The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-04-25
The Catastrophe at Aspinwall.
Terrible Efecis OF the Explosion Of
Nitro -Giyceriae-sixiy three Persons
Killed, WOEnded and Missing-A
Rritish steamer Blown 30 Pieces

|
KILLED, WoEnded and Missing
British steamer Bicwn 10 Pieces
If appears from the detailed account
that the wrarf at which the vessel wa
unloading, and which was som, 400 fee
long, was literally torn to pieces thu
structure was completely demolished t.
within g hundred feet Of the freight
house, and hardly plank remained il
the entire length of the structure that
was not wrenched from its fastenings
Immediately in front of where the YES
sci Law, a gap was cut through the
wharf, piles, plankipg, etc, all disappear
ing. The ship and wharf both caught
fire, and the latter was saved from en-,
tire destruction only by the e4ertions Of
several citizens, who got the fire engine
TO work and after few hours e1tin'
puished the flames. regardless Of the risk
they incurred from another explosion Of
the burning ship
The Panama Railroad Company s
freight dspot was left a pile OF ruins, the
entire structure being. as II were, lifted
from the ground several feet Scarcely
a building in the place escaped without
damage Many homes are rendered IN
tenable, and scarcely a whole window
of glass remains in the city The des,
truction of glass ware, mirrors and
crockery ware was wonderful. AT the
time the explosion occurred there were
q number of vessels lying near the
European, but none received any serious
damage with the exception Of the steam.
ho
vessel was marvellous, and shows the If
resistible power Of the explosive agents
Some immense iron girders, nearly
twelve inches deep, we're snapped asun-
der like pipe-stems thirteen OF her
frames were broken, and knees and bra
ces of the heaviest timber were torn
from their places All her boats, and in
fact everything attached to her OF a
fragile nature were rendered useless A
Panama paper says:
The most awful part of The catastro
phe is the dreadful loss OF life and the
suffering attending it. OF the number
killed and missing no correct estimate
can be given, bnt the number can safely
be put down at fifty There have been
buried IN to the present time, 90; missing
from the ship, II; missing from the
Shore s; seriously wounded in hospital
of whom s will probably die. Ia. total,
G9 Besides this number there many
wounded carried to their homes Of the
Al men comprising the crew OF the Euro
pean, 9 have been killed and II are
missing Two clerks engaged on the
wharf were instantly killed and OF Il
natives of Jamaica employed ON the
wharf and in the freight house. none
are supposed to have been saved be
sides it is believed a small gang Of ma
tive laborera who had gone on board the
unfortunate steamer have met the fate
of the others,
Al first the cause Of the oSplosion as
Nrapt in mystery A boiler explosion
was known to have been impossible, as
there was no steam in the boiler Gun
powder seemed to be the most plausible
but there was known to he orly few
pounds on board, At last ii was discOy
cred that some seventy cases OF glon0in
or nitro-glycerine, one Of the most pow
erful explosive agents known at the pres
ent day, was on board under an ordinary
bill of lading.. This at once cleared uI
the mystery This compound is used
for blasting purposes, and was shipped
from Liverpool to California 1t appears
that the explosive substance had bean
shipped under a false bill of lading m
der the head of merchandise Not q
word Of explosive material is mentioned
and the cases, seventy.three in number
were slowed between decks. and among
the other cargo
The amount OF damage caused by The
explosion is roughly estimated at ; UUU,
600 which is about the lowest figure al
which it can he placed
This terrible explosive compound i,
produced by treating glycerine with
mixture of equal parts of concentrated
nitric and sui phuric acids 1t is thick
oily substance, nearly cOlorless, almost
in0dorous, and explodes by concussion
with great force. The discovery of thi:
latter property is ascribed, by the United
States Dlspensatorv, to Mr Sobreroi but
Mr.. Nobel, distinguished engineer, wa
the first to apply it practically III tht
mechanic arts He also discovered :
method of igniting il, which is patented
in Germany. Nitro. glycerine has beer
| known and used for some time in En-
rope but the public here knew nothing
of il until their attention was called t.
it BY the explosion in Greenwich stree
last November Since then we hav
had two fatal illustrations Of its in
mense destructive power, in the disas
trous explosion in San Francisco, am
the more appalling catastrophe at As
pinvall If science shall succeed in dis
coveringa method of handling and usin
it without danger, it is probably des
tined to become fearful weapon or o.
Tense. especially in maritime wars.