A CHAPTER OF CALAMITIES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 810, 9 September 1887, Page 19

A CHAPTER OF CALAMITIES.

Writing on July 8 the London correspondent of the Argus says : —‘ ‘ Both Europe and America have this week seen a number of calamities from which considerable loss of life has resulted. One of the most appalling of these catastophes occurred at Jasz Bereny, near Pesth, where 27 soldiers were killed and 40 injured by an explosion of dynamite. A body of engineers from the Hungarian Honved, with several officers, were receiving instructions in the use of explosives. They were drawn up in a semi-circle, and the instructor, for the purpose of illustrating an experiment, set fire to a fuse. This he threw away while alight, and it fell upon a packet of dynamite weighing more than a pound. A fearful explosion immediately followed, and the instructing officer and the surgeon, who stood near, were literally blown to pieces. Antwerp and Bordeaux have also been the scenes of serious explosions. On the sth instant a drug store in the former city was completely destroyed by an explosion of naptha, 10 persons being buried in the burning ruins. At Bordeaux, on the following day, a terrible explosion of guncotton took place at the Government powder works. At the time of the explosion three men were pushing a truck laden with the guncotton, and they were blown to pieces. Two hundred other workmen were knocked down by the shock. When the overseers arrived they found the ground swept clean of everything, and the truck had disappeared. Zug, a pleasant town on the Lake of Geneva, has been visited by a great catastrophe. On the sth instant, part of the new quay, which had just been finished at a cost of £BOOO, collapsed into the lake. For several days past, crevices had been observed in the quay. At half-past 2 on the afternoon of the sth the lake in front of the stonework began to bubble, the quay began to crack, and presently 80ft of it fell into the lake. A dozen people rushed out from a neighboring cafe and were drowned. After a short interval another slip occurred, dragging several houses into the water. The landing stage followed, and a steamer which had just arrived was hurled 100yds forward. Toward 4 o’clock two boats, proceeding to the rescue, were swallowed up. One boatman rose to the surface, the other was seen no more. At the same moment a boatman’s hut with three children in it was precipitated into the lake. Every effort was made to save life and property. Furniture and cattle were hurriedly removed from the threatened quarter. At 7 o’clock the landslips recommenced. Several carts that were transporting furniture sank in the lake. Fifteen houses and 10 huts disappeared within a few minutes ; amongst them was the Hotel de Zurich, the roof of which may still be seen above the water. It was four stories high. A cafe, wherein 10 people were seated, was next engulfed. One hundred and fifty metres of the neighboring street then slowly vanished. Several people had time to jump from windows on the first and second floors, and thus escaped. The third landslip occurred at 11 p.m., carrying five houses into the lake and damaging many others. The village of Clarendon, in Warren county, Pennsylvania, was destroyed by fire in the early part of the week. Upward of 1000 persons have been rendered homeless.