The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-01-31
INTERNAL MACHINERY AT THE SIEGE OF
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The E,peetador, Madrid paper, publishes the fol-
lowing remarkable letter from officer stationed at
Barcelona respecting the scientific mode in which
the ainanoia Of that capital carried the lately
1t appears that General SAM is well aware of the
gunpowder plots" in which some foreigners were
said TO be engaged there, and to make sure has or
dered them all to leave the city. The principal is
sand to be Belgian engineer officer, who conducted
the defence during the siege;
BARcELoss, Nov. PC.
''Nly dear Friend Providence has preserved the
army h1rrid plot has been discovered to blow up
our troops, as well the Cathedral, if we should
have attempted to take the city by assault We learn
from one Of the jauanoa who has entered our ranks
lately, that they had buried number Of barrels Of
powder outside the walls in the roads and paths by
which the assaults were expected with wires insert
cd TO discharge them by OF electricity accord
lng to the new internal plan employed in France and
England TO blow up the hills which stand in the way
OF the railroads they are constructing. The General
knowing that understand something about these
matters, sent me at night wi an escort in search of
the powder, and alter plenty Of perspration, cold
and hot, fiom fear and hard work we succeeded in
turning up 10 barrels Of it, buried in as many APP
proaches, under heaps of stones each disposed so
as to have blown up battalion at time. We were
in some danger, | you, for the wires were
still in the powder, and stretched away 10 the city
walls, judged from the direction Of each
buried as they were two or three inches under the
ground all the way into town. TO prevent them being
venlon Of some of those cursed French Republicans
whom they had in the city, fomenting the rebellion,
for such an idea would never have entered into the
heads Of The brutal jananesros g. the mob Of the
Plaza San Jame) 10 each barrel found two copper
wires, tied with thread at each side OF a thick cork
TO keep them at proper distance until they entered
the powder, where the electric spark was TO pass
from TO the other, and inflamc the powder lying
between The ends OF the wires were bent over the
bottom Of the cork, as TO approach within about
the fifth part Of an inch, and the wires ended in lit
tie ball Of solder without doubt to produce strong
er spark. But this not all Lest the spark should
pass harmlessly between coarse grains OF their
non powder, these villains had introduced each cork
with its wires into little wide mouthed bottle full
OF hne printing powder that could not have escaped
ignition with the slightest spark am sure that they
we're French toilet bottles for Of them still bore
label with the word creme One Of the wires
covered with pitch, led off to the city under he sur
face, az said before and the other, a short end
hung out of the barrel into tho damp earth TO com
plee the electric circuit. When the 9Th barrel was
raised broke of the wire TO make all safe and fol-
lowed its to the wall tearing IT up lit
tie by little, till found Il passed through loophole
into adjoining garden, and at last into cellar al.
together about 500 yards of copper wre). There we
found the Internal electrical machine itself hidden in
a and covered with heap Of straw. The
machine nothing, after all, but common black
wine bottle, mounted In an old cigar box. A
crooked stick IN the bottles mouth served for a
handle to make it revove in its position. On side
they had nailed dirty doeskin glove with ANAL
gam Of slider in the palm, and on the other, old
snuh-canister, which served for the prime conduc.
tor and the bottle spun about between both Never
did see such ridiculous. looking apparatus one
contriyed to da mischief quietly! assure you that
II had more the appearance Of chlld's toy than an
electrical battery but turning the bottle by the
aid Of the little crooked stick to try il IL was in sc-
ton, rece,yeda spark on my knuckes sufficient Ia