Litchfield enquirer., 1864-12-01
General Nerus.

fired, BarnumS Museum, ana Vaflous VeSSelS in the harbor, all between 8 o'clock on Friday evening and o'clock Saturday morning. We gather from various New York papers the fol- lowing details of the fendish plot, which un doubtedly would have proved successful but for the timely discovery of the fire in each case before it had obtained any considerable headway. The first fire was discovered at 8:43 D. m, on the third floor of the St. James Ho- tel, corner of 26th street and Broadway, The room in which it was discovered was locked, and on the door being forced, the bed was found sprinkled with phosphorus, the bed clothes and other articles in the room piled to- gether on the floor, with number of lucifer matches alight. Happily the fire was soon ex tinguished, the damage done being triding.- At 8:45 D. m Barnam's Museum was found to be on fire on the stairs leading to the third floor. That was, after 8 little trouble, extin- guished. At 8:55 p m. news came across the city that rooms Nos. 139 and 140 of the St.. Nichols Hotel were on fire. The same diff i culty with the doors was here experienced, and on forcing an entrance, when the flames were extinguished. similar traces of an attempted arson were found to exist. Both the rooms were badly burnt, the damage done am bunting to nearly $2,500.- At 9:20 p. m fire was dis
 covered in the Lafarge House; at 10:l3 p. m. in the Metropolitan Hotel; at 10:30 p, m. in
 Loyejoy's Hotel; at o'clock ia the Belmont
 Hotel; and at l2:30 a. m. in the Tammany Hotel. In each case the fire was set in an up per room and phosphorus freely used.
 The manner in which the fire was produced
 showed preconcerted plan. In the hotels,
 the bedclothes trunks, etc., were covered with phosphorus. Matches were also scattered in
 the beds. The fires were then set and the
 rooms locked. As in the July riots, the
 thieves swarmed about the hotel doors, ready
 to rush in and plunder when the fire was un--
 der way, but the timely appearance of the pc lice prevented this portion of the programme
 from being carried out.
 The pauic a. the Museum was intense, but
 fortunately the fire was quickly subducd. The
 bottle containing the phosphorus was found
 and it is like those used by the inceudiaries | elsewhere.
 The World says that some two weeks ago q
 man called at the police. headquarters and
 stated to some officer there that he was direct from Richmond, that he had formerly sym.
 pathized with the rebels, but had become dis.
 eustel with them, and that his desire was to
 put the authorities of New York on their guard | against just such an attempt as we chronicle | to day. He said that he knew that the sum of 1 $2O, 900 had been set apart in Richmond for | the purpose of purchasing phosphorus and hir- ing men to go North and set on fire public and
 private buildings in our principal cities. This man, we understand, further said that if the
 government would take care of his wife and family he would assist in ferreting out the conspirators, with some of whom he said he
 was acquainted. Whether his story was con-
 sidered truthful or not, nothing was done in
 this matter, and the man finally went away. l The uniformity that characterized this bold | attempt at wholesale incendiarism showed that that the plan must have been organized long beforehand, and every step premediated before
 being entered upon.
 1 It was ascertained Saturday morning that attempts had been made to burn the Astor House and Howard Hotel. On opening room | No. 2O4 at the Astor House, an immense volume of smoke poured out into the hall. | The fire had been smoulderng during the night. The floor was burnt to a cinder, the bed saturated with turpentine, the chairs pla- ced on the bed and the bedc,othes thrown over them. The room had been occupied by one person since the 10th, and his arrest, it is be- Iieved, will be made. The damage is $60O. A person in a lieutenant's uniform, who oc- cupied one of the rooms fired, was arrested Saturday morning. Arrangements have been made for protection against a repetition of the incendiarism. Gen. Qix's order requiring Southerners to register their names, and which has proved almost Q dead letter, will be strict ly enforced.
 The Euening Post gives some additional par ticulars of the plot. The number engaged in the effort to burn the city is estimated at twenty five, the most of whom, it is feared, have escaped. Ten hotels and Barnum's Mu- scum were fired Friday>night, and three hotels Saturday morning. Three other parties have been arr ested. The United States Hotel, cor ner of Fulton and Pearl streets, was one of the first set on fire. In the morning young man of genteel appearance, and carrying satchel, called at the hotel and asked for a room. The proprietor, not liking his appearance, told him that he had no vacant room. In the afternoon, the young man being anxious to put up there, a room was given him. About quarter to g o'cloc the proprietor saw the man going from the house without leaving the key His suspi- cions were aroused, and he sent up to the mans room to see if everything was tright The messenger returned, saying that the door was locked and that he smelt smoke. The propri etor ran up the stairs and burst open the door, when he found the room full of smoke. The young man had piled the furniture in a heap on the bed, and then set it on fire with phos- phorus. The room was close, and the fire did not burn pidly ,so that the damage was slight.
 Two barges were set on fire in the North river, at the foot of Franklin and Beach streets.
 Saturday afternoon the detectives arrested 8 man, and found in his possession the baggage of the chief conspirator and one hundred and twenty dollars in American gold. He was a confdant of the censpirators. The person who superintended the conspiracy is said to have left the city Friday night at eleven o'clock
 The following orders from Gen. Dix were issued Saturday morning, and we hope we may be able to chronicle elsewhere the arrest and summary punishnent of the dastardly williams.