THE CHINA: MAIL, SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 1959;
ELEVEN SHIPS, 1,000 PEOPLE PERISHED WHEN...
Someone dropped a cigarette end
—AND BOMBAY WENT UP IN SMOKE
THE day that Bombay erupted into a vast cloud of yellow, acrid smoke was one of the worst explosive disasters of all time. It was also one of the best-kept secrets of the war.
Nearly
a thousand civilians
and servicemen were blown out of existence on that grim day
of April 14, 1944.
not
It happened 15 years ago. But shrouded in secrecy by war- time security laws, it was until recent years that the full facts of this cutastrophie were
made knownL
The Bombay harbour explo- slow, which started as a smal! fire in the hold of a ship, was one of those tragedies which should never Juve happened.
And
it
would
probably
By
Graham Wilson
and grew-coming quickly to Many of the dead need not the surface of the colton. have perished. After the first
Obviously its sourco was explosion the survivors raced deep down. Yet those who for safety--but were 'stopped at fought the fre so tirelessly the dock gates by an DULT- were convinced that the ship zealous policeman who insisted could still be saved.
on aceing their passes.
They all lost their lives with the second great eruption.
never have happened but for Superintendent,
Col. J. R. Sadler, the Port was in the most difficult dilemma of lus
the fact that a large part of the ship's CATKO fish, and
the over-bearing sea, to be scuttled, the situa smell upset the seamen
tion would be almost certainly
was dried life. If he ordered the ship to Tidal Wave
Explosives
As soon ns the ship docked, 24 hours earlier, the fish was unloaded, while hundreds of tons of explosive which should have been given priority, were left in the holds.
KNOW BUSINESS Roderick Mann
SHOW
Noelle Adam
Sanders tells the
story of
Albert the butler
I
HAVE not forgiven
Mr George Sanders.. for getting married. If ever Show Business had a case for breach of promise, this is it.
His honeyed words - poured into my receptive cars over lunch at the Ritz -are still fresh In my mind.
*Marriage," he said, "ie on Hapatural relationship Thu ical thing is to be a bachelor with a good butler. I have Albert. He arranges the flowers in my cur, puta mothballs In my pants. fa fact he does everything. And he is superior to a wife because he does not
SRITY
·TROCAL LA
Mr Sanders-tha happy philosopher.
argue with me nor question ferense, really, is that one is on
what time I get home."
What sense, I had thought, as the rage sat there, pleased with his Danegyric, immaculata his Albert-pressed sult.
In
better trading terms with one's wife,"
"Had he rushed to the doctor, like a good valetudinarian, he would be alive today. The trick is to have some minor all- meni which makes you per- manently conscious of your health. A touch of arthritis, or something of that kind, and you're a safe bet to live to 00," "If you ever write a book," I said, it will probably be re- quired
reading
Herley Street."
"Curious you should say that," cald Sanders. "I am in the middle of my autobiography ot the moment." .:
hear that your ex-wife,
* Zsa Zsa Gabor is also willing a book," I said. "Did you know that when you got engaged to Benita Husie, Zsa Zsa cried for three days without stopping?"
"I didn't," said Sanders, "but it that in the case, I fear har book: will bo considerably longer hun mine."
..
Not Talking
"Talking about bullers," I said, "where is Albert now?” J. CALL Sidney Chaplin at his
Tented flat "Gone," said Sanders, "Gone Terres,
ün Chester N.W. Miss Noello Adam, his constant companion, answers the phone.
A week later the fraud got for ever."
engaged to Benita Hume.
"He probably never got over the way you sold him up the
HERE'S THE SECRET river," I sald.
Recently I went round to see Mr Sanders who is in Britofa to nun A Touch of Larceny with James Mason and flung the words right back at hip.
"Ho wag
line butler," agreed Mr Sanders. There was a moment's allence for Albert.
Then Sanders salu;-
ALWAYS BUSY
He received те 'cordially, offered me a chair, and walted
"I do not mind being alone, until I had finished abusing him. you know, and that is a con- Of his wile there was no sign. Take a man like Tyrene Power aldorable source of strength
Was
sle Probably
outside somewhere. washing his car.
wwwho
died while we were in Spain togeher making Solomon Then, to that remarkable and Sheba. volco which is only halt an "He hated to be alone. He octave away from a yawn, ha was what I call the train- maid: "You must, remember that meeting type-always on voice on the phone (see Not Talking). I am a mat Of parts, What I go."
said about the joys of bachelor- Do you think that affected hood I meant. Being a bachelor his health?"
My Conscience
by Marty Wilde
MARTY WILDE, a
the
R.M. to N.A.: La Mr Chaplin in?
N.A to S.C. (not even sotto voce): Are you in
8.C. to N.A.: No.
N.A. 10 R.M.: No.
IM. to N.A.: When do you expect him?
N.A to 8.0.: expect you?
When do
I
B.C. to NA: Later. N.A. to RM. Later, R.M. I won't call. Good- byo.
M
N.A: Goodbye,
High Priced
now
TR BURT LANCASTER gets 1,000,000 dollars every picture he, starw in.
is Ane; but being married to "Undoubtedly," said Sanders. He is so expensive, he
Benita is fine too. And if I went back to being a bachelor again tomorrow, it would still be fine."
"Keep talking," I said,
"Though Tyrone would never tells me, that he can
no
have died had he been * longer afford to hire himself valetudinarion."
"A how much?""'
as an actor for his own in. "A valetudinarian," said dependent production com-
Sanders witheringly. pany. "You know someone unduly
M
QUOTE-from Ingrid Berg-
solicitous about his Kealth. man: "I don't believe in anger,
I am convinced, that vale haic, or revenge. They pro tudinartanlam is the clue to such exhausting emotions." longevity,
QUOTE—from Hedy Lamarr: Any girl can look glamorous. All you have to do in stand still and look stupid."
"The acxret," he said, "is to be a good businessman with one's emotions. If one is that, presents no problem. Just count ten. And keep my One pays a price for living mouth shut,
Blone even if looked after by tame rock 'n' roll
"Tyrone had already had "You see,
a butter like Albert.. what sometimes
couple of warnings from his , saved.
In the harbour Itself the singer who modestly at worries me is that I'll do some- "Equally one pays a price for heart-but because he felt it But was it so serious? Col, conflagration had
atributes his success sprend
into being married. to thing wrong and get
The only du- lie Ignored them. Sadler decided not, He knew deadly mantle of fire over
trouble. Then people will point of the danger from the ex- everything and the colossal his hard-working-class at my mum and dad in the plosive but he knew also upheaval caused a tidal wave parents and.
tireless street high-class agent, may "Of course, they point now, become a highbrow ac friendly way tor.
of the old cargo the ship was to sweep a destructive courac, carrying.
It was worth £2,000,000 and the Colonel was determined to save it if he humanly could. He ordered the ship to remain at anchor, and the firemen to con- tinue their mammoth battle.
So the gold played its part in
That a stench, no matter how strong, could.coul mony lives sounds impossible. But consider the feets of this unhappy story. the tragedy.
In the massive Bombay har-
bour at 1044, Allied ships, used Scene Of Carnage
Its onslaught mapped haw
sers like string and pounded ships mercilessly against the walls. Eleven of them were total wrecka, nins athere were, terribly damaged.
for wartime naval encounters all over the world, were constantly By-now-the fire, at first so who were still living. coming and going.
bard to trace, was 'n blistering,
But
in D they point
лке,
Recently, Casper Wrede, the SEEN at London Air- One 5,000-ton coaster wax man who produced Sir Laurence port: Old Vic star John lifted bodily from the surging Olivier's television play, water and flung down on the || "Gabriel Bockman," admitted Neville taking his own quayside with its back broken. he wants Wide for a new play photograph in the four-
For three days, and nightshe may produce at the cultural- survivors fought Urelessly an minded · Lyric, Hammersmith. - poses « or « two-shillings herole battle to reste others. SJORES DE TE
machine. He was waiting "Sometimes,"
Wilde sold The 7,000-ton British freighter scorching Interno. Smoke thick one of the
Icalle John Hall, chief of polemnly, "I wonder it I'm to fly to Yugoslavia Fort Strikenebulit only a year and black poured in great chok-
works brigades, worth it. I mean all this fies for a 13-day tour with before was just another of the ing clouds out of the holds.
wore himself down directing and £1,000 a week. But then I the operations channelling his think so what? As long to... the Old Vic company, ww===ti}0Yav་ཀྱིན་ཡོད་
lant firemen were It arrived on April 13, with forced back, and back by the best work. cargo that was typical of the intense heat radiating from the times- vast amount of fish side of the ship. The steel from Hull and Grimsby, some plates were glowing red hot.
**hion" where they could do the other people think on whe
all right.
Inspector Willam Edward Greene, injured already by the cotton, 155 gold ingots... and At 4 p.m.. with a mighly roar, explosion, leapt into the flam-
and the ship exploded, thrusting an
ugly mushroom of yellow
of ammunition
ing
waters to rescuo three scamen. They all
survived. Afterwards he WOR swarded
'I STINK'
notices Following the rave for her first. Hollywood per- formance in The Sound and tho 1,700 tons
Fury," Margaret Leighton is high explosive.
being tempted to return, The Consider that cargo well-smoke thousands of feet up into the George Medal.
*You see, I have the answer ball; the starring role in "The right off to people who my I Best of Everything," story of for every alogie liêm had a the sky,
A to career girls in New York, striking part to play in the Only minutes later a second the rest of the elly, and there,
Dut the are was spreading to stink. People who say that
what disaster which was to follow. explosion, aven
do they dot 1 sort of big-city "Peyton Place." more powerful
Tuppose they might make five
-London Expreza Servics. First the cotton. Packed into and devastating rocked the city was no one to stop it. the hold of the SS. Fort to its very foundations,
Almost the entire fire brigade people happy in their life. Striken it was used as a
had been When the thick fumes thinned Initial explosion.
wiped out by the "buffer" for the ammunition out, a scene of carnage was laid and explosive-packed tightly bare. above and below the dangerous cargo.
Wisp Of Smoke
Early in the afternoon of April 14, un Indlan docker sw a slim win of smoke climbing skywards from the cotton in No. #hold,
He knew its terrible signific- anco and rushed from the hold to give the alarm. The warn- ing sprend
Swiftly the Red Flay- signifying that an ammunition. ship was ablaro-was hoisted to the mast of the Fort Strikena. Almost simultaneously every ship in the harbour blared out the dread news with their alarm whistles.
Within minutes Bombay, City are brigado-and the shaller
The 18 are engines and
"But me, I make maybe 5,000 people a day happy. I'd sooner make people happy than minka Troops Brought In atom bombs Australia, 'Course, It's useful to make their crews who had been The blaze swept the length of deterrents to keep people away
Bombay and moved steadily from you. I know that. fighting' the fire all through northwards.
.. Troopa were I'd rather entertain people the afternoon had been ob. brought in to cut off the ad-myself.”
Iterated
from thi
But
vance. They met destruction
Certainty, Wilde is a boy earth, with destruction, by blowing up
and tearing down whole blocks with
valuable
Not a trace of them remained, of valuable bulldings,
1
Mociat conscienco- asset in highbrow.
Soon a broad path was clear theatrical circles, Within a radius of a quar ed over which there could
not loop.... Gradually it was He said: "I want to ket; a
control
fer of a mile not a building conquered and brought under good example to teenagers.
remained standing. 'vity But by that Umea large and be proud.
warehouses
had been wiped out The Fort Strikene, still blazing, was rapidly breaking
up.
Every person within half
brigades kept in readinces at mile of the ship was desd. the docis-esped to the 'scéno.·
***** | want the kids to look up to me.
section of Bombay had been destroyed, and the city had, lost "You see, like, I've got my a billion dollars "worth of pro- problemi. 1.1 spit in the street porty. Not only had hundreds never pit in the street of people lost their lives, but incidentally but if I did 20 soveral ·thound - more were people would soo me and the "badly, injured).
A hide would hear about it and ***The cause of it was sheer | they might all start spitting. *, cureleasesz. A Commission; of
Firemen pumped, thousands (a grim toll offcially, estimated
·Inquiry / vuled out (asbotage, "And Ta be sorta responsible, The explosion?" toga caused): 15 || 10 MYKO, isometimes I wanta some, decided, (by a “ omralessly | shout, myinmouth
of gallons of water into the at the time at 980, but later - discarded volgarette-and, on all people ja They really gut, on thy ghold: But still the firs rúgvil, said to be at least 900,
match.
-(London Express Service).
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