139 
THE DESTRUCTIVE AND FATAL EXPLOSION OF NITRO-GLYCERINE 
AT COLON. 
A case has just been tried at Liverpool in which an action was brought by the owners 
of a ship, the 4 European,’ against the shippers, Messrs. Guion of Liverpool, by whom 
seventy cases of nitro-glycerine, or glonoin oil, were shipped from Liverpool to Colon, 
for the damage caused by a terrific explosion which occurred at the latter place during 
the unloading of the cargo about a year and a half ago. The action was founded upon 
the fact, as alleged, that the nitro-glycerine was shipped without sufficient notice being 
given of its dangerous properties. The declaration contained three counts, framed on 
the contract contained in the terms of the bill of lading, on that into which the shipper 
enters, impliedly by law, with the shipowner when he loads goods on board, that they 
are not dangerous in their nature, and on negligence. Questions were left to the jury 
on each of these counts, although the facts, remarkable as they were, were never in very 
serious doubt, and it appeared probable early in the case that the result would be more 
dependent on the condition of the law than on the finding of the jury. The new iron 
steamship 4 European ’ was completed by the company at the end of 1865, and adver¬ 
tised as a general ship to sail for Colon in the 1st of March, 1866. The defendants had 
received from their correspondents in Hamburg, Messrs. Bandemann, seventy cases of 
oil, described in the letter of advice as 44 glonoin oil,” and one of 20,000 percussion caps 
to be forwarded to San Francisco, and they sent their clerk to the plaintiffs’ offices to in¬ 
quire the rate of freight there. It appeared that some question was asked of the clerk 
at the office as to the nature of the oil he wanted to ship, and he, being quite ignorant 
about it and its qualities, stated that he was so, but he returned to his own office and 
procured the letter of advice from Messrs. Bandemann, which he handed to the plaintiffs 
in order to give them all the information which his firm possessed. He obtained the 
shipping note and filled it in with 44 oil” only, but in the bill of lading the goods were 
described as 44 glonoin oil,” and the cases were ultimately loaded at the bottom of the 
hold in the after part of the vessel, the percussion caps being recognized as dangerous 
goods at once, and put upon the deck in consequence. The freight for the whole was 
£13. 15s., and it seemed that the defendants’ profit in the transaction would be at the 
most a few pounds only. One or two empty cases for 44 glonoin oil ” were in court, and they 
were small boxes, which it appeared contained inside a metal lining in a wicker-work 
case. The vessel sailed on the 1st of March, and arrived at Colon on the 1st of April, and 
being laid alongside the jetty / commenced unloading her cargo early on the morning of 
the 3rd. At about 7 o’clock on that morning a most tremendous explosion occurred in 
the after part of the ship, which produced the most extraordinary and calamitous re¬ 
sults. It was described as most rapid, without smoke, but with a great flame, and the 
ship was immediately after seen to be on fire. The whole of the deck and cabin aft 
were carried away, and the side of the ship was also much damaged, the plates above 
the water-line being blown away, and great damage being done below the water-line ; 
the vessel immediately begun to fill, and, being towed out into the bay in the fear of 
further explosions (two of which, of a minor character, occurred) shortly afterwards 
sank there. Not only was the ‘European’ herself totally destroyed, but the jetty itself 
was nearly blown away, and a vessel, the 4 Caribbean,’ lying at the other side of it, un¬ 
loading, was also much damaged. Houses in the town, also, were injured, floors being torn 
up, and other damage done. The captain and the first and second officers and eight of 
the crew of the 4 European,’ besides some forty other men engaged in unloading the 
cargo, were killed on the spot. When the bodies were recovered, they presented no sign 
whatever of smoke, nor did they show any symptoms of scalding, and it was deduced 
from this that the explosion could not have been produced either by gunpowder 
or steam. Indeed, with regard to steam, the boilers, all except that supplying a 
donkey-engine, were open and being cleaned, and contained of course no steam, and the 
donkey-engine was seen to be at work after the first explosion. The magazine, also, 
which consisted only of a canister of signal rockets and cartridges, was seen safe in the 
mate’s berth after the explosion, and both this and the boiler were more forward in the 
vessel than the locality of the explosion. It was argued, therefore, for the plain¬ 
tiff, that the conclusion was irresistible that it was the glonoiue oil which had 
exploded, and been the cause of all the damage. With regard to this oil, it ap- 
