The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-21
SCENES OF SORROW
The Awful Explosion Of Dynamite in
johannesburg.
MORE THAN 100 ARE KILLED
Intense Anguish Pictured on the
Faces of Those Looking for
Dead Relatives-T Horror
i'm the Colorado Coal Mine.

johannesburg, South African Repub-
lie. Feb. 20.-Details are reaching this
city to-day of what is probably the
most disastrous dynamite explosion on
record in any part OF the world. Thou
sands of people have been rendered
homeless by the terrible calamity; also
hundreds are believed to have been
killed. two or three hundred men.
women and children were severely
wounded and many others more or less
injured.
Viendendorp, the scene OF the calam-
ity. is a suburb of johannesburg. In IL
are huddled members of the poorer
classes of whites, Malays. Kaffirs and
Cinnamon, who subsist for the most
part by doing odd Jobs about the place
which is a railway transfer station for
the mining districts. Among the
freight cars standing on the shunt line
at Viendendorp yesterday were eight
trucks loaded with dynamite. hidden
under canvass coverings to protect II
from rain and sun.
As evening was approaching there
was an explosion near the freight de-
pot so awful in intensity. the ground
for miles around was convulsed as II
by an earthquake. Houses rocked and
fell, masses of iron, earth, stone. wood
and human remains were hurled sky
wards. The windows In almost every
house in johannesburg were broken
and people were blown through the air
like straws before a gust OF wind. The
explosion had torn a hole 200 feet long
and eight feet wide over the spot where
the eight trucks OF dynamite stood a
few moments before. All that quarter
of johannesburg was literally blown to
pieces.
The effects of the explosion could be
seen over a radius of more than a mile
and almost everything within half a
mile of where the trucks had been
shunted for the night was razed to the
ground and crushed by dynamite be-
yond redemption. Iron work was twist
ed and torn, stones destroyed and
brickwork pulverized. on the ground
were the blackened shapes OF human
remains. limbs. heads and trunks,
scorched and torn. The victims were
mostly Malays, Kaffirs and Cinnamon.
the whites being In a minority at Vieu-
dendorp, but quite a number of white
people, including six girls. were killed.
In 10 minutes after the explosion the
bodies of 40 dead persons. horribly mu-
tilated. were picked up and carried
away, while the searching of the ruins
continued without intermission. More
than 200 more severely injured persons
were also carried away and hundreds
of others taken to places where they
might be cared for.
Around the scene OF yesterdays ex-
plosion the most narrowing scenes are
witnessed by fathers looking for their
children. wives staring blankly at what
seemed to be the remains of husbands.
the living. many of them badly hurt
themselves. hunting for traces of their
dead. II Is definitely known. that more
than 100 persons have been killed and
about 200 wounded severely. In addi-
tion IL is estimated that 100 more have
been less severely injured. A popular
subscription has been opened for the
relief OF the wounded and homeless.
Already more than 100000 has been
raised. The amount OF dynamite which
caused the terrific disaster is ascer-
tained TO have been 20 tons.