The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-21
MANY WERE MANGLED
DETAILS OF THE EXPLOSION OF
DYNAMITE IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Part of ~vfedendorp. TransvanI, De-
stroycd and Hundreds of People
Killed and Injured.

The explosion of dynamite reported last
night was more disastrous in it's effects
than first accounts indicated. The amount
OF dynamite which caused the disaster at
Vaedendorp is ascertained to have been
twenty tons. This had been standing on
the railroad switch for a period of three
days. exposed to the sun and air. and this
is supposed TO have put ii into a condition
IN which it's chemical constitution was very
unstable. so that it was ready TO be set off
from the slightest disturbance. 1t is now
definitely learned that the number of deaths
resulting from the disaster is over 100, be-
sides the large number of manned and in
jured. The distress which has resulted
from the accident is both keen and wide
spread. and a large number of firms, both
here and in London. are subscribing liber-
ally to afford relief. Thousands OF people
have been rendered homeless by the ter
rible calamity.
Viedendorp, the scene of the calamity, is
a suburb OF johannesburg. In ii are hud-
died members of the poorer classes Of
whites of the Rand-Malays. Kaffirs and
Shinamen-who subsist for the most part
by doing odd jobs about the place, which
IS a railway transfer station for the mining
districts of the section. Among the freight
cars standing on the shunt lines at Vieden-
dorp yesterday were eight trucks loaded
with dynamite. The deadly stuff was hid
den 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
or It's force that the ground for miles
around was convuised as if by an earth
quake, houses rocked and fell, masses of
iron, earth, stone, wood and human re-
mains were hurled skywards, the windows
CT almost every house IN Johannesburg were
broken and people were blown through the
air ike straws before a gust of wind. The
f eHpIos a0d e eisht torn 9es a h %ids two 1nd hnnd ibs inet
where the eight trucks of dynamite stood
but a 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 a radius of more
than a mile. and almost everything within
a half mile of the spot where the trucks
had been shunted for the night was RACED
TO the ground and crushed by the dynamite
beyond redemption; irons were twisted and
torn, stones destroyed and brick work pull
verified.
On the ground were blackened heaps of
human remains-limbs, heads, trunks,
Malays. Kafiirs and Cinnamon, the whites
being In a minority at Viedendorp; but in
spite of this. quite a number of white peo-
victims of the calamity. In fifteen minutes
after the explosion occurred. the bodies Of
forty dead persons, all horribly mutilated,
scene. while the searching of the ruins con-
tinued without intermission. Over two
nQnQreQ OF the most severely injured per-
sons 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 peo-
pie. rendered homeless by the explosion, are
being cared for by the charitable and will
receive assistance until they can begin life
anew.
Pieces of iron, stone and bricks are scat
tered all over Johannesburg. Every build
ing has felt the great shock more or less:
is assisting in the care of the wounded.
The headquarters of the Wanderers Club
the ga gayiy 'd decorated club room are horrible
lines of memberless, blackened trunks OF
human bodies, rows Of cnarred arms and
legs, crushed and burned heads, hands, feet,
pieces of flesh. etc, etc, tied up in bags. the
whole presenting a sight as sickening as
was ever Witnessed; Around the club and
the scene of the explosion the most harrow
ing scenes are being witnessed. Fathers
looking for theft children, wives staring
blankly al what seemed to be the remains
Of husbands: the living, many of them
badly hurt themselves, 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 axles Of the trucks on which
the dynamite was loaded have been driven
twenty feet into the hard ground. How the
explosion occurred is not known, but a be-
lief prevails that a thieving kaffr founc
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
ii 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.
The exact extent of the disaster Will never
be known. According TO the estimates,
however. about one hundred persons have
been killed and about two hundred people
wounded severely. In addition Ii is esti-
mated that about one hundred more nave
been less severely injured. Several of the
wounded have since died of their injuries,
All the hospitals aie filled with sufferers
from the explosion and many private houses
wounded and homeless. Most of the houses
in Viedendrop were built OF corrugated
iron, as is usual in South Africa suburbs,
and of this material any way 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
this amount will soon reach S500,0O. In ad.
dition, steps have already been taken &c
clear away the debris from the ground. A
portion of the money subscribed will be In
vested in building materials and the WORK
of re~constructing Viedendrop will be com,
menced so soon as the remains of the dead
are inferred. This will probably be to-mor'
| row and the occasion will be marked by q
turnout of almost the whole population
of johannesburg. The Beers and Uitlanders
| are working tremendously in the succorine
Of the wounded and homeless. The disaster
seems to have done a great deal towards
healing the soreness which remained iron
the Jameson raid and may do much tc
cement a new and better feeling between
the foreign population and their Boer rulers
President Kruger mas ~telegraphed his sym
pathy with the people of Johannesburg In
this emergency and he is being kept posted
on all the details of the great calamity.