Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-01-21
Particulars Of the Great Dynamite
Explosion.

| Particulars Of the Great Dynamite
Explosion.
The following particulars respect
ing the dynamite explosion at Bre-
merhaven arc from the Weiser lei
tung::
| 1t appears that just before the Mo-
sci was about to sail, a cart contain
ing four cases and barrel was being
unloaded for shipment. Suddenly a
terrible explosion occurred. The eff
feet was horrible. The quay was
then thronged with people-partly
belonging to the steamer, partly spec
tators, and partly passengers who had
remained there to take Il last farewell
of their friends. An eyewitness who
stood under the gangway of the Mo-
sci, on hearing the terrific report,
saw number Of black Jumps flying
about in the air, whilst very few Of
the persons on land renamed visible.
Apprehending boiler explosion, he
threw himself flat on deck, when he
received a volley of sand, broken
glass, fragments of flesh, bones, etc.
The devastation on board the Mosel
was terrific. No skylight was LETT
the cabins aft, starboard and port
were either crushed i'll or bulged out
by the pressure, or altogether smash
ed; the side plates of the ship were
| burst; the ports with their glasses
and rivets forced inward, and the
whole ship was besmeared with blood
and stuck over with pieces of flesh
and other human debris. In the hold
and all parts Of the ship were found
arms, legs, and other portions of the
humau frame; thus the lower hold
received some limbs through the open
hatchways. The sides of the hatch
ways were burst by the pressure,
and the front of the navigation cabin
on deck stove in. The whole ship
was Uttered with glass shreds, which
even filled the dishes from the steam
kitchen as they were being served to
the tween deck or steerage passen-
gers.
The tug got off comparatively mn
hurt, being so much more below the
quay line than tie Moscl; still the
whole Of its deck was destroyed
The crew came off with mere
fright, only the engineers and stokers
being hurt slightly. On land where
the packages had been unloaded, a
hole had been produced six or seven
feet deep. The whole place was
strewn with limbs, shreds of dress,
etc. In large reeking pools of blood
You might see here IN arm, there a
cllf, intestines, mutilated bustS, etc.
Amongst the most horrible details of
this calamity is the fate of the Elmer
family, who were seeing Off one OF
their sons to California. The fatacr,
mother, son and Son-in-law are dead,
all four; the daughter-in-law has had
her arm, and er child its hand,
blown off
The case which exploded, in care
of the carrier, Westermann, of Bre-
merhaven, was accompanied on It's
way to the steamer by Mr.. Tum-
forde, of whom it is said all trace has
has been lost. The cart was shatter-
ed into thousands of splinters, and
the poor horse had his four feet
blown off near the hoois. The au-
thorship of the terrible tragedy is
now traced to w. X. Thomas; a pas
senger of the Mosel. Thomas has
has acknowledged that he was the
owner of the barrel which exploded,
and that he intended to take this bar
rel on board the vessel for the pur-
pose of sinking her. The motive OF
this diabolical wickedness appears to
have been the hope of gaining a
large sum by means Of exaggerated
and fictitious insurances, and the sum
thus obtained was to have been shar-
ed with others. He is perfectly con-
scious, and answers all questions put
to him. He is in the same room with
many of his victims. According to
information at present in possession
of the police, Thomas had prepared
only o1e barrel for the carrying out
of his horrid work, although report
had spread in Bremerhaven that
number of machines had been put on
board the Mosel. This barrel was
made for Thomas by the master
cooper Delvendhall. In was made
of strong material, and was divided
by means of a partition in the middle,
through which there was hole. In
one d vision it is assumed that he
had placed the igniting apparatus,
aud the other was filled with dyna-
mite. He accompanied the barrel
when it was taken to the depot of the
North German Lloyd Company, and
told the porters it should be handled
with care.
1t is supposed that his plan was to
effect the ignition by means of a
clock work apparatus, which in all
probability was to be set in motion
when ne arrived at Southampton, to
which place only he had booked. 1t
appears that he intended to sail with
the ill-fated Deutchland, but the ap-
paratus for etfecting the ignition was
not completed in time. The number
of the victims is constantly being IN
creased. According to authentic in
formation the list of dead and
wounded amounts to over lS0 per-
sons.
The scene at the hospital dead
house was of the most narrowing
character. The mutilated remains
filled large basket which four
strong men could hardly carry
There were also a number or heads,
which from time to time were in
spected by people looking for friends
or relatives. About thirty wounded
persons were in the hospital; many