Bochum

Bochum, a town of Prussia, 35 miles NE. of Düsseldorf by rail, a great centre of Westphalian industry. Its great steel-works employ over 5000 hands, and produce about 150,000 tons annually; armour-plating for ships, steel ropes and cables, machinery, files, tubing, safety-lamps, coal-tar substances, tin, roofing-felt, bricks, oil, and car-pets are among its manufactures. There are great coal-mines near. Pop. (1871) 21,192; (1890) 47,601.