sly al Niedendorp, but quite number OF
v Rite people. including six girls, were
killed In fifteen minutes after the expio-
sion the bodies of forty dead persons. hor-
risiy mutilated were picked up and car
Fied away. while the search of the ruins
continued without intermlssion. over zs
OF the most severely injured persons we're
also carried away. and hundreds OF others
taken 10 places where they might be cared
for
The headquarters of the Wanderers
Club In being used az a moTtaary cham
bier. Ia the gaily decorated ciubroom are
horrible lines of memberiess, laekened
trunks of human bodies. rows OF charred
arms and legs. crushed and burned heads,
hands and feet pieces of flesh tied up in
bags. the whole presenting sight as
biood-curding as was ever Witnessed
Around the club and scene Of the explo-
sion the most narrowing scenes are wit
messed. OF fathers looking for their chill
dren. wives staring blankly at what
seemed TO be the remains OF husbands. the
living many OF them badly hurt them
selves. hunting for traces Of their dead.
Probably the best idea OF the force OF the
explosion can be gathered from the fact
that the iron axies OF the trucks upon
witch the dynamite was loaded were dry
On twenty feet into the hard ground.
How the explosion occurred Is not
known. but a belief prevails that a thiev-
ing Kaffir found his way 10 the shunted
trucks and that, in trying TO break open
one OF the cases OF the explosive. being in
Ignorance of what they contained, he
brought about the disaster which caused
so great a loss of life and which rendered
so many people homeless and nennIless.
The exact extent OF the disaster viii
never be known. II IS definitely known.
however. that over 100 persoas have bean
killed and about 90 wounded severely. IN
addition. II IL estimated that anouf 100
more have been LEES severely injured. SeE-
sral OF the. Wounded have since died 81
their injuries All the hospitals are filed
with sufferers from the explosion. and
many private houses have been turned
into refugees for the wounded and home
less Most OF the houses in Nie,lendorp
were built of corrugated iron. as = usual
in south African suburbs. and OF this ma
teriai any where near the spot whore he
explosion took place. hardly = vesttse re-
mains.
4 popular subscription has been opened
for the relief Of the wounded and homeless.
Already over $50. coo has been raised. and
this amount viii reach 500. eba before night
In addition steps have already been taken
TO clear away the debris from the ground.
and a portion OF the money subscribed will
he invested IN building materials and the
work of demonstrating Ntede ndorp VIII
he commence as soon as the remains er the
dead are Inferred. which will probably be
tomorrow. and The occasion will he marked
BY a turnout Of almost the Whole popula-
ton OF JoitanneShurx.
The Boers and the Uitlanders are work
ing tremendously Ia the succofiue Of the
wounded and homeless. The disaster
seems to have done a great deal toward
healing the soreness winch remained from
the Jameson raid and may 10 much 10
cement a new and better feeling between
the foreign population and their Boer
rulers.
President Kruger has telezraphed hfs
sympathy wiia the pe0ple 81 JUhanrles-
hurg IN this emergency. and ne Is besn-
kent POSTED on ali the details ~ the great
calamity. The amount OF dynamite which
caused the terrific disaster Is ascerfe{ues
10 have been twenty tons This has been
standing on the railway switch for a Pc
risi ~ three days exposed 10 the sun and
air. and this Is supposed "a have pat il
into condition IN which IL was ready to
toe set on al the slightest disturbance