The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-01-06
Two Terrible Disasters,

viving passengers of the wrecked steamer
Deutschland and the passengers of the
Mosel who were unframed by the fend-
ish plot of Thomassan to destroy that YES
sci with dynamite at Bremerhaven.
TIE WRECK OF TIE DEUTSCHLAND.
William Plustsch, of Philadelphia, a
Storage passenger on the Deutschland,
gave the following version in relation to
the wreck: We sailed from Bremerhavcn
on Dec. 4th, and had good weather until
Sunday night the 9TH. About midnight
on Sunday the weather became thick.
| went to bed at 3 O'Clock on Mon
day morning, but could not rest and came
up on deck about 4: 30. About ) o'clock
the vessel grounded, and her engines were
reversed to get her Oft. ran down below
and cried out to the passengers to come
on deck. Capt. Francke sent down word
to all the passengers to save themselves.
The sailors were rough and unruly. and
did nothing for the passengers. and some
of them got drunk and paid no attention
to orders given them. ! saw two sailors
90 into small boat and get it alloat. One
or two other sailors and two or three pas
sengers and the quartermaster got into it,
and | was about to follow. when the sail
ors in the boat prevented me, and said
that they would not take any more l
Jumped down on to the deck OF the Stealn
er, and was thrown down with great force
two or three times by the waves, Then
some sailors attempted to get another boat
alioat, and the captain told them not to,
as it could not live in that sea but they
said they would take it. The captain then
to1 l,np to CT hnar,l ap,I that n n,
short time there would be low water, and
they could be saved from the wreck; but
they paid no heed to him and got into the
boat The rope at one end of the boat
cav, way and let all who We're in it drop
we drowned. The captain then ordered
saving that they could do no good on
deck, and u good many obeyed him. The
captain never left his station on the bridge
OF the ship while these things were going
on.
At about s O'Clock in the evening the
engineer. under orders from the captain,
rugged three pumps, and all the male pas
sengcrs took Il turn at them, and there
was constant pumping until . O'Clock at
night During the day there was several
steamers in sight. and also Il number OF
fishing boats We did all we could to at
tract their attention, but none came to
our assistance. The engineer, u little after
9 o'clock, told us to stop pumping, saying
it was no use to continue, as there We're
twelve feet OF water in the hold, and it
was constantly gaining, Between 10 and
/ O'Clock. the first. second and third OIL
GERS and all the passengers assembled III
the first cabin. 1t was a motley throng.
Some OF the men had on only pantaloons.
and others only coats. The women We're
dressed in anything they could get. Some
had nothing on except skirts and shaWls,
and others were wrapped in flags, present
ing a most ludicrous appearance. The
water was filling the cabin, and some got
on the tables, beds and chairs, to keep out
of it as much as possible. The captain
and the paymaster told all the men to 90
on deck and Get on the masts. and the
ladies we're told that they must also be
taken upon the masts If they wanted to be
saved ~ majority of those who were in
the cabin remained there until the water
was up to their necks, and then there was
break for the deck. Most of the men
went upon the masts.
think, u second-cabin passenger, knock u
portion OF the skylight off the first cabin,
and take out his wife and two children.
months old. He put them on the sky
light and they were all saved. | saw q
good many get washed overheard, and
saw five dead bodies floating in the cabin
at one time. Men would every now and
then drop from the masts and be swept
away. | saw the captain ft,n down from
the bridge, and then get up on the mast.
| saw the paymaster swept overheard and
lost The whole of Monday night | saw
many vessels, but none came to our help.
In the morning about Q o'clock the third
officer got down from the mast, and
found a passenger about - years old
lying on the deck, apparently frozen, lie
had lain their all night. He was got into
the Wheelhouse and rubbed until warmth
was got into his body, when he was
wrapped up in flags, and he is now well
and going to his home in the outskirts Of
Philadelphia. The third officer told the
people to come down from the masts, as
the water was smooth and there was only
little wind When they got down we
succeeded in getting a couple Of loaves Of
bread and Il raw ham which were float
ing in the cabin, and they made Il break
fast tor the whole party. The steamer
Liverpool came to within about one hun
dred yards OF the wreck, dropped anchor
and sent two boats, which took off the
ladies and children. Our captain told the
captain of the Liverpool not to be afraid
to come alongside, as there was plenty of
water, and the Liverpool then came and
took off all the rest of those on the Deut-
schland and landed us all at HarWich.
TIE STORY OF TIE MOSEL.
Most of the cabin passengers who saw
the explosion were in too great haste tell
their story at the dock yesterday. There
were several relies of the explosion on
board The Chief Engineer of the Salier
had in his possession Il piece Of wrought
iron, bent and twisted, which weighed
about five ounces. 1t was portion OF the
wagon which conveyed the dynamite to
the quay. and was found on board the
Salier. which was at a wharf FULLY half a
mile from the scene of the explosion. An
other was a portion of a calico dress, in
the possession Of a Storage passenger. 1t
is spotted with blood, and in the centre of
the skirt is Il large hole, burnt out by the
dynamite. Capt Franckle, of the Salier,
happened to bea witness of the fearful eN-
ploson of dynamite on the quay at Bre
merhaven, and he related the scene YES
terday as he saw it. lie had come to the
wharf to see the captain of another steam
er, and was in conversation with friend
when it occurred.
He said: 81 had no idea Of what had
occurred when the explosion took place.
1t was about half an hour before the Mosel
was to sail, and the first thing | knew q
terrible report was heard and the air was
full of flying fragments of almost every
thing. | was thrown to my feet, and
when ! recovered from the shock and
arose fearful scene met my gaze. Be-
| fore the explosion | should think three
hundred people were on the quay, laugh
ing, chatting, making adieus, etc. I'M
medately thereafter there were not more
than fifty standing, and the dock seemed
to be covered with dead bodies The
spot where the explosion occurred was
mark ed by a deem black hole in the