Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1864-12-03
REMARKABLE INcEND1ARIsM.


A concentrated and skilIful attempt was
made last night Dy secessionist thieves, con
spirators and incendiares to set on fire our |
principal hotels, though, fortunately-at
this time of writing, 10: Is a. m.-without |
success in any instance, the efforts of the
conspirators being in each case foied by the
early discovery of the fires and before the
famcs had gathered any dangerous strength.
So far as our present information goes, the
plan of operations seems to have been for
the incendiary to pile together in some one
of the upper rooms of q MOTEL bed clothes
and other combustible materials and having
soaked them with turpentine or sprinkled
them with phosphorus to set them ON fire
then, having locked the door, to disappear
taking the key with him. That the com
munity has been saved from the terrible loss
of property and life which might have been
expected to attend such plot, by its fortu
nate discovery, is a matter for profound
thankfuness
At 8: 43 last evening .he news was tele-
graphcd to the different police stations that
a fire had been discovered on the third floor
of the st. James Hotel, Twenty st. and
Broadway. The room in which was dscov-
cred was locked, and on the door being
forced, the bed was found sprinkled with
phosphorus, the bed clothes and other ar
ticles in the room piled together on the floor,
with q number of lucifer matches alight
Happily the fire was extinguished, the dam
age done being trifing.
At g. As p. IN. Barnum's Museum was
found to be on fire on the stairs leading to
.hc third floor That was, after little
trouble, extingushcd.
| At 8: 30 p. IN. news came across the city
| that rooms Nos. 139 and 40 of the St.
| Nicholas Hotel are on fire. The same diff
Guilty with the doors is here experienced,
and on forcing an entrance, when the flames
are extingushed similar traces of an attempt
ed arson are found to exist. Both the rooms
were badly burnt, the damage done amount
ing to nearly $4,000. The fire was extin-
! gushed by the iire-biigade of the establish
ment, under the directions Of the pruprie-
| tor.
AT 0: 90 fire was discovered in one Of the
rooms of the Lafarge House; fire evi-
IDENTITY planned in exactly the same man
ner, and attempted through the same
agencies of phosphorus and turpentine, but
being early discovered was put out with a
tritling damage.
At 10: 13 the Metropolitan Hotel was
found on fire; the fire again being on ono
of the upper floors, but being early discov
cred was easily put out, the damage in this
case being but small.
AT 1870 p. m. a room on the fifth floor o
| Loveioy's Hotel, with door locked was
found In flames, to the great CONSERVATION
of the guests, many of whom had retired tC
rest but by the energetic, courageous, anC
persistent efforts of the domestics and Mr.
Huggns, the proprietor, the fire was go
under before it had spread to any other OF
the rooms.
At 12 o'clock an alarm of fire was secont
time raised in Loveioy's Hotel, when Il room
on the fourth floor was found on fire, flame!
issuing from the bed. Alarm was given n
once, and by the efforts of the people of tn
house, assisted by such of the guests as wer
on the spot, the fire was subducd.
At the Metropolitan Hotel, valise wa
discovered in the room which had been OF
fire in it some old clothes and pair of ol,
gaiters soaked in some solution of phuspho
rus a solution so strong that when the Va
, lise was taken to police headquarter, open
ed. and the CATERS thrown on the floor
they burst into flame.
Two arrests were made last night by th
police. One was that of a woman who wa
, seen to leave the St. Nicholas shortly betor
the fire was discovered, and was next see
to leave the Lafarge House, when almos
, immediately after her departure fire wa
discovered there also, The woman is know
hut We are ro1,oestvd not ~ give any pm
|, lculars respecting her at present. The othc
, person was o man, at present unknown, VIII
was arrested at the Metropolitan.
/, During TIE evening Chief Engineer Deck
f er telcgraphed to all the principal hotels i
the city to have twelve or fifteen pals {
water on each floor ready for any emergenc!
, advice which was in most instances follow
| ed.
The damage of the Metropolitan Hot
4 will amount to more than $500. The fiji
= was in room No. 302.
= About midnight fire was discovered i
: room No. % of the Belmont Hotel, Fui.o
E ST., but was soon cxtinguished. The dan
$ age will not exceed $50 The usual b0tt
e of phosphorus was discovered in betweC
=. the two beds when the flames had been pi
out.
At 1890 a. m. the fircmen returning fro
the Belmont House, discovered flames in OF
of the rooms on the fourth floor of the Tan
r many Hotel. On entering, the fire found
Is be in room No. l0S.
e The door was locked, and the flames {
c entering were found to proceed from Il
e bed as in the other cases, the means of ign
: tion being again bottle of phosphorr
S ihe damage will perhaps equal 500 fro
n fire and water.
Strict watch was kept at all the hott
Il during l,,st night, the doors of most of the
: being kept locked and guarded, so as to pI
J vent the adm ission of any persons not /
longing to the house, while many of Il
:, guests preferred 10 sit up all night in pref,
ence to taking the 1, hance Of being caug
asleep should an alartl' be given during t
= night.
# The detective force und,r Chief John
N Young were of course on the alert, and
l. was through their instrumentahty that 4
: two arrests before referred to were mao
" The prisoners were detained during Ia
4 night at the Police Headquarters, prcpa:
=. tory to their examination this morning.
~ The state of the finances of the ret