The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1921-09-23
IN
GERMAN TOWN

Mannheim, Germany, Sept. e.
Desolation and ruins alone remain OF
what was once the fourishing town OF
Oppau. The town had $500 residents
OF which majority of the men en-.
| gagged in the chemical works were
KILLED or. wounded, Soldiers in French
uniforms are clearing away the
wreckage, picking up the dead and in.
Jured as after big battle.
Eleven hundred dead and 1000 in
1 J,,red is the latest estimate of the
disaster yesterday, which caused a
greater number of casualties in the
eim-Ludwighafen district than
the four years of the war. The des-
olation around Oppau equals anything
| seen at Verdun or in Flanders over a
similar area. Hundreds of persons
are digging in the ruins for the bodies
OF relatives or friends, nearly 1000
of which have been recovered thus far.
Thirty-six hours after the explo-
sion, from the gaping, funnel like
hole, where the Badische 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 hundreds of
the, injured are reported to have
passed through the hospitals of the
surrounding cities. g..
The vast crater is slowly filing with
water and it may never be known how
many victims found grave there.
All mutilated, but still living animals
crawling amidst the twisted girders
and blocks of concrete are being put
out Of their misery. The firemen and
relief workers have not yet been able
to discard their gas masks.
The Thirty-second army corps of
the French army is in complete
charge of the area, and every avail
able French medical officer had ar
rived early this morning to cooperate
with the German physicians and sur
geons. The French and German Red
Cross are cooperating and big Ger
man sanitary train has brought large
quntities Of medical supplies. The
German officials thanked General 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, M. Tirard, and his entire
staff took charge of the relief work. :.
The members of his staff were sent to
all the surrounding towns to enlist the
mayors and people in the relief plan,
IN which the labor unions are uniting.
Several of the funds have already
assumed large proportions.
From Frankenthal, four miles away,
there was steady exodus of the
population In which bandaged heads
and arms in sings were conspicuous
The village of Edigheim was badly
wrecked and 1t has not yet been pos
sible to rescue some Of the victims
who are known to be under the debris.
AT Oppau whole families were aem-
pletely wiped out, about 800 bodies
Having already been plaeed sin .the, adj.
Joining cemetery awaiting burial The
Mannheim hospitals are crowded with
injured more than 400 persons hav-
ing suffered from the explosion in this
city.
Several French soldiers were killed
and many wounded when the force of
the Oppau explosion wrecked the
French barracks at Eisenheim. A
train which had just left that station
was blown off the tracks, blowing
through the wooden sheds where
French soldiers Of occupation were
quartered
General Degoutte personally deco
rated Moroccan soldier who rescued
II wounded from the wreckage, the
African being severely burned about
the hands and neck.
The experts who are inquiring into
the cause said that the explosion
probably occurred in the course of
tests of the compression of a new
gas. the properties of which were in
sufficiently known.
Primarily, it is reported. the dis
aster was caused by the explosion of
Is tons of ammonium sulphate in the
preparation Of new gas in which the
pressure of 800 atmospberes and
temperature Of 800 atmospheres and
temperatures Of between 500 and 700
degrees centrigrade were needed