The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-02-21

JOhanncsburg, hesuittns ih tho Do"s- -
One Hundred People and Injuring Two
or Three Hundred More-The Victims
Were Mostly Maiays, Kaffirs and China
men-Force of the Explosion
JOHANNESBURG. Feb 2l.-(Copyrighted
1So3 by the Associated Press "details
are reaching this city of what is probably
the most disastrous dynamite explosion
on record in any part OF the world. Thou
sands OF people have been rendered homo
less by the terrible calamity. About one
hundred persons are believed to have
been killed, some two hundred or 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 a suburb OF johannesburg
In it are huddled members Of the poorer
classes of whites of the Rand-Malays.
| Kaffirs and Chinamen-who subs!st for
the most part by doing odd jobs about the
place. which is a rail way transfer station
for the mining districts of the section.
| Among the freight cars standing on the
| shunt tracks at Viedendorp Wednes-
day were eight trucks loaded with dyna-
mite.
shock Resembles an Earthquake.
AS evening was approaching there was
an explosion near the fre ght depot. SO aw-
ful in the intensity OF It's force that the
Or ound for miles around was convuised-
as If by an earthquake, houses rocked ana
fell, masses of iron, earth, stone, wooa
and human remains were hurled SKY
ward, the windows or almost every mousse
L. .w.A
In Johannesburg were broken, ana Peo
pie were blown through the air ike
straws before a gust oi wind. Inc ex-
nlo,ion had torn a hole zoo feet long and
50 feet wide over the spot where
the eight trucks of dynamite stood but a
! few minutes before The whole of that
quarter of johannesburg was literally
: blown 10 pieces. The effects of the expio-
, sion could be seen over a radious OF more
than "A mile and almost everything WITHIN
n half mile where the trucks had been
shunted for the night were razed to the
ground and crushed by the dynamite be-
| yond redemption. Iron was twisted ana
torn. stones destroyed and brick work
' pulverized
Ground strewn with Corpscs-
!. On the ground were bl ckened shapes Of
human remains-limbs, heads, ana trunks
-scorched and torn. The victims were
mostly Malays, Kaflirs, and Cinnamon
Y the whites being In a minority at Nleden
g dorp. but in spite OF this, quite numbe
% OF white people. including six girls ar
" among the many victims OF this terripi
~ calamity In fifteen minutes after TN
10 explosion occurred, the body oil Tort
. dead persons. all HORRIBLY mutilatee
wi were picked up ana carried ava
"a from the scene, while the search
IL
ne intermission. Over two hundred OF tf
, most severely injured persons were ais
v carried away, and hundreds OF oth'
,o wounded persons were taken TO plac
m where they might be carad for In add
". ton TO the wounded, thousands OF peopl
rendered homeless by the explosion, a.
being cared for by the charitable and WI
receive assistance until they can begin IL
IS anew.
ty Caring for the Injured.
d. Pieces of iron, stone and hricks are sc"
of tered ali over Johannesburg; every bull
Dr. ing has felt the great shock more or les
he | Every physician in or about Johanne
re burg is assisting IN the care OF u
10. | wounded. The headquarters of u
si. Wanderers clab IS being used as
he mortuary chamber. In the gayly dc
m Grated clubrooin aro horrible lines
go membcrlcss. biackcned trunks
Of | human bodies, rows of charr
arms and legs, crushed aud burned heao
hands. feet. pieces OF nesh, ETC., tied up
bags. the whole presenting sight
are blood-curdling "a was ever witness,
i'd. Around the club and scene of the exp
Tho sion the most narrowing sights were w
,n nessed-fathers looking for thelr childrt
10. wives staring blankty at what seemed
80. be the remains of husbands, the hviI
he many Of them badly hurt theinssiv
- hunting for traces of their dead.