The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1896-02-27
! WORST ON RECORD.
Details Of the Dynamite Hxplosion
In the Transvaal ~ VII
The List of Dead. It II Believed. VIVA
(. Beach More Than 100, While 200 or 4
500 Were Injured-PrOperty 4 .1f5
. ty = Loss Enormous. = $.&

johannesburg. Feb. "Details are
reaching this city Of what Is probably
the most disastrous dynamite explo-
sion on record in any part " the world.
Thousands of people ,hay.s been rem
dered homeless by the terrible calnm-
ity over 100 persons are believed to
have been killed, some 200 or 800 men.
women and children have been severely
wounded, and many others have been
more or less injured. 49,. ~
Scene Of tho Calamity.
Viedendorp. the scene OF ths calnm-
ity, is suburb of johannesburg. In
it are huddled members Of the poorer
classes of whites-Malays, Katftrs and
Chinamen-who subsist for :..e most
part by doing odd jobs about the place.
which is a railway transfer station for
the mining districts Of thelsection.
| The Explosion. ,....', -.
Among the freight cars standing Oh
the tracks ut Yiedendorp were eight
trucks loaded with dynamite. Az even
ing was approaching there was IN ex-
p]osion near the freight depot, 30 awful
in the intensity 81 IT. force that tho
ground ior miles around was oonvulsed
as IL by an earthquake, houses rocked
and fell, masses Ut iron. earth. stone,
wood and human remains were hurled
skyward, the. Windows Of almost every
house in JohallnesbuTg were broken.
| and people were blown through tho
air like straws before gust Of wind.
| The explosion had torn hole 200
feet long and 80 feet wide over the
spot where the eight trucks of dyna-@
mite stood but a few minutes before.
The whole of that quarter Of Johan-
nesburg was literally blown to pieces.
! Ground strewn with Corpses.
On the ground were blackenel
shapes OF human remains, limbs, heads
and trunks, scorched and torn. The
victims were mostly Malays, Kaffirs
and Cinnamon, the whites being in q
minority at Viedendorp, but, in spite
OF this, quite a number OF white peo
pie, including six girls, are among The
many victims of this!tepriblea Calamity.
Caring for the Wounded.
Every physician in or about Jo-
hannesburg is assisting in the care OF
the wounded. In addition to the
wounded, thousands OF people, rem
dered homeless by the explosion, are
being cared for by the charitable, AMI
will receive assistance until they can
begin life anew.
Terrible Scenos.
The headquarters OF the Wanderers
club is being used as mortusryscham
Der. In the gayly decorated clubroom
are horrible lines of meml,erlesA +, black
ened trunks of human bodies, rows
of charred arms and lcgs, crushed and
burned heads, hands, feet, pieces 4 OF
flesh, etc, tied up. In bags. the whole
presenting sight as blood curdling
Us was ever witnessed. ''"" -.' -,
Il Cause of tho Dlsstaer.
| How the explosion occurred is not
known. But a belief prevails that a
thieving Kaffir found his way to the
trucks, and, in trying to, break open
one Of the cases of the explosive, being
in ignorance of what it. contained, he
brought about the disaster which has
caused SO great loss of life, q I'D whicl.
has rendered so many people homeless
and penniless X
| Relief Fund Started.
A popular subscription has been
opened fol-: the relief OF the wounded
and homeless. Already over $300,O0U
have been raised, and this amount will
reach 100000 in short TING. Presi-
dent Krueger has telegraphed hissyn,
pathy with the people Of Johannesburg
in this emergency, and he is being kept
posted on all the details of the great
calamity. ~ 80 - Z II >>'3, - .'s"' -