Evening star., 1896-02-20
ONE HUNDRED KILLED
Most Disastrous Dynamite Explosion
on Record.
DISASTER At JOHANNESBURG, AFRICA
Many Injured and Thousands Made
Homeless.
AID FOR THE DISTRESSED

JOHANNESBURG, South African Repub-
lie, February 20.-Details are reaching this
city today of what Is probably the most
disastrous dynamite explosion on record in
any part of the world. Thousands of peo-
pie have been rendered homeless ny the
terrible calamity, about 100 persons are be-
lieved to have been killed, two OF three
hundred men, women and children kave
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 hud-
died members Of the poorer classes Of
whites of the Rand, Malays, Kaiiirs 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
sidings at Viedendorp yesterday were eight
trucks loaded with dynamite. The deadly
stuff was hidden under canvas coverings
to protect IL from the rain and sun.
AS evening was approaching there was
an explosion near the freight depot, SO
awful in the intensity OF its force that
the ground for miles around con-
vulsed as if by an earthquake. houses
rocked and fell, masses of iron, earth,
SlOH", hoDu dUu uuuldil IGnldIS were
hurled heavenward, the windows of al
most every house in Johannesburg were
broken, and people We're blown through the
air like straws before a gust of wind.
Effects of the Explosion.
The explosion had torn a hole 200 feet
long and 50 feet wide over the spot where
the eigh. trucks of dynamite stood but
few minutes before. The whole of that
quarter Of johannesburg was literally
blown to pieces The effects of the eXplo-
sion could be seen over radius of more
than a mile, and almost everything within
half mile of The spot Where the trucks
had been shunted for the night was razed
to The ground and crushed by the dyna-
mite beyond redemption; iron work twist
ed and torn. stones destroyed and brick
work pulveriZed.
On the ground We're blackened heaps of
human remains; limbs, heads, trunks
scorched ana torn. The victims were
mostly Malays, Kaffirs and Cinnamon, the
whites Being in a minority at Viedendorp;
but in spite of this, quite a number of
white people, including six girls, are
among the many victims of this terrible
calamity.
In fifteen minutes after the explosion oc-
Cured the bodies Of forty dead persons, all
horribly nutilated, were picked Up and car
ried away from the scene. willie the search
ing OF the ruins continued without intermis-
sion over 200 Of the most severely in
jured persons were also carried aWay. and
hnniieds of other wounded persons were
taken TO places where they might be cared
for.
In addition to the wounded, thousands of
nc 10
are being cared for by the charitable. and
Will receive assistance so they can begin
life al ew. Pieces of iron, stone and brick
are scattered all over Johannesburg; every
building has felt the great shock more or
loss. Every physician in or about johann
nesburS is assisting in the care of the
wounded.
narrowing Scenes.
The headquarters of the Wanders Club IS
being used as mortuary chamber In the
Saily decorated club room are horrible lines
or memberless, blackenei trunks of human
bodies, rows Of charred arms and legs.
crushed and burned heads, hands. feet.
pieces OF flesh, etc, tied up in bags, the
whole presenting a sight as bloodcurdliny
as was ever witnessed. Around the club
and scene Of the explosion the most har-
rowing scenes are witnessed Fathers
looking for their children, wives staring
bla"kly at what seemed to be the remains
OF husbands, the living, many of them bad
ly hurt themselves, hunting for traces of
their dead.
Probably the best idea Of the force of the
explosion can be gathered from the fact
tnat the iron axleS of the trucks upon
which the dynamite was loaded have been
driven twenty feet into the hard ground
how the explosion occurred is not known:
but belief prevails that thieving Kafir
found his way to the shunted trucks, and
that In trying to break open one of the
cases of the explosives, being in Ignorance
Of what it contained, he brought about the
disaster which has caused so great a loss
Of life, and which has rendered so many
people homeless and penniless
One Hundred Killed.
The exact extent of the disaster will
never be known. According to the esti-
mates. however, about one hundred per-
sons have been killed and about two hun
dred people wounded severely. In addi-
tion, it is estimated that about one hum
dred more have been less 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 homeless.
Most of the houses in Viedendorp were
built of corrugated iron, as is usual in
South Africa suburbs, and of this material,
anyway near the spot where the explosion
took place, hardly a vestige remains.
A popular subscription has been opened
for the relief of the wounded and homeless.
Already over S,(EbU0O have been raised and
this amount will reach S5t6,.OUU before night.
In addition, steps have already been taken
to clear away the debris from the ground.
A portion OF the money subscribed will be
invested in building materials, and the work
of reconstructirg Viedendorp will be COM
menced so soon as the remains of the dead
are inferred. This will probably be tenor
row, and the occasion Will be marked by
turnout of almost the whole population of
johannesburg.
The Beers and Uitlande,s are working har-
noniously in the stccorng Of the wounded
and homeless. The disaster seems to have
Il