Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-12-01

bolca act The ecturs9oom Was crowded at Inc time,
and hundreds Of persons might have ost their lives The
bottle which had contained the phosphorusand which
like those employed by the ncendares elsewhere--was
| recovered unbroken.
ATTEMPTS 10 FIRE HAY BARGE5
At about midnight officer Hamilton, Of the fifth precinct
discovered the hay the bulkhead between Beach and
North Moore streets to be on fire. The flames were first
discovered in bales of hay laying against barge
The officer succeeded in extnguishing the fire, and on
examination found broken bottle which had contained
phosphorus and had been used by the ncsnday in set
At about half past four o'clock this morning the same
officer discovered fire board the barge Merchant,
lying at the above bulkhead The fire was soon eItn
gushed by the hands the boat The emnpresent bot
tie, containing small quantity Of phosphorus found
No damage was DONE
THE FIFTH AVENUE HOTEL.
This morning fire broke out in bedroom one Of
the upper floors of the Fifth Avenue HOTEL which il
doubtless intended should have been fred simultaneously
had been saturated with phosphorus but owing to the lack
current of air until this morning. when OF the por
terra BY opening the door to enter the room supplied the
necessary air. and the pile gned The flames were soon
extngulshed before much damage was done
THE AsToR HOUSE
This morning Mr. Stetson of the Aston House. thought
proper that due precautions should be taken that the
msorunes of the other hotels last evening should not be-
fs his establishment; about A. NJ. examination
made of all the rooms in the house, and the door
Of room 2O4 the top floor (Vesey street sds) being
opened dense volume OF smoke burst FORTH battling for
time all attempts to enter the After time Mr..
found the fire. portion of the floor had been raised
fire built there the beds ripped and their contents
srewed the floor and fred having been first saturated
with turpentins. The furniture Of the piled
upon the BEDS and the sheets thrown them and re
built under the beds The person who occupied the room
il known he atsyed in the house since the 20h and he
will no doubt be arrested The damage done will amount
to about $500.
THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT..
The of both the Police and Fire Depart
ment officials such to insure the most admirable
concert and system in action Within an hour from the
time the first alarm was given, all needfu preparations
darsts contemplated adding riot to arson the propretors
Of all the hotels placed upon their guard and the
tire corps OF detectives detached for special and strict
surveillance at all points where danger could be antcpat
ed Chief Engineer Decker issued order in the
of the evening requesting all the hotels to have at least
dozen pas Of water in readiness upon each door of the
buildings keep guard on all night long and IN this man
ner assist in preventing further progress Of the ncenday
work. This order sent out through the police tee
graph and the policemen directed to notify the hotels
in their respective beats The members OF the Fire De-
parment generally, hand promptly and rendered
most effective service.
Arrests we're made Of several suspected persons who
were held for examination. Among them woman of
remarkable genteel address appears that she took
ut the st Nicholas early in the afternoon, and that
in the evening just before the fire occurred she went out
She had not been gone fifteen minutes when the fire broke
out From the st. Nicholas Hotel she went to the La
FARCE House and stayed short time leaving there only
few moments prior to fire being discovered there. She
then went to the Metropolitan Hotel and engaged rooms
fire occurring there very afterwards All that could
be learned about her was that she had recently come
Baltimore but she would not disclose the nature of her
business. 4.-
Subsequently on examination this woman gave salts
factory account Of herself and discharged Lieu
tenant Kellogg who inthe occupancy Of of the
rooms which fred and did not return TO it until an
early hour the ensuing morning. also gave satisfactory
account OF himself and was discharged
OPINIONS THE PRESS
The Times regards these ncendiary acts plot to
burn the city The Tribune is doubtful whether the
plot originated among thieves secessonts but it is
cned to think it the latter The World il doubtful
whether 1t was plot of thieves originated with rebel
organization The Commercial and the Evening Post both
sscrbe the plot the rebels The latter journal says
The persons charged by the rebel chief-or by their
own maice-wth this little diversion, know by this time
that 10 not easy either to burn down city to
create such panic by the attempt would give opportu
nifty to thieves and ruans to incte serious civil
ton. Our system of FIRE telegrsphs admirable and
effective police regulations and our jealous and faithful
fire department are triple protection against such de-
signs
The failure of last nights attempt shows that much
greater force required for in such undertak
ing than be safely managed At least FIVE hundred men,
million of dollars and several months of preparation
would be necessary the destruction Of import
ant part of the city But under police management
conspiracy OF real magnitude could hope to be kept
secret, for week The danger to New York from
Richmond ncendiares is therefore, In our opinion, very
slight. s.s. .ra
"But while it would be impraccable to Ere the whole
city, these malignant fools have proved they still
capable of producing immense incidental caames Those
who present at of crowded theatres last
ing and the CONSERVATION in which the audiences
temporarily thrown will discern at the direction Of
the danger. At Barnum's, at Niblos at Waacks. and
at the Winter Garden but particularly at the latter place.
where prodigous crowd had been collected to the
brothers Booth in Shakespeares Julius Cesar, 1t came
catastrophe. On the cry of fire hundreds rushed
to the DOORS and but for the presence Of mind Of
temen hundreds Of others would have followed to choke
the passage and crush each other to death 1t lie the
panic these occasions, and not any real danger that
does the mischief"