The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1866-04-27
.inOther Terrible Explosion.

Pacific line, at ASpinwall. on the Sd inst.
a terrible explosion occurred with fearful
results The ship was blown TO pieces.
400 feet of her wharf were torn up and
scattered in every direction. the steamer
Caribbean. at 4 wharf hear l,v. w;sS Serl
ously damaged. the splendid freight depot
of the Panama railroad WAS completely
demolished. and scarcely Il hlihlin@ in
Aspinwal was left uniniurcd. The los
cannot be less than $1,000 600. Fifty
persons were instantly killed and seven
teen others were dangerously wounded
Among the killed were nine of the crew
of the European, two clerks of the Pana-
ma railroad and thirteen natives or .Iamai-
cans employed on the wharf or in The
freight houses A small eang of native
iaborers were also killed. Twelve of the
crew of the European survive uninIurei
: FURTHER PARTICULARS.
/ The vessel arrived on the ID and COM
menced dischareing her cargo lii the after
noon. Nearly ali the local freight hal
been delivered. and the explosion occurred
at : o'clock next morning" IL the laborcr>
were umladin% some cases. shipped from
Liverpool as ''Glinoin OIL" but really
containing nitro clycerine There Were
! 20 OF these cases on the vessel. al! shipped
for California The shock blew away
the upper parts of the large plates oil the
side. A volume OF fire aiRl white smoke
assembled high lii the mir. carving lip with
it twenty or thirty men iram the hold al;;l
vessels decks, >par>, bales OF goods per
tons of the upper deck. etc. The Goods
unrolling as they went up an.l descended
in the Fed flames. forming one oi tia llnsi
terribly magnificent >pcctacle~ ever Wit
messed. The wharf, which w;ls some -four
hundred feet long, WAS literally torn Ia
pieces the Supcr.truciure WAS completely
demolished To within :, hundred i,rI ui' tie
freight house. and hardly 4 PLANK remain
ed In the entire length "i tie structure
which WAS not wrcnciic'l from ill., i:i-;cr-
ms Immediately in front ot where th,.
vessel lay a zap w:'> cat Through ihc
wharf. piles. pl;mkine. &c,. all disappear
i'm. The ship and wharf boil. caught
fire, AMI the latter WAS saved from entire
destruction only hv tlie cxcrtion, OF several
citizens, who cot the fire clI.inr To work.
AMI after 4 few hours eNiinnui>hei liz
flames. regardless Of liz ri>k ihry incurred
from another explosion ot the iuIllin-
ship. Almost simultaneously with the
explosion the great iron AMI stated rpni "i
the Panama railroads Stone freight iIo;~c
lifted itself Il hill, from IL walls :lii,l ii.,n
dropped down inside ot them. ~ma~i.im.
the lighter "oo,l- piled in the ilou-,-. and
killing several persons upon whom il .cll
Scarcely 4 bulliing in the place escaped
without more or l,--- damage. tlio-.. ni =.
substantial nature suffering mu~l : l.,.,sly
ali the brick and stone buildings were bad
ly injured Hardly 4 whol,. wimlow OF
%i'>- remains i'll the civ. and It's. ,ie>islc-
lion OF "!a>- warc. crorfrIv :I.,i >..ch ia,
wa~ really wonderful Although many
Vessels We're l,in" In clos. proximity 10
the European a; the liM, a.! the Disaster.
none cNccptin" the Caribbean al i, -.amc
line sustained any serious ,rni:i4c II
.i.i' .>--,,i i......,... i,,.m .i,,I,,-.
nearly twelve inches deep. were ,,apis,i
oil like riPr-s;cm; thirteen OF hcr
frames were broken. and kn,r.~ and braces
OF tile heaviest timber were tern from their
places. The Strain upon the ship must
nave been OF immcn>c. force. ;t.ri noil.iig
but the superior build and structure ii ilic
vessel saved her from bcim" hn,ck,-l 10
pieces. Al her boats. and. in fact. every
thin" OF Il fragile nature. were rendered
useless
The scene in A~i,inwall after the iir>t
explosion cannot bc d,->rriIa.-it WIS lllr-
rowing i'll the extreme. Nlii~a tn, ruins
rave IN air Ui dc>olation 10 lis place. the
m;nglcd and laccrai"d bo,li,~. or pieces of
bodies. 10 bc inst with in every direction
for :: @rcat distance around Ill, scene ui
the disaster, were hrayi-icndia.. and tllc
suffering OF The poor mortai- crushed and
bruised, in whom lie wa- not extinct.
WAS dreadful. Many bodies were doubt
les thrown imio lhr water and picked zap
hy sharks, whilst others are sill buried
beneath the ruins o: the freight hoii>,. and
wharf. or Went down with the ilI-la;cd ship.
SiNty-tllrcc persons are counted among the
killed. wounded or missing. Seventeen
are wounded seriously. iive OF whom will
probably die: al! but these seventeen w,re
probably killed instantly. Among those
known 10 he killed on the ship we're I;,.t.
Cole. MIR. Glass Chief officer. MIR. rai>on.
second officer. ami DE- burrows. surgeon.