Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1864-11-30
REBEL PLOT TO BURN NEW YORK.
NARROW ESCAPE OF THE CITY.
EXTENT OF THE PLAN.

made on Friday night by secessionist, thieves,
conSplrators, and incendaries to set on fire
the principal hotels in New Iork city,
though, fortunately without success in any
instance, the efforts of the consprators being
in each case foiled by the early discovery of
the fires before the flames had gathered any
dangerous strength So far as our present
information goes the plan Of operations
seems to have been for the ncendary to pile
together IN some one of the upper rooms of
hotel, bed clothes and other combustibe
materials, and having soaked them with tur-
pentine or sprinkled them with phosphorus
to set them on fire, then, having locked the
door, to disappear taking the key with him
That the community has been saved from
the terrible loss Of property and life which
might have been expected to attend such a
plot, by its fortunate and early discovery is a
matter for profound thankfulness
At S:45 FRIDAY evening the news was tele-
graphed to the different police stations that a
fire had been discovered on the third floor of
the St. James Hotel, Twenty-Six ST. and
Broadway. The room in which it was discov-
cred was locked, and the on door being forced.
the bed was found sprinkled with phospho-
rus, the bedchlothes and other articles in the
room piled together on the floor, with a
number of lucifer matches alight Happily
the fire was soon extinguished, the damage
done being trifling.
At S:45 p. IN. Barnum's Museum was
found to be on fire on the stairs leading to
the third floor. That was after little trou-
bic exiting guished
At 500 p. m. news came across the city
that rooms Nos. I39 and l40 Of the ST Mich
olas Hotel were on fire. The same difficulty
with the doors was fere experienced. and on
T., Il =
tinguished similar traces of attempted arson
were found To exist Both the rooms were
badly burnt, the damage done amounting to
nearly 81, 800. The fire was extinguished
by the fre-brigade of the establishment,
under the direction Of the proprietor.
at $40 tire was dIscoverd in one Of the
rooms OF the Latarge House; fire evidently
planned in exactly the same manner and at
tempted through the.same agencies OF phos-
bhOrus and turpentine, but being early dis
covered was put out with a trifing damage
At 1913 the Metropolitan Hotel was
found on fire the IRE again being on one OF
the upper floors, but being early discoverd
was easily put out. The damage in this case
will amount to more than $1,000. The fire
was in room No. 302.
At 1920 D. III. a room on the fifth floor of
Loveioy's Hotel, with door locked, was
found in flames, TO the great CONSERVATION
of the guests, many OF whom had retired TO
rest, but by the energetic, courageous and
persistant efforts Of the lCmestics and Mr.
HugglnS, the proprietor, the fire was got
under before 1t had spread to any other of
the rooms.
AtI2 o clock an alarm of fire was a second
time raised in Loveioy's Hotel, when Il room
on the forth floor was found on fire, flames
issuing from the bed Alarm was given at
once, and by the efforts of the people of the
house, assisted by such Of the guests as
were on the spot, the fire was subdued.
At the Metropolitan Hotel yali>e was
discovered in the room which had been on
fire; in it some old clothes and a pair OF old
CATERS soaked IN some solution Of phoS-
phorus, Il solution so strong that when the
valise was taken to police headquarters,
and opened, and the CATERS thrown on the
floor, they burst into fame
About midnight II fire was discovered in
room No. iof the Belmont Hotel. Fulton-st
but was soon extingushed The damage viii
not exceed $50 The usual bottle OF phos-
phorus was discovered in between two beds
when the flames had been put ont.
At 1890 a m. the fremeu returning
from the Belmont House, discovered flames
in one Of the rooms ON the fourth -four Of
Tammany Hotel. On entering the fire was
found to be in room No. los. The door was
locked, and the flames on entering were
found to proceed from the bed as in the 9th
er cases, the means OF ignition being again
. bottle of phosphorus The damage will
perhaps equal 500 from fire and water
Two arrests were made last night By the
police. One was that OF Il woman who was
seen to leave the st. Nicholas shortly be-
fore the fire was discovered, and was next
seen to leave the j1afarge House, when al
most Immediately after her departure a fire
was discovered there also. The other per-
son was a man, at present unknown, who
was arrested at the Metropolitan.
The manner in which the fires were pro-
duoed showed a preconcerJed plan. In the
hotels. the beds, clothes, trunks, &c, 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 under way. But the
timely appearance Of the police prevented
the programme from being carried out
The panic at the Museum was great, but
fortunately the flames were quietly subdued
The bottle which contained the phosphorus
was found and is ike those used by incen-
diaries elsewhere. At the Winter Garden
terrible panic was cfeateted by some per
sons simply crying FIRE. The entire
Fire Department was aroused, and together
with the police, measures were adopted for
the safety of life and property for the re-
mainder of the night. The attempt, which
was really well planned, failed 1t has
shown what might be done, and will inspire
increased vigilance throughout the North.
On Saturday morning an examination of
the Astor House took place to learn if any
attempt had been made to fire the building,
when, on opening room No 204 an immense