MUNITION FACTORY EXPLOSION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2984, 23 January 1917, Page 5

MUNITION FACTORY EXPLOSION

HEARTRENDING SCENES . London, January 21, An oyc-wilness of tlie removal of women and girls from demolished buildings described the scenes as heartrending. The women were unconscious, many evidently having been stunned by the shock. Some had their clothing almost stripped off them; others were terribly burned and charred. Tugs conveyed many sufferers to the hospitals across the river.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn. SPECTACULAR INCIDENT London, January 21. The glass roof of the Poplar Hospital was badly damaged by falling debris. Sixteen motor pumps, two river floats, with, numberless firemen, and eighty ambulances were busy all night long. A spectacular incident was the ignition of a gasometer, which flared up, illuminating the whole of London. The men in ttio gasworks were unharmed. The Thames with its teeming shipping was lit like a. stream of molten gold. The crowds were spellbound and silent before a spectacle of appalling magnificence, the sky glowing sullenly through clouds of dense black smoke.—Aus.5 N.Z. Cable Assn. EFFECT OF CONCUSSION London, January 21. A peculiar feature of the explosion y was that places on cither side of the II river suffered most severely, the conh cussion seemingly travelling further over the water than over land, and t biiildings for several miles down the 0 river were more damaged than those much closer to the sceno. In a few a cases in tho heart of London windows were smashed. Much damage was o dono to glass at Brixton, Blockley, and o Greenwich. _ Tho shock was most se- • vero at Lewisham and Catford.—Router. ~ 2 A GRUESOME TASK (Rec. January 22, 7.15 p.m.)' London, January 21. Sightseers | flocked in such numbers on Sunday to tlie scene of tho explosion -that the railways discontinued '? bookings at certain stations, and the authorities _ diverted tho traffic in various ways, in ordor to leave the search parties _ unhampered. Despite these precautions there was an enormous 3 congestion in the neighbourhood. " Search parties continue their grues some task among tho ruins. Several '» more bodies have been found, but some days must elapse before tho full human ?' toll can be measured. Pathetic stories, sensational escapes, j~ and remarkable incidents are recorded. | A kinema was showing tho Ancre battle picture when the explosion ocP curred amidst a volley of stage thunder. The audience loudly applauded, being unaware of the actual facts, B though several windows wcro blown in. 0 —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. \ SUNDAY AT THE HOSPITALS t (Rec. January 22, 6.15 p.m.) London, January 21. Such a. day_ as Sunday was never known before in tho London Bospitals. Many viotims alive and dead havo not yet been identified. Peoplo journeyed to. hospital after hospital scanning 'the 3 lists. The hospitals wero transformed with wonderful speed to rcceivo patients, all the available space, including corridors, being utilised. Vehicles of every description arrived with victims disfigured, _ maimed, and limbless, and many critical operations demanded instant ; performances. The hospitals treated such numbers that the usual forms were 6 thrown to the winds. Relatives jn- ' vaded tho wards and searched unbidy den. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. t ESTIMATE OF THE CASUALTIES J 1 (Rec. January 22, 8.55 p.m.) London, January 22. Tho esplosiou casualties lip to Sunday night wero: Bodies recovered, bofcween thirty and forty; died in hospital, twenty-four; seriously injured, 123; slightly injured, 453. ' Tho list is incomplete. . For the purpose of housing tho horae- ■ less, the authorities havo adopted the 5 billeting system; they have also housed 5 numbers in public buildings. ' Fully armed troops, with fixed bay- ' onets, guarded the ruins on Sunday. It appears Doctor Angell was on the top floor, where the fire started. ,He 1 ordered tho workers out, gave tho 1 alarm to tho Eire Brigade, and then ■ returned to search for stragglers. Ho ■ was not seen again. When tho_first cases began to arrivs at the hospital tho matron asked the 1 manager of a large firm in tho viSinity: ■ "For God's sake, telephone to ajl hospitals in London to send all tho Help possible"; but the explosions had cut off most of the telephone communication. Tho police came to the rescue. There wore several falso alarms as the flames caught by a stiff breeze threatened fresh destruction. Tho cry of "Explosives are stored there!" caused' several stampedes, until attention had been distracted' by tho grim procession of lorries and motor ambulances, with their burdens of dead and dying. Not the least terrifying of the sights were the dead on. doors anfl shutters placed on the footways awaiting removal.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. TRAGIC INCIDENTS (Rec. January 22, 11.10 p.m.) London, January 22. "Tho Times" publishes the following incidents in connection with tho explosion A woman was notified in the morning that her husband was killed in France, and in the evening her six children were killed by the explosion. A man reaching home found his wife and two children killed and three children missing. Tho. "Daily Mail" estimates tho death roll at three hundred.—"Tho ( Times." SITE OF THE FACTORY A HUGE CRATER ! (Rec. January 23, 0.15 a.m.) London, January 22. Tho day shift at the munition factory left at 5.30. only the laboratory office stairs and thirty-five employees en- i gaged in special high explosives' work ] remaining. Though the actual cause is not known, it seems certain that the 1 fire started in the upper floor. Dr. ) Angell, tho watchman, and two or 1 three others who might have thrown ■ light on tho question, who were seen preparing emergency fire lioses, perished when tho explosion occurred. Fivo minutes after tlie alarm was given firemen arrived, and seven minutes from the start tlicro followed the great explosion. ] A huge crator fifty yards wido and j many feet deep now marks tho site of i tho factpry—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assb* - INTERCESSORY SERVICES ' (Rcc. January 22, 7.15 p.m.) London, January 21. Intercessory sorvices were held at all churches, many devoting their collections for the relief of distress.—Aus.- I N.Z. Cable Assn. ' ■ <j