The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1921-09-29

Hub Of War Chemical Regior
Blown Uptown Of 0ppau
Entirely Destroyed.
JAR FELT FOR MILES
Thousands Flee From Homes az De
donations Rock Rhine District
Disaster Caused by Artificial
Nitrogen Exploding.

Berlin-Fifteen hundred persons were
reported killed, hundreds were injur-
ed, three railway trains were buried
and portions or the towns Of Mann
helm and Ludwigsnafen destroyed by
a series OF explosions in a chemical
works at Oppau, near there, according
to press dispatches.
The explosion started in the Oppoer
works in Oppau,, q Ludwigsnafen sub
urb, these advices said. &
One terrific detonat.on followed an
other, spreading death and destruc-
ton. 81 "
Huge masses Of debris were hurled
into the air, buryilig victims ami
houses in a rain of wreckage from the
sky. >..ls
First reports said 700 were estimat-
ed dead. Later adyices to the Lokal
Anzeiger stated 1000 were believed to
have perished. ) T. =.
The Earring force Of the explosions
was felt as far away as Frankfort, a
distance Of As miles. ~
The cities of Mannheim and Lud-
wigshafen arc separated by. the
Rhine. While the explosion occurred
in Ludwigshafen in the Oppouer chem
ical works there, the effect a almost
as terrible in Mannheim.
1t was reported that a great guam
tity OF artificial nitrogen blew up
causing the disaster. However, there
Was SO much confusion and panic that
it vas impossible to determine just
what happened.
Town Of oppau Destroyed.
Only fragmentary reports, giving a
hint of the scenes that followed the
disaster, were available at first as
telephone and telegraph lines we're de-
stroyed.
The suburb of Oppau was destroyed
by the explosions.
The force of the explosion was felt
as far al Frankfort.
The cause Of the explosion is I'M
known as communication with Mann
helm and Ludwigshafen is disrupted.
ed. .l&
Hospitals In both cities are crowded
with the injured, press reports said.
Mannheim and Ludwigshafen are
on opposite sides Of the Rhine, Lud-
wigshafen being in Bavaria and Mann
helm in Baden.
The towns are centers of the chemi-
cal industry in Germany.
Ludwigshafen, especially, has enor-
nous chemical plants. The cities are
connected by an iron bridge. j
Thousands Flee From Homes.
The terrific blast, according to press
reports here, spread disaster on both
sides of the river.
Thousands of terrified men, women
and children, swarmed into the streets
after the explosion.
A large area of the chemical works
was laid in ruins. Bodies of many OF
the victims were blown to atoms. 9th
ers were found in the tangled masses
of debris.
Frantic wives fought against police
lines in the vicinity OF the wrecked
area, seeking to break through and as
certain whether their husbands had
been saved.
Surgeons and nurses were called in
from nearby cities to aid In caring for
the wounded, dispatches received here
said. @
Ludwigshafen has a population Of
about $1,000 Of whom many are en-
ployed in the vast chemical works.
Nitrogen, such as was being manu-
featured at Ludwigshafen, is in great
demand as fertilizer. Extensive expe
riments are understood to have been
conducted in Germany recently with
artificial nitrogen.