Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1876-01-14
THOMASSEN'S PLOT.
The full sfcry Of tE,c Disater.

The full Sfcry Oh IHc DfSateF.
LONDON, Dec. 1S.-IOu will already
have received by cable the outline facts OF
the terrible explosion at Bremerhaven, by
which over 200 people were either killed or
dangerously injured The fuller accounts
received here make up Il complete story
which has horrible interest all its own.
The North German Lloyd steamer Mo-
sci was timed to start from Bremerbaven
on her voyage to New York on Saturday
morning, aud at the appointed lime the
steam-tug Simool-which had to tug her
through the ice that intercepted her pas
sage to tie channel-lay under her bows
and everything was ready for the depar-
ture except the mail bags from Lloyd's
Hall. At the last moment these made
their appearance on the quay, accompa-
MED by another wagon containing pas
sengers' luggage. The whole was taken
toward the steamer by carts, and
as the last of these were being unladcn a
tremendous explosion took place. The
quay was at this moment filled with pas
sengers and spectators taking leave Of
their friends who had come down TO see
them of. In an instant the place was
strewn with dead bodies and dismember-
ed limbs, On board the Mosel the sky
light was blown of, the cabins aft, star
board and port, were either crushed in
or bulged out by the pressure, or altogeth
er smashed the side plates were burst,
the ports, with their glasses and rivets,
forced inward, and the ship besmearea
with blood. 1t was at first thought that
the tug had burst her boilers, but this was
quickly found not to be the sase. When
the last package had deem uuladen a large
hole, six or seven feet deep, was found
must have contained dynamate. ard that
the conclusion when thrown upon the
ground caused the explosion. EXighty
people were killed by the explosion and
nearly 80 injured and mutillated.
Among the more horrible details is the
fate Of the Elmer family, who were seeing
mother, son, and son-in-law are dead, all
four the daughIer-in-law has had her arm
and the child its hand, blown of Other
cases are almost equally heartrending,
where whole families were blown into nom
existence in a moment.
A minute or two after the explosion il
of the cabins on TO the desk of the YES
sci, and, having given one glance at the
terrible scene, returned to The cabin and
shot himself The attention of the police
was called to this fact afterward, and the
man, who had failed TO kill himself out
right, was taken 10 the hospital in their
custody 1t was then known that the ex-
plosion had been caused by case of dyna-
mite that some one had tried to smuggle
on board the Mosel, and it was rightly
supposed that the w0uldbe suicide might
be able TO throw some light upon the affair
The mans condition was so critical as to
preclude all idea of his undergoing legal
examination but finding himself at
Deaths door, and stung to remorse by the
agonies of the injured people, with some
of whom he was in the same ward, he con-
fessed that he had deliberately planned to
blow the Mosel up in mid-ocean.
From his own statement, and subse
quently ascertained facts, it seems that for
eleven years he has passed under the name
of William King Thomas, or Thomassen,
but there are grounds for believing il to be
fictitious. During the War Of Secession
he fought on the Confederate side, and
gained some noJorietY as Il blOckaGe-run-
ner between New Orleans and st. Thomas.
At the termination Of the war he spent
some time in England, and afterward
went over to Germany. In 1872 he was
living with his wife--alsO an American
and his family ut Leipsic, where he moved
in the best society, and ecems 20 have been
very friendly with the American Consul.
While here ht asked matchmaker TO con-
struct him peculiar piece Of machinery
that was to run ten days without ticking,
and then strike a heavy blow, but the
matchmaker would not or could not under
take the job About a year after this time,
a clever clockmaker called Fuchs visited
Leipsic Fair, and, hearing what Thomas.
sen wanted, visited him at No. , August
strasss, where he was living in elegantly
furnished apartments. Fuchs describes
his customer as handsome, stately man,
about 80 years of age, who could scarcely
make himself understood in German.-
Thomassen gave Fuchs an order for a clock
to run noiscly for eight days and then
strike 30 pound hammer. but Fuchs, not
being able to understand clearly from
Thomassen's broken German what was
wonted, declined the order On the 9th of
March in the same year Thomasscn visited
Fuchr's shop in Berneburs, and this time
gave him directions much more fluently
and clearly. He said he wanted the appa-
ratus for some silk mills of his in America,
aud the hammer must be powerful enough
To break a thousand threads at one blow.
Fuchs agreed to have the clock completed
by the both of April, and on that date he
delivered 1t to Thomassen at the Hotel PO-
loguc at Lcipsic. Thomassen, after care
fully examining the mechan' -assed
himself delighted with j.