Connecticut western news., 1875-12-17
The Rremerhaven Disaster,

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 A terrific explosion of dynamite occurred at Bremerhaven in Germany last Saturday on the wharf, just before the time for tn, sailing of the Mosel, North German Lloydi line of steamships, for New York, and wal caused by dynamite, by some means snug | gled among the passengers' baggage. in stantly killing 76 persons and injuring 2l others. il'a -s .+ 1 Bremerhaven, where the accident oc- cured, is situated at the mouth of the We ser, and is the last German port at whicf the steamers of the North German Lloyd'l line stop. It is about 30 miles from Ere men, and the outgoing vessels here await the arrival of the train which brings pas sengers desiring to delay their departure un til the last moment. The steamers lie al anchor away from tho wharf, and passen- gers and luggage are conveyed on board by two tugs. At the time of the accident on Saturday. the steamship Mosel had received most if not all her passengers, and was only awaiting the baggage before sailing for New York. A quay is set apart exclusive ly for passengers luggage, and 1t appears that case of dynamite had somehow been smuggled amongst 1t. and was by some means e1ploded-perhaps by a sudden jar, or by spark communicated to it from q pipe or cigar. The force of the explosion was terrific, tearing to pieces everything on the wharf, wreckiDg the tug Simson wait ing to transfer the baggage, and killing out. right76 persons, of whom are missing, besides injuring more or less severely 25 others. The fatality is principally among friends of the passengers who had come to see them off, and among the employees ot the company at work on the wharf. Only two of the passengers on the Mosel were killed, and the steamship suffered but slight damage, and was to sail Sunday night or Monday morning. A passenger on board the Mosel has, since the accident, attempt ed to commit suicide, but was prevented, and will be examined. He is supposed to have been the owner of the explosive.
 The steamship company can hardly be held accountable for the accident, as they could not examine the luggage of passen- gers, and 1t was highly criminal to attempt to convey so destructive an article on board ship. In fact, the company do not allow tue shipment of explosive or danger ous materials of any kind on board their vessels, and so careful are they in this res- pect that nothing but linseed oil is permit ted to be used in the lamps for Illuminating the saloons of the steamers.
 Dynamite, called in this country giant powder, was invented by Nobel,a Swedish chemist, aud consists of nitro-glycerine ab- sorbed by some porous, inert solid, gene rally finely pulverized silex or sllicious ashes, or infusorial earth, and constituting a mass resembling damp Graham bread. or coarse brown sugar. When correctly com pounded and in fresh state it is one of the safest known explosives, but according to M. Guvot, French chemist, the nitro glycerine Is liable to separate from the mix ture and assume its original state, when it may explode upon receiving slight con- cussion, and this was doubtless the case in the present terribly fatal instance. It was this explosive which has been 90 destruct- i've to human life st Aspinwall. San Fran cisco, Sydney and elsewhere. In each of these places catas.rophes equalling, or ap- preaching. that at Bremerhaven have oc-