19 Februarie 1896 |
Die Braamfonteinse dinamietontploffing.
Op hierdie dag, ’n Woensdag, het in Braamfontein ’n verskriklike ontploffing gebeur. Later is vasgestel treinwaens vol dinamiet, bestem vir die goudmyne, het drie dae lank in die son op die stasie gestaan en dit het aanleiding tot die geweldige ontploffing gegee.
‘n Gat van by die vier verdiepings diep is in die grond uitgehol. Huise op Vrededorp, Fordsburg (die omgewing waar die meeste Afrikaners destyds gewoon het) en oral omheen is in puin gelê en ander erg beskadig.
Maria Kloppers, indertyd ‘n werkster van die Vrouesendingbond in Fordsburg en later stigter van die Kinderhawe in Observatory, was net besig in die nuwe kerkie van die NG gemeente Langlaagte op Fordsburg om haar voor te berei op die biduur om drieuur “toe daar ‘n geweldige skok was en die dak op my toesak. Ek sukkel om uit te kom. ‘n Wonder dat iemand lewendig kon uitkom!
“Die deure en balke onder die vloer uitgedruk. Iemand roep: ‘Mej. Kloppers, leef jy nog? Ag, kom tog hierheen!’ Verwoesting, geklaag, geween, gejammer!”
Lyke het oral rondgelê, in baie gevalle so erg vermink, hulle was heeltemal onherkenbaar. Van die beseerdes was ook onherkenbaar, maar kon darem hulle naasbestaandes herken. In ‘n skoolgebou het ‘n ry van hoofde van kinders en grootmense gelê om geëien te word.
Onder die puin was onder andere ook ‘n menigte lede van die VSB se Sondagskool begrawe. Vier en twintig uur ná die ontploffing is klein Francina (2) in ‘n holte onder die puin van hul huis gevind, waar sy met ‘n emmertjie gespeel het met die geraamte van ‘n stoof oor haar. Sy was die eerste van 13 kinders wat die VSB se sendinghuis gebring is. Hieruit is later die Kinderhawe in Observatory gebore.
Gou was ds. P.G.J. Meiring, leraar van die NG gemeente Johannesburg-Oos, en eerw. Daneel op die plekke waar die verwoesting gesaai is. Die tentoonstellingsterrein is ingerig vir die gehawende mense waar hulle in een groot saal geëet het.
Ds. Kriel het tydens die eerste begrafnisdag 127 lyke begrawe. Kiste is op muilwaens aangery. In 10 van die kiste was net stukkies van mensveliggame. Tientalle het aan hulle beserings beswyk en daar was gedurig ‘n begrafnisstoet op pad na die kerkhof.
Die dag ná die eerste begrafnis het hy in die studeerkamer van ds. J.N. Martins van Johannesburg vooroor gesit en soos ‘n kind gesnik.
Soos soveel ander geboue was die nuwe kerk op Fordsburg in puin. Net twee maande vantevore is dit in gebruik geneem, maar nou het daarvan net die mure oorgebly.
Een gewel was tot op die helfte weggeslaan. Die deure en vensters was verbrysel en die dak ingedruk binne die mure in.
Die lidmate kon min doen om dit te help herstel, want hulle was self in ellende gedompel en moes hulle toespits op die herstel van hulle eie blyplek. Boonop was die meeste van hulle arm.
‘n Tent is by die plek opgeslaan en daar is bidure gehou. Talle het om voorbidding kom vra. Mense was oral besig om na hulle dierbares te soek. Huise is in hospitale verander. Uit Dopperdagboek .
Gedenksteen in Braamfontein begraafplaas.
Dynamite explosion
On Wednesday 19th February 1896 at around 3pm, a train of trucks standing in the heat loaded with 55 tons of dynamite on a siding near Braamfontein station exploded after being shunted by a railway engine. The force was so massive that it destroyed every house in the vicinity (Approximately 1500 houses in Braamfontein, Malay Location, Fordsburg and Brickfields, many of them made from corrugated iron, wood or mud) as well as many windows in town. The day happened to be a half-holiday and shops closed up at 1pm leaving town mostly deserted.
There was a massive crater where the train trucks stood measuring 250 feet long, 60 feet wide and 30 feet deep. The noise of the explosion was heard 150kms away in Klerksdorp. Some said it was heard as far as Bloemfontein.
Bodies and limbs of people, horses and donkeys were strewn all around. A work gang of 100 convicts found 78 bodies and collected four boxes of limbs. The general hospital could not cope and the Wanderers was used as a temporary hospital for the overflow. The ice-rink used as a mortuary. President Paul Kruger visited the site and evidently wept openly. History of Braamfontein. Johannesburg 1912. WordPress.
Dynamite explosion
On Wednesday 19th February 1896 at around 3pm, a train of trucks standing in the heat loaded with 55 tons of dynamite on a siding near Braamfontein station exploded after being shunted by a railway engine. The force was so massive that it destroyed every house in the vicinity (Approximately 1500 houses in Braamfontein, Malay Location, Fordsburg and Brickfields, many of them made from corrugated iron, wood or mud) as well as many windows in town. The day happened to be a half-holiday and shops closed up at 1pm leaving town mostly deserted.
There was a massive crater where the train trucks stood measuring 250 feet long, 60 feet wide and 30 feet deep. The noise of the explosion was heard 150kms away in Klerksdorp. Some said it was heard as far as Bloemfontein.
Bodies and limbs of people, horses and donkeys were strewn all around. A work gang of 100 convicts found 78 bodies and collected four boxes of limbs. The general hospital could not cope and the Wanderers was used as a temporary hospital for the overflow. The ice-rink used as a mortuary. President Paul Kruger visited the site and evidently wept openly. History of Braamfontein. Johannesburg 1912. WordPress.
