The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1866-05-02
NxTRO.GLYCERINE.

@& %5& So
From the pansms Star and Herald, Ann, IL.
II IL our painful duty TO record to day one
Of those. terrible accidents which throw a
gloom over the whole community. and which
occurred q Aspinwall On Tuesday IN ,rniua,
the 81 inst, by the explosion or the British
steamer European, causing the total de.
strncnon or the ship, and the loss Of the
lives OF her captain and the majority OF her
ohcers and crew, as we'll as of several pers
sons resident in Aseinwalb besides doing an
shore. s Fr .yNr
Immediately after tho intelligence was
photographed to Panama, No proceeded to
Asp,nwall TO ascertain IS correctly as posi-
the full extent Of the damaee, particulars
o. which W. arc now able to place before
our readers.
TnE ExPLosfox.
The European arrived Vt Aspinwall on the
morning Of the I'd inst. and on the afternoon
OF the Same day came alongside the railroad
company's wharf, generally used by this
line, and commenced discharging her cargo
Nearly, if not all, tho local freight had been
delivered, when about o'clock on the morn !.
Ing Of the 81. . terrific explosion occurred
on board, which tore away the upper parts
OF tue SHIP and blew away large plates off
the side The wharf mt which the vessel
was unloading, and which was some 400 feet
long, was literally torn TO pieces; the super
structure was completely demolished 10
within 100 feet Of the freight house, and
hardly plank remained in the entire len 9Th
OF the structure which was not wrenched
from its fastenings. Immediately in front
o. where the vessel lay. gap was cut thro'
the wharf. piles, planking, ETC., all disap-
ortn Thn oh
fire, and the latter was ,saved from entire
destruction only BY the exertions Of several
citizens, who got the FIRE engine to work, aud
after few hours extinguished the flames.
regardless Of tho risk they incurred from
another explosion Of the burning ship. The
=. K. Il. Co 3 splendid freight house Is left
q pile Of ruins The force Of cir caused by
the conclusion seems 10 have raised the roof
which was constructed Of iron and slate
upwards, few feet, its own weight bring
Ing 1t down with immense force into the
building. and carrying with il both the end
walls, leaving tAe house, excepting the side
walls, which appear but little, IL at all in-
jured. mass OF ruins. It would be difficult
to imagine more complete wreck than that
presented by the freight house and wharf.
DISTRACTIONS o. PROPERTY.
Scarcely building in the place escaped
without moro or less damage, those Of
substantial nature suffering most; nearly all
the brick and stone buildings were badly
injured; but the freight house is the only
one We heard Of which was rendered unin-
habitable. Hardly whole window Of glass
remains In the city, and the destruction Of
glassware, crockery, and such like. is really
wonderful. Although many vessels were
lying in close proximity to the European at
the time Of the disaster, none excepting the
Caribbean, Of the same line, sustained any
serious damage The last named vessel was
moored at the opposite side Of the wharf
from the European, and received very seri-
Gus injury. Her hull externally appears
untouched; but the effect OF the conclusion
internally was very severe. We are assured
that some immense iron Orders, nearly II
inches deep, were snapped of like pipe
stems; 13 Of her frames were broken. and
knees and braces Of the heaviest timber
were torn from their places. The strain
upon the ship must have been Of immense
force, and nothing but the superior build
and structure Of the vessel saved her from
being knocked to pieces. All her boats,
and, in fast, everything Of fragile nature,
were rendered useless.
DREADFUL LOSS or LIFE.
The most awful part Of the catastrophe
was the dreadful loss Of life and suffering
attending it. or the number Of killed and
missing II is impossible to give correct es.
innate. but from present data the number
may be safely put down at fifty, and is, We
fear, more likely to prove over this number
than under it. OF the forty one men COM
prising the crew Of the European, nine
have been killed and twelve are missing.
Two clerks engaged on the Wharf.-The.
Swanson, Of the West India and Pacific
Steamship Company, were both instantly
killed. and OF thirteen natives or Jamaicans
employed on the wharf and in ito freight-
house, none are supposed to have been
saved; besides it 10 believed small gaog Of
native laborers who had gone on board the
unfortunate steamer have met the fate Of the
others II will be several days before COR
rect estimate can be made Of the loss
Many bodies were no doubt thrown iuto the
water and picked up BY sharks, whilst 9TH
srs arc still buried beneath the ruins Of the
freight-house and wharf. or went down with
the Inflated ship. The scene ia Aspinwall,
amer the first explosion, cannot be described
lit was narrowing In the extreme. Whilst
the ruins gave IN air Of desolation to the
place, the mangfed and lacerated bodies, or
pieces Of bodies, 10 be met with in every
direction for . great distance around the
ruin OF the disaster, were heart.rending, and
the sufering Of the poor mortals, crushed
and bruised, Ia whom lilo was not extinct,
vas really dreadful.
a SECOND ExrEoslox S1ARED.
Fears being entertained that second ex-
plosion would occur, and g the oause Of the
disasteF was still unknown, and none Of the
eGoers Or crew Of the ship were left who
oeuld give any explalation Of the cause, il
wae thought bet 70 have Tho burning ship
tewed into the stream The royal mail
steamship Taaar. Capk Noir, which has
arrived The eveaing pfev1eus, immediately
got up stsan and prepared % iov out The |
burning ship; bat before this could be &C.
plishsd another sxplosioa took place, though
NOT Of su1icient forse to cause. any injury. |
II Vas supposed 10 10 the magasioe which |
contained . small quantity Of powder for |
ships use. The lamar then made fast to |
The burning hulk and towed ~ eut The |
two vessels had barely reached the opposite |
side Of the bay when anothee Explosion |
more terrific than the hrst oecufred, but |
fortunately the ship being far from the city |
and In deep water no harm resulted. The /
last explosion 10 supposed to have broken
up the hall, - In less than half IN hour the /
ullersunate ship vent Aown.Es The top Of
her smoke stack = THO only part now
At Arst the cause u the explosion was
wrapped In ,m5stery, and -, no one was
saved from the wreck who copld give any |.
satisfactory explanation all Was left to con-
lecture. A boiler explosion was imnossiblo I