TERRIBLE EXPLOSION AT ROME.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7870, 22 May 1891, Page 5

TERRIBLE EXPLOSION AT ROME.

On the morning of April 23rd a tremer* dous explosion shook the city of Rome to it 3 treading terror and dismay on all aides. The people rushed affrighted from.their homos into, th© streets, houses rocked, pictures fell from the walls, thousands of pases of glass were broken, evej-ywhere crockery was shattered, fundfure overturned, and chimneys crashed down upon the roofs, and in some instances toppled over into the streets below. The cupolas on the Hoiises of immediately after the explosion, shook violently, and then collapsed with a crash which added still further to the feeling of terror. The scenes in the streets and the houses after thJa fearful explosion have possibly iievar befow been equaltetf daring the history of modern Europe. The tawwrmghfares wereyetrewa # *X" hurled there by toe kstoo of th*

powerful concussion. Doors, windows and cupboards were burst open, rents and cracks appeared in the wafb, plaster fell from people "were thrown from their beds hy the shock, and cries of terror Jtllcd the air as thousands of farxuliea rushed out into tha streets. "When something like order was restored, the real cause of the explosion became known. It was discovered that an immense Eowder magazine at Plazzo Pont Leo, four ilometres from Borne, had exploded, and that it had caused enormous damage to a neighboring fort. Previous to the final explosion the officer in command heard a rumbling sound, and ordered the soldiers to leave the fort, and thus a terrible disaster was averted. As it was, several peasants who were in the vicinity of the scene were killed, and a number of others more or less injured. The Vatican shook with the rest of the buildings, and several famous historical stained glass windows were shattered. The full amount of damage is not Juiown, but the loss is very severe.