A RUSSIAN DISASTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6817, 22 September 1883, Page 2 (Supplement)

A RUSSIAN DISASTER.

We have had, writes a" St. Petersburg correspondent, plenty of disasters, in St. [Petersburg this summer, and the old saying, "It is an ill wind that blows nobody good," does certainly not stand the test in tbeao cases. Three large factories have been destroyed by fire and many hundreds of the working class have been thrown out of employmont. To make ltworse a fearful gunpowder explosion occurred on Friday last, hilling and wounding a great number qf pfersonsand destroying a, solid Btono building. The explosion took place about nine a.m. in tho gunpowder mill at Okhta, a. part of St. Petersburg. The effect of the explosion was fearful. Bight hundred pounds of powder exploded, with a rietona'.ion which was heard miles away. The shock was so terrible that the windows were shattered in every house within a mile distant. The distress signal was given from ono of the surrounding factory buildinga—as if a second signal had been accessary i—and in a few moments cho ground was full of people—young and old, women and children, calling out loudly the names of their husbands and relatives, and filling tho air' with their cries and lamentations. A dense white cloud lingered the spot, and nobody dared to come near fearing a Sf-cond explosion from the surrounding buildings, where there waa still a large store of gunpowder. As the smoke at last cleared away a heartrending scene presented itself to the spectator. The buildings whore the explosion took place had disappeared ; a heap of smoking ruins was all that was lt.fl:; a piercing Cry of despair would toll now and then of some poor mother or wife having recognized husband or son ; but there was not much possibility oE recognition; tho poor victims had teen torn to pieces by the terrible explosions and their scorched and bleeding remains lay scattered all round. Yonder a man is climbing a tree ; he thinks to recognise an arm. stuck between two branches as that at bis brother ; now he sorrowfully proceeds to search for further remains ; near the wall he finds a leg, further off of the entrails, &o.—but do these parts belong?