Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 September 1889 — THREE HUNDRED PERISH [ARTICLE]

THREE HUNDRED PERISH

A THOUSAND OTHERS MAIMED AND MUTILATED. A Dynamite Horror at Antwerp—Explosion In a Cartridge Factory Bringing Death and Devastation to Thougands of People —An Awful Conflagration Results. An Antwerp dispatch says: Three hundred people w'ere killed and about 1,000 injured, many fatally, by the explosion of a large quantity of dynamite in the Carvilain factory. The factory was located immediately adjoining several large petroleum warehouses, in which were stored 80,000 barrels of oil. These warehouses were set on fire, and in less than an hour an area of about two acres Was in names, the loss being estimated at many mil- » n 2' JF* 10 was located in the vicinity of the Bourse, which at the time of the explosion was crowded. Burning fragments of the factory were hurled against the Bourse, setting it on fire and creating a panic among the members, several of whom were injured. Many persons in and near the building were also badly wounded. The scenes at the hospitals where the wounded have been conveyed were heartrending. Th® ships at the American docks were saved, the wind being favorable. The explosions at the burning cartridge factory and the flying shells rendered the work of the firemen and soldiers extremely perilous. The communal council recently condemned the factory as dangerous, but for some unexplained reason it was allowed to continue operations. The victims are mostly factory girls. Windows were shattered at points three miles away. In the principal hospital of the city, where several hundred of the more seriously wounded women and girls were taken, the scenes witnessed were of the most horrible description. Every available surgeon in Antwerp has been at work ever since the wounded began to arrive, and many professional men have gone from neighboring cities and towns. The terrible force of the explosive which caused such widespread devastation was shown by the fact that many of the wounded were almost stripped of clothing. Scores were carried into the hospitals minus arms or legs, probably a majority of the whole number being either wholly or partially blinded. Nearly all were covered with blood, and even the hospital attendants, accustomed as they are to scenes of suffering, were, in many cases, rendered too nervous and excited hy the horrible appearance of the patients to perforin their duties satisfactorily. In the children’s ward of the hospital row upon row of cots is filled with little sufferers by the terrible calamity, a great number of them having been hurt while playing in the streets adjoining the factory when the explosion occurred. Besides these many boys and girls were employed in the place, and nearly every one of them is now in the hospital. When the terrible crash came, no one seems to know how, those who were able fled for their lives, and in the mad rush many women and children were knocked down and trampled upon. This is learned from the survivors. When the oil barrels in the warehouses began to explode shipowners became alarmed lest the oil should flow into the water alongside their vessels. They at once organized gangs of men to aid in moving the shipping beyond danger. In a short time, however, the flames in the oil warehouses became of such terrifying extent, and the smoke so stiflingly dense, that the laborers refused to do any more work, and left the docks in iright. This operated to cause a panic among the sailors, many of whom joined in the laborers’ fright. To this cause is due the fact that a number of vessels were burned, the officers and the few men remaining on board being unable to move the ships to places of safety. The vessels lost were all of the smaller class. In the case of large steamers and sailing vessels the companies offered and paid in advance extra vagrnt sums for help in removing them. It was even found necessary to call for police aid to prevent seamen from deserting their vessels when there was no immediate danger from the fire. While the flames were at their height, the city authorities received information that gangs of thieves and highwaymen, taking advantage of the concentration of polioe in the vicinity of the gieat blaze, were overrunning the more distant portions of the city. A numbei'of people were garroted on the streets, the robbers also entering many houses and demanding money and valuables from the Inmates, who , were generally women. sums were secured in some instances. When these facts were reported, mounted police were dispatched to the infested places, aud in a short time had arrested nearly fifty of the marauders, recovering a great deal of plunder. The spectacle was awfully superb and there is nothing in recent history that can be compared to it save the scene which Paris presented duriiig the last days of the commune and the great fire in Chicago. The fire spread in all directions in the city. Warehouses in which from 20,000 to 25,000 barrels of petroleum are stored were burned, as were several of the vessels in the docks. The oil finally found its way down the River Scheldt, which in a short time Poked like a stream of fire. The whole of the garrison and a large part of the male population of the town aided the firemen, but their efforts were simply useless. The cartridge factory belonged to M. Carvilain, a merchant who had recently purchased 40,000,000 old cartridges, intending to sell the I>owder. His workpeople—more than half of them being women—were occupied in the taßk of opening these cartridges when the explosion took place. To what it was due there is very little hope of discovering, for not one of M. Carvilain’s employes has as yet been found alive. In fact, not a single corpse has been found intact. When M. Carvilain sought permission to erect his cartridge manufactory the city authorities opposed him might and main. The provincial council, however, were less farseeing, and accorded M. Carvilain the authorization he askod for. The disaster is really the outcome of political bickering between the town council and the inovineial council. The former Is liberal and the lortt r clerical. The latter granted permission to M. Carvilain to locate his powder factory in such a dangerous place only to annoy the town council. Ihis disclosure caused intense indigr ation. It was not until the sun set and darkness fell on the city that the terrible extent of the fire began to be fully realized. At night the flames towered to an immense height, 80,000 barrels of petroleum being on fire. At once the heat from the enormous blaze was so intense that the firemen could not get nearer the flames than 100 yards. The shock of the explosion had the same effect on the busy city as would an earthquake. In an instant the streets everywhere were swarming with men, women and’children, ter-ror-stricken and anxiously inquiring of each other what had happened. As scon as the nature of the disaster became known the authorities ordered detachmeuts of troops to the scene, and with their aid the thousands of excited people were kept at a distance from the wrecked building. The firemen had reached the place and were about to begin the work of extinguishing the blazing ruins when it was discovered that the neighboring oil warehouses were on fire. Officers at once passed through the dense crowd, telling them of the new and terrible danger. The people were soon removed to a safe distance, by which time huge flashes of fire were leaping into the air as barrel after barrel of oil exploded and poured out into the various yards.