CHANGE OF WIND

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 22 May 1928, Page 5

CHANGE OF WIND

SAVES HEAVY MORTALITY

(Received 22nd Mav, 12.20 p.m.) LONDON,, 21st May

The Hamburg explosion, which was not loud and was not destructive, war. immediately followed by a great volume of death-dealing fumes spreading over the. city.

Police and firemen, aided by ammonia, periodically struggled to rescue victims, nine of whom collapsed and died, while the fate of ji great portion ot the city was in the balance.

The situation was saved by a' merciful change of wind, which veered in such a manner as to blow the gas towards the isolated neighbourhood. A heavy rainfall also helped to disperse it, but the danger was not considered past until this morning.

Had the wind changed to the opposite direction, towards the congested parts, it is impossible to estimate the. havoc the gas cloud would have caused. It is stated that there was sufficient gas to wipe out an army. Thene is considerable discussion at present as to why a German firm was in possession of phosgene, which is forbidden in Germany by the Versailles Treat v.

Professor Haber, the most competent authority on poison gas, declares it is only manufactured in Germany in the smallest quantities for dye purposes. It is one of the most dangerous gases. Half a gramme in one cubis foot of air was sufficient to kill. He is unable to understand where it came from, as it is stored with a limited number of firms under the greatest precautions. The firm concerned alleged that it- was old war material, destined partly to destruction and partly for export to the United States. It is now believed that eleven are dead.