SCENES OF HORROR

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17385, 23 April 1928, Page 5

SCENES OF HORROR

BULGARIAN ’QUAKES. CITY LAID IN RUINS. HEARTRENDING INCIDENTS. PANIC STRICKEN POPULACE. (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Australian Press Assn.—United Service.) SOFIA. April 21. Details of the earthquakes which have, occurred in Ihc past, few days are now beginning to emerge from the devastated areas in Bulgaria. They show that the main disturbance was the most teriilflc one of the kind in European memory. • There were 50 more severe shocks yesterday, making 150 in three days. It is now definitely established that 120 people were killed and that 400 others were injured. Furthermore it is impossible to calculate the number of people still lying beneath ruins. The taking of a census is difficult as the terrified populations of the various districts are scattered in all directions. Many have lost their reason and are wandering in a demented state about the country. r l’hc whole of the people of Bulgaria arc the victims of panic and arc expecting the end of the world. Even in Sofia the population spent Thursday night in the parks or fields and refused to return to their houses yesterday. Philippopolis Laid in Waste. The historic city of Philippopolis has been laid waste just as it was in 1818. Entire streets of houses have collapsed, and by the crashing masonry the principal streets have been obliterated. The railway station is an unrecognisable mass of broken bricks and twisted rails. There was a terrible scene at the Public Hospital. Frantic patients fought to reach the windows while the building was rocking and then threw themselves to the ground. Many insane people rushed out into the streets shouting hysterically. The desolation is widespread. Fifteen towns, villages and hamlets have disappeared under masses of splintered debris. The earthquakes were accompanied by strange thunder beneath the earth and by rustling, whistling sounds in the air. People in the streets, as they were rushing for safety, were struck down by bricks and cornices from large buildings. Fire broke out in Philippopolis, and soon gigantic flames were devouring tlie ruins. The earthquakes continued throughout last night at intervals of 15 minutes, sometimes swaying the ear Hi and at other times taking the form, of sharp shakes beneath the feet. A fresh building collapsed with each shock. Public buildings, schools, workshops, factories and railway stations crashed amid a terrifying rumble, which gave way to shrieks of the wounded and dying. Panic-stricken people everywhere poured through the streets—sobbing human beings choking in the dust and smoke. At Papazil, a few miles from Philippopolis, 10 children were trapped in a burning school and burned to deatn. There was a terrible contrast at the village of Solebclovo. There people escaped from their homes only to he menaced by swirling waters from the burst water-mains. Part of Ihe railway connecting Philippopolis with Sofia was thrown up like a toy line and another portion sank to a depth of 2ft. Panic broke out among ilie prisoners in ihc gaol at Zagora. They made frantic attempts to escape. Strange Phenomena. All kinds of strange phenomena accompanied Ihe latest disturbances and added to the horror. Huge chasms have appeared in fields and roads, and in some cases they are slowly closing again. Many people are camping in motorcars, waggons and tents on open spaces. There were continual processions around ihe ruined outskirts of Philippopolis of people chanting expiatory psalms and calling on all to repent their sins.

King Boris, the Prime Minister, jVL Liaplehcff. and members of the Cabinet are aiding in the relief work, which is greatly hampered by the general disorganisation of traffic. The Paris-Constantinople and the Simplon express trains cannot he run, and there is a danger of famine in many districts which were short of food before the shocks.

Superstitious people are blaming the Government, saying it challenged the Divine wrath by holding Parliamentary sessions on Good Friday. A tlift’d series of shocks occurred last night. These especially affected I-laskovo, a town 44 miles from Philippopolis, which had largely escaped in the former shocks. Tremors continued all night and numerous houses were damaged. ’The residents were already camping ouL and escaped.

Philippopolis (Plovdiv district) is the second largest city in Bulgaria. It is about 80 miles southeast of the capital, Sofia. It is an important commercial centre for tobacco and rice, both of which arc grown in the district, attar of roses and wine. The population ol’ the city when the last census was I a ken on December 31, 1920, was 63.415, and of tlie district of Plovdiv 488,181. Jl is a very ancient city, and was named after King Philip of Maecdon (died 336 8.C.). It was raptured by Hie Goths, who are said to have slain 100,000 of ils inhabitants. It was sacked again in J 205 and in 1818 it was practically destroyed by an earthquake. ’There arc many fine public buildings, palaces, churches and mosques in the city.

A noted Italian seismologist. Professor Bendandi, whose prophesies last year coincided with various calamities, predicted recently that a great telluric movement would occur simultaneously in Southern Europe and the South Pacific. He named March 23 and 24 as critical days, and that “April would he an uneasy month in many parts of the globe.” There was a destructive earthquake in Mexico on March 22. and another on March 25, and on March 26 .many persons were killed and much damage done by an earthquake in the Carnic Alps in North Italy. 'The shocks in Bulgaria came last week.