HAVOC IN RUMANIA

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 42, 13 November 1940, Page 8

HAVOC IN RUMANIA

Fire Adds To Country’s

Devastation COLLAPSE OF BUCHAREST POSSIBLE

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) (Received November 12, 8.10 p.m.) LONDON. November 1 1 Fire is adding to the havoc caused by Rumania s two earthquakes, of which the second today caused further panic among the population It is authoritatively believed that the entire collapse of Bucliaiest is possible'if there is a further shock, which the buildings are incapable of withstanding as a result of shaken and strained irameVictims throughout Rumania are now estimated, at more, than 10,000. Fire is turning the ruins of the Carlton Flats into an inferno, with 200 persons still buried underneath. The fire was still raging tC,ni,b Fi'rst reliable reports from the oilfields indicate far greater damage than was at first thought. Cracks in the ground appeared in many places, with hot liquid pouring out. More than 40 files hate broken out. , Traffic has completely broken down and many more railway bridges are reported to have collapsed. Half the houses in Ploesti have been destroyed and tens of thousands of peasants elsewhere rendered homeless. Hundreds of villages have been razed. The Government has mobilized all engineers, architects, doctors, sanitary engineers and other technicians to help. Other detachments arc engaged in repair work.

1934. and it was doubtful whether Germany could exploit the existing fields because of the paucity of Rumanian ami German oil engineers. The blockade prevents the importation of American equipment. _ There are fewer than 20 .modern drilling outfits suitable for drilling io 10.000 feet, which is the 'depth of the most active oilfields. Therefore, unless the Central European industry produces successful imitations of American machinery, a steady decline is likely to damage existing wells and jeopardize the discovery of new ones. Lastly, Rumanian oil is much inferior to American..

“The Times - ’ says that Germany requires more than 15,000,000 tons of oil annually for home and service needs, of which Russia cannot provide more than 1,000,000 tons. Hydrogenation might furnish another 4,000,000 tons. .Vow that the Germans must support their Italian ally, the Rumanian increment to their oil supply becomes loss impressive.