Fatal Explosion at Antwerp.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6753, 6 February 1892, Page 2

Fatal Explosion at Antwerp.

A FRENCH BABQUE BLOWN TO PIECES. A terrible disaster occurred at Antwerp on Dec. 23rd. A French barque, having on board a quantity of dynamite was lying at the Kaihennyk Quay, when a great explosion occurred on board. Some of the crew were on board and wore blown to pieces. Several fragments of human bodies were picked up. The barque was shattered, and immediately sank. Much damage was done by the explosion, and hundreds of windows were smashed, and other properly was injured. The vessel had been discharged of a cargo of dynamite, but two men on board kept some back, stowing it away. These men were among the killed. A vessel loaded with grain lying near was sunk, and several other vessels were damaged, some persons on them were killed, and 30 or 40 more were injured. The report of this case set an English con • temporary to turning up cases of fatal accidents from dynamite, with the following result : —One of the earliest dynamite accidents, in 18S9, was caused by the loading up of two carts at Carnarvon for Lord Penrhyn’s quarries at Llauberis. On tin leaked in the foremost cart. 3bo second horse put his foot on a drop, and nothing has ever been seen of the two men, two horses, and two carts since, while three other persons were killed, and a new railway station half-wrecked, and two huge holes were made in the road. No one is likely to forget the yet earlier explosion on* the Town Moor at Newcastle, on which the magistrate had ordered a lot of surreptitious dynamite to be buried. The pit was dug, but it was too small. The Irishman in charge was believed to have tried to make the oases fit by " jobbing” one with his spade. That Hibernian and bis mates have never been hsard of since, nor the sheriff and town surveyor who were superintending. A tinful, hanging against a wall killed five yonng people taking shelter from a storm at Greenock in 1870. These instances of terror from this cause in the United Kingdom might be multiplied.