Ottoman Diplomats
Letters from the Imperial Legation in Brussels (1849–1914)
Synopsis
Explosion d'une cartoucherie à Anvers.
Etienne Carathéodory Effendi informs Saïd Pacha about the catastrophic explosion of the Corvilain cartridge factory in Antwerp, that killed many people. Carathéodory notes that the permission to place the factory next to a large petroleum depot, close to the city centre, testified to an inconceivable carelessness. It was unclear what caused the accident, but the consequences were disastrous. The explosion, that caused considerable damages to the city, happened when the workmen just restarted their work. The fire spread rapidly to the adjacent depot, and could not be stopped as long as it was fuelled by the petroleum. Aid was organized immediately. The total number of casualties was not officially confirmed yet, but the numbers varied from 100 or 150 to at least 300 casualties. According to Carathéodory, this last estimation was not far from the truth. The accident put the communal administration of Antwerp in the right, as it tried to prevent the construction of the factory close to the city centre. Carathéodory hoped that this accident would serve as a warning for all Europe’s ports, where inflammable materials often came together in dangerous conditions.
Facsimiles
| Series | HR.SYS-222-20 |
|---|---|
| Place | Brussels |
| Date | 13-09-1889 |
| Author | Etienne Carathéodory Effendi |
| Recipient | Saïd Pacha |
Names
How to cite
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Consulted online at Ottoman Diplomats: Letters From the Imperial Legation in Brussels (1849–1914) (2014 Edition), Centre for Political History (PoHis), University of Antwerp, <http://dighum.uantwerpen.be/ottomandiplomats/>.
