EXPLOSION IN KOBE HARBOUR.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 847, 20 June 1910, Page 7

EXPLOSION IN KOBE HARBOUR.

HULK WITH EXPLOSIVES BLOWN

' Tlio E. and A. mail steamer Aldonham, which arrived at Sydney recently from Japan, brought news of a serious explosion in Kobe. Harbour. At first it w-as thought tliat an appalling earthquake had occurred; it soon becamo known, however, that the real cause was to bo found in tho harbour, in tlio outlying section reserved for vessels where explosives are stored. The explosion, or explosion's, occurred in a hulk, filled with dynamite, gelignite, and detonators, and throo lighters wore sunk by tho upheaval of tho sea. Tho effect of the explosion on the sea in th-a immediate- neighbourhood 1 may be gauged by tlio fact that the water rushed up the beacli at Minimc, which is about a mile from the position whore tlio .hulk was moored, to tho extent of at least 30ft. TJioro wore two distinct explosion®, tho second and much severer one occurring about 20 seconds after tiro first. Tlio first is believed to have been caused by tho ignition of the detonators, the second by tho dynamite and gelignite. A'huge column of smoke, water, and debris shot upwards to the extent of perhaps 1000 ft.—the estimates of oyo-witnosses ashore and afloat vary a. great deal, of course, but tlio height given is considered a ,conservativo figure. Some onlookers who wero standing on nlirumo Beacli, watching the hulk, which was seen to bo on fir©, were knocked flat on their backs by tho force of the explosion, and two or three officers who • wero on watch oh steamers in or entering tlio harbour were thrown down. According to investigations made by the Mikago police, 22 houses had their ceilings and roof beams smashed in, while 2244 houss3 had their doors and windows broken. Telephone, wires were broken at four places. The number of wounded (severely and slightly) was 65. In ' tho jurisdiction of |hc Kobe police the number of houses damaged was about 15,000.