South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-09-23
TOLL OF BLAST
TRAGEDY LOO;
1900 INJURED
Population Of Wrecked Ger.
man City Leaves in Exodus
for Relief.
FRENCH AID OLD ENEMY
High Commissioner 7 a k e S
Charge of Relief in Dew
astated Region.

MANNHEIM. Germany, Sept. %.
.-Desolation and ruins alone remain
OF what was once the flourishing
town of Oppau. The town had 6, 500
residents Of which a majority OF
the men engaged IN the chemical
works were killed or wounded. Sol
diers in French uniforms are clear
ing away the wreckage, picking up
the dead and injured as after a big
battle.
Eleven hundred dead and four
thousand injured is the latest esti-
mate of the disaster wednesday,
which caused a greater number OF
casualties in the Misunderstanding
shafen district than the four years
Of war. The desolation around OPP
pau equals anything seen at Verdun
or in Flanders over a similar area.
Hundreds Of persons are digging
in the ruins for the bodies Of rela-
tives or friends. nearly 900 of which
have been recovered thus far.
Means Still Heard.
Thirty-six hours after the explo-
sion from the gaping, funnel-like
hole where the Badischew works for
merly stood. there are still TO be
heard moaning and cries of the
wounded. while the soldiers search
for possible survivors. Twenty-Five
hundred of the injured are reported
to have passed through the hospitals
Of the surrounding cities.
The vast crater is slowly filing
with water. and it may never be
known how many victims found a
grave there All mutilated but still
living animals crawling amidst he
twisted Orders and blocks of con-
crete are being put out of their mis-
cry. The fremen and relief workmen
have not yet been able to discard
their gas masks.
French Aid Relief.
The 32nd army corps OF the
French army IS in complete charge
OF the area. and every available
French medical officer had arrived
early Thursday morning to cooper
ate with the German physicians and
surgeons. The French and German
Red Cross are cooperating and a
sanitary train has brought large
quantities OF medical supplies.
The German officials thanked Gen.
De Goutte for the prompt manner
in which the French army came to
the assistance of the victims.
The French high commissioner on
the Rhine, VI. Tirard, and his en-
tire staff, took charge of the relief
work The members of his staff
were sent to all the surrounding
towns to enlist the mayors and peo-
pie in the relief plan, in which the
labor unions are uniting. Several Of
the funds have already been as
sumed in large proportions.
Population i'm Exodus.
From Frankenthal, four miles
away, there was a steady exodus Of
the population n which bandaged
heads and arms in sings were con-
spicuous. The village Of Edigheim
was badly wrecked, and 1t has not yet
been possible 10 rescue some Of the
victims who are known 10 be under
the debris
At Oppau whole families were
completely wiped out about 300 bod
les having already been placed in the
adjoining cemetery awaiting burial
The Mannheim hospitals are crowd
ed with injured, more than 400 per-
sons having suffered from the ex-
plosion in this city.
Several French soldiers were kill
ed and many wounded when the
force of the Cppau explosion wreck
ed the French barracks at Eisen-
helm. A train which had just left
the station was blown off the tracks
ploughing through the wooden sheds
where French soldiers Of occupa-
/ ton were CHARTERED.