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Cologne evacuates 20,000 after bomb find
Source: The Local (Germany)
Authorities In Cologne have begun the biggest evacuation since Second World War of around 20,000 people after a 1,000 kg bomb was found in the north-east of the city.
Bild reports that the evacuations are taking place in the Riehl and Mülheim districts of town.
The inhabitants of a retirement home and a home for disabled people all have to be evacuated, often by ambulance. The schools in the area are closed, as is the zoo.
...
The bomb, an American weapon from the Second World War, was found during work on an underground heating system.
Read more: http://www.thelocal.de/20150527/huge-bomb-causes-biggest-evacuation-since-war
Also in German feared-explosion news:
North Sea ship evacuated off Germany amid blast fears
A crew have abandoned a container ship a few miles off the German coast amid fears that its cargo of fertiliser could explode.
Fire broke out on Monday night in the hold of the Purple Beach, as it headed for the German port of Brake.
...
A total of 36 people were taken to hospital for treatment for inhaling toxic gas, although no-one was said to be in a serious condition.
Maritime emergency officials issued an alert to nearby islands as well as mainland areas of northern Germany because of the cloud of malodorous gas.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32897890
A crew have abandoned a container ship a few miles off the German coast amid fears that its cargo of fertiliser could explode.
Fire broke out on Monday night in the hold of the Purple Beach, as it headed for the German port of Brake.
...
A total of 36 people were taken to hospital for treatment for inhaling toxic gas, although no-one was said to be in a serious condition.
Maritime emergency officials issued an alert to nearby islands as well as mainland areas of northern Germany because of the cloud of malodorous gas.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32897890
http://www.dw.de/image/0,,18478300_303,00.jpg
16 replies
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where children with missing limbs are a common sight.
The land mines are still a daily scourge.
The first skirmishes occurred on the morning of August 25. The bulk of the miners were still 15 mi (24 km) away. The following day, President Warren Harding threatened to send in federal troops and Army Martin MB-1 bombers. After a long meeting in the town of Madison, the seat of Boone County, agreements were made convincing the miners to return home. However, the struggle was far from over. After spending days to assemble his private army, Chafin was not going to be denied his battle to end union attempts at organizing Logan County coal mines. Within hours of the Madison decision, reports came in that Sheriff Chafin's men were deliberately shooting union sympathizers in the town of Sharples, West Virginia, just north of Blair Mountain—and that families had been caught in crossfire during the skirmishes. Infuriated, the miners turned back towards Blair Mountain, many traveling in other stolen and commandeered trains.
By August 29, battle was fully joined. Chafin's men, though outnumbered, had the advantage of higher positions and better weaponry. Private planes were hired to drop homemade bombs on the miners. A combination of gas and explosive bombs left over from the fighting in World War I were dropped in several locations near the towns of Jeffery, Sharples and Blair. At least one did not explode and was recovered by the miners; it was used months later to great effect during treason and murder trials following the battle. On orders from the famous General Billy Mitchell, Army bombers from Maryland were also used for aerial surveillance. One Martin bomber crashed on the return flight, killing the three members of the crew.[35][36] Sporadic gun battles continued for a week, with the miners at one time nearly breaking through to the town of Logan and their target destinations, the non-unionized counties to the south, Logan and Mingo. Up to 30 deaths were reported by Chafin's side and 50–100 on the union miners' side, with hundreds more injured. By September 2, federal troops had arrived. Realizing he would lose a lot of good miners if the battle continued with the military, union leader Bill Blizzard passed the word for the miners to start heading home the following day. Miners fearing jail and confiscation of their guns found clever ways to hide rifles and hand guns in the woods before leaving Logan County. Collectors and researchers to this day are still finding weapons and ammunition embedded in old trees and in rock crevices. Thousands of spent and live cartridges have made it into private collections.
Following the battle, 985 miners were indicted for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, accessory to murder, and treason against the State of West Virginia. Though some were acquitted by sympathetic juries, many were also imprisoned for a number of years, though they were paroled in 1925. It would be Bill Blizzard's trial where the unexploded bomb was used as evidence of the government and companies' brutality, and ultimately resulted in his acquittal.
A group of miners display one of the bombs dropped by Chafin's airplanes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Blair_Mountain
By August 29, battle was fully joined. Chafin's men, though outnumbered, had the advantage of higher positions and better weaponry. Private planes were hired to drop homemade bombs on the miners. A combination of gas and explosive bombs left over from the fighting in World War I were dropped in several locations near the towns of Jeffery, Sharples and Blair. At least one did not explode and was recovered by the miners; it was used months later to great effect during treason and murder trials following the battle. On orders from the famous General Billy Mitchell, Army bombers from Maryland were also used for aerial surveillance. One Martin bomber crashed on the return flight, killing the three members of the crew.[35][36] Sporadic gun battles continued for a week, with the miners at one time nearly breaking through to the town of Logan and their target destinations, the non-unionized counties to the south, Logan and Mingo. Up to 30 deaths were reported by Chafin's side and 50–100 on the union miners' side, with hundreds more injured. By September 2, federal troops had arrived. Realizing he would lose a lot of good miners if the battle continued with the military, union leader Bill Blizzard passed the word for the miners to start heading home the following day. Miners fearing jail and confiscation of their guns found clever ways to hide rifles and hand guns in the woods before leaving Logan County. Collectors and researchers to this day are still finding weapons and ammunition embedded in old trees and in rock crevices. Thousands of spent and live cartridges have made it into private collections.
Following the battle, 985 miners were indicted for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, accessory to murder, and treason against the State of West Virginia. Though some were acquitted by sympathetic juries, many were also imprisoned for a number of years, though they were paroled in 1925. It would be Bill Blizzard's trial where the unexploded bomb was used as evidence of the government and companies' brutality, and ultimately resulted in his acquittal.
A group of miners display one of the bombs dropped by Chafin's airplanes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Blair_Mountain