Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-01-07
Terrible Elects Of the Dynamite En-
plosiOn at BremerhaTen.


The following particulars respecting the
dynamite explosion at Bremerhaven are
from the Weiser Ze,tung;
1t appears that just before the Mosel was
about TO sail a cart containing four cases
and barrel was being unloaded for ship
ment Suddenly terrible explosion oc-
cured. The effect was horrible. The quay
longing TO the steamer, partly spectators,
and partly passengers who had remained
there to take last farewell of their friends.
An eyewitness who stood under the gang
way of the Mosel, on hearing the terrific re-
port, saw a number of black humps flying
about in the air, whilst very few Of the per-
sons on land remained visible. Apprehend-
ing boiler-eXplosion he threw himself Hat
on deck, when he received a yollcy of sand,
broken glass, fragments OF flesh, bones, etc.
The devastation on board the Mosel
was terrific. No fslSylight was left;
the cabins aft, starboard and port were
either crushed in or bulgcd ont by
the pressure or altogether smashed;
the side plates of the ship were burst; the
ports with their glasses and rivcts forced
inward, and the whole ship was besmcared
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 human frame;
thus the lower hold received some limbs
through the open hatchways. The sides of
the hatchways were burst by the pressure,
and the front of the navigation cabin on
deck stove in. The whole ship was Uttered
with glass shrcds, which even filed the dishes
from the steam Kitchen as they were being
served to the tween deck or steerage pas
sengcrs. The tug got Off ci' Nparativcly uri-
hurt, being so much more below the quay
ne than the Mosel; still the whole of its
deck was destroyed. The crew came off with
a mere fright, only the engineers and
stokers having been 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 an arm, there a
calf, intestincs, mutilatcd 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 Cal
ifornia. The father, mother, son and son-in-
law are dead, all four; the daughtcr-in-law
has had her arm, and her child its hand,
blown off. The case which exploded had
been in the care of the carrier Westermann,
of Bremerhaven, and was accompanied on
its way to the steamer by Mr.. Tum forde,
of whom it is said all trace has been lost.
The cart has been shattered into thousands
of splinters, and the poor horse has
had his four feet blown off near the
hoofs. The authorship of the terrible
catastrophe is now traced to W..
X. Thomas, passenger of the Mo-
sci. Thomas has acknowledged that he was
the owner of the barrel which exploded, and
that he intended to take this barrel on board
the vessel for the purpose of sinking her.
The motive Of this diabolieal wickedness ap-
pears to have been the hope gaining a
| large sum by means of exaggerated and ticti-
tious insurances, and the sum thus obtained
was to have been shared with others. He is
perfectly conscious and answers all ques-
tions put to him. He is in the same room
with many of his victims. According to in
! formation at present in possession of the
| police, Thomas had prepared only one bar
rel for the carrying out Of his horrid work,
haven that a number of machines had
been put on board TIE MOsel This
barrel was made for Thomas by the
master cooper Delvendhal. 1t was made
of strong material, and was divided by
means of partition in the middle through
which there was hole. In one division it
is assumed that he had placed the igniting
| apparatus, and the other was filed with
| dynamite. He accompanied the barely when
it was taken to the depot of the North Ger
man 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
he arrived at Southampton, to which place
only he had booked. 1t appears that he in
! tended TO sail with the Inflated Deutschland,
but the apparatus for etfecting the ignition
was not completed in time. The number of
the victim is constantly being increased.
| According to authentic information the list
OF dead and wounded amounts TO $50 per
sons.
! The scene at the hospital dead-house was
of the most narrowing character. The mu-
| tilated remains filed a large basket which
| four strong men could hardly carry. There
were also a number of heads, which from
time to time were inspected by people look
ing for friends or relatives. About thirty
wounded persons were in the hospitals many
Others were in private houses. Nearly every
family in the little town has suffered Sc
! yerelV