The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1866-05-02

The AspinwaIl Explosion "Details Of the Her-
rcrs--Almost every heuse In AspinwaH dam
agcd---Less, one million deIIars---A large nlm-
Der Of persons killed and wounded.
On the Sd instant, while the Liverpool
steamer, European, was lying alongside the
railroad company's dock, discharging cargo,
terrific explosion took place in the hold of
the ship. The effect was frightful in the ex
IRENE. The vessel was literally shattered to
pieces, while the wharf was almost totally
ruined The railroad freight house, fine
stone and iron bnilding, situated at least two
hundred feet from the vessel, was totally de-
molished by the conclusion. But the loss of
property, although great, was small matter
in comparison with the frightful loss of life.
The captain, first officer, second officer, the
surgeon, and five Others on hoard the ship,
were almost instantly killed. Twenty-one
men on the wharf met with the same horri-
BILE fate, and twenty-five men on shore and
ship were badly wounded. Of gang OLA
borers who were at work in the hold of the
ship not one is known to have escaped DEATH
The total of killed and wounded, so far as
known, up to this date, is as follows: Killed
and missing (the latter undoubtedly being
dead,) fifty-two; wounded and in hospital,
twenty-four. This list includes those who
died from their wounds after their removal
to the Railroad Hospital
To heighten the frightful character of the
accident fire Immediately broke out on
board the ship, effectually cutting off all re-.
treat of the wretches in the hold of the YES
sci who had escaped instant death from the
explosion. While the fire was raging on the
Il of f1o h. ,koh
ways, the unfortunate men cnuld be seen APP
preaching the portfolios and imploring the
aid which it was totally impossible to afford
them. They were burned or drowned to
man, and helped to swell the list of missing
Fearing that second explosion might
take place, attended with further loss of
life, Captain Moir, of the Royal Mail Steam
ship Solent, with the greatest peril to himsef
and vessel, made fast line to the burning
wreck, and towed her from the dock into the
stream. The Solent had scarcely cut loose
from the European when second explosion
took place-more terrific, if anything, than
the first-aild Immediately afterward the
wreck began sinking rapidly, and in thirty
minutes no portion of the Inflated steamer
could be seen above water, with the excep-
ton of the top of her smoke-stack. Had
the second explosion occurred thirty minutes
previously, the ensuing loss of life could not
have been calculated, as the docks in close
proximity to the European were jammed
with curious spectators of the scene
The effect of the explosion on shore and
near the dock was sickening in the extreme
Fragments of human bodies were seen float
ing around in the water-here a limb and
there trunk-while in other places, on the
decks of neighboring vessels and on the
dock, the balance of the unhappy victims
might be found Many bodies were taken
from the water almost entire, others piece
meal, while Others sank to the bottom, or
were quickly swallowed by the voracious
sharks
All the aid in human power was extended
to the wounded men. The Panama Rail-
road Company received them in its hospital,
and the Superintendent of the same corpor-
alton provided a special train from Panama,
with medical aid. The express reached As
pinwall in one and half hours drumming
time) from Panama-the quickest time on re-
cord on that road.
The funeral of the officers of the Euro
of marines from the United States steamer
James Adger accompanied the procession as
military escort The dastardly Project of
Aspinwall, however, refused permission for
the marines to land with their arms and con-
sequently they presented a sorry appearance
at the funeral. Captain Swanson was inter-
red the next day with Masonic honors, but
the marines were not allowed to repeat the
farce of the preceding occasion. The friend
ly object of the American Consul at Aspin-
wall in rendering an escort of United States
marines for the remains of an English cap
tain-in the absence of an English man-of-
war-was effectually frustrated by the petty
meanness of native official
CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION
During the excitement of the hour follow
ing the event, the accident was currently at
tributed to the explosion of The boiler of the
steamer But upon close examination OF
the bills of lading it was found that large
quantity of glonoin oil, or tro-glycerine,
had been shipped at Liverpool under an or
binary invoice. This solved the mystery.
OTHER ITEMS.
The European was an iron screw steamer,
of about one thousand eight hundred tons
burden, and nearly new The total damage
of property is estimated in round numbers to
be about one million of dollars. No injury |
was done to the other shipping in the harbor,
with the exception of the Caribbean, belong |
ing to the same company, which had seve-
raj of her iron ribs broken She was lying |
on the opposite side of the wharf from the
European. The matter is undergoing Off
cial investigation. The following official
list of killed, wounded, and missing has just |
been furnished me Killed, 80; missing
Certainly dead,) 90; wounded, "a.