MAIL NEWS.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 786, 30 June 1877, Page 5 (Supplement)

MAIL NEWS.

. I _ ■ ■ '. j The following- account of the terrible guupowder expjpsion, Avhiohtook place sit. Ahmedabacl, appears, m the "Bombay Gazette" of February .'kd [ :— 7/ Aii al^ifttf of fire haying' been given, ss. is' nsualif j shell r'a'shs '(i 1 crowd gathered round the placd, Ayhieli turiied lout1 out to be a Borah's sli'op, AvlicrVaittnt\niujon-i"ind ' firearms were sold. ■ ThH shop hail . been' shut' up for the night, cons^que'ntly the police proceeded 'r> l7urs.t into it. As the'dbor fibSv open a largo cask of gmipo\vder', : which' appear.--: to have.bec'h .leaning against it, tolled oxii anil , immediately '.exploded among the j crowd, j The .scene .Which followed Avas indescribable. " The house m Avhich 1 the shop<Avas, and the next one to it, Avcre so completely blown away that the space whore they stood lookes as if a clean slice had been cut ousof the row. .' Tn ."ninst.-nit a great m::ss of flame, followed by a .dense volume of- smoke, shot into the air, carrying v/ifh it rafters, beams, bricks, and' every tiling. 'So great Avus tlie force " of the explosion. that though the stroet is a very wi(,le rme -'"'some' of 'the liou'<ea opposite caught' fire, and' most" of tlieii- windows and doors were smashed, m one lease a ver'anilnh being torn bodily off. Tlie large beam of the Borah's shop was carried' across the street, and now rests : on the; roof of tho opposite houses. In. front of Ayhore the' shop had been, the street Avas streAVii with the dead- and dying, while the air rang Avith wild, despairing^ heartreiiding shrieks. Flaming figures were to. be seen rushing frantically about, and some poor wretches, ill the liopo of. extinguishing their burning clothing, sprang into a. shallow drinking-tank. which stands hear the scene of the accident ; but, overcoiiie by exhaustion, and fear, fell doAvn ? and "though 'the Avater Avas only a foot or. two m depth, Avere drowned before aid could reach them. The terrified survivors, fearing a second 'explosion,-would-not for some time venture near the spot to the assistance of the injured, many of. Avhoin [ lay as they "had -fatten-; a slight spasmodic movdment of tlie head and chest beiiig the only indication that life still remained m their poor, torn, scorched bodies. It is. difficult to ascertain the exact nuiuber of siHterors, [or> though i>3 u£. the Avorst enscs were immediately conveyed to tlie hospital, many of the injured, we i-e taken charge of by their own friends. . Of -those m the hospital, 15 died dnriug tlie night,; 10 of Avhom Avero women, and there is little hope that aiiy ■ Avill .survive. : Home are entirely blinded, and those who may not, die from actual hurts aro almost certain to succumb to the shock. The scene noxt morning m the hospital was heartrending m the extreme. All around were rows of Avrithing humanity; m some cases A-vith wounds so aAvf ul that all the skni had peeled off their bodies. There Avere altogether eight persons .killed on the spot, four of Avhonvwcre members of the police force. As nearly as can be reckoned, there. Avere about 12H persons more or less injured by the explosion. .. , ■