The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-04-10
Ho,c I'ortsmouth ras BombUriod.

this fast age. Thirty years ago it was no
less staid, serene and well behaved. Still
there was young and frolicsome blood In
Portsmouth then, as there is now, one evi-
dence OF which will be found In this vora-
cious narrative. Some thirty odd years ago
in some way was to mo unknown, secret
association Of youngsters existed In p, de.
signed to do a little occasional "waking up
ofthc people and Of ~ region there and
,hercabout. ltwas a sr;ctly "confidential"
institution. Their treasury,was first filled
by assessments upon members, and after,
wards aided by manufacturing and tmffic-
ing in torpedoes, and other noisy explosives
the main capital, however, was invested
in gunpowder.
A favorite "waking up" ngent used byl
those worthy men was made by winding.
"larred railin" around say pound Of pow,
der, until the diameter Of the tough case
was about equal to a good sized bomb.shell
"a slow match being connected with the
Powuer' vi so"'' u"'A' '''e.'' ',o'''
night, one Of these "rcporters" would be-
laid upon board, the slow match lighted,
and the impromptu bomb.boat pushed out
upon the rapid, ebbing tide. When oppo-
site the Navy Yard there would come up u
terrific exp'os'on' with sharp Hash oil
light and sudden illumination to the con
sternation, SURPRISE WONDER &C., Of tho
forces at tho Navy Yard aud everybody
else. Much speculation nrose, and many
wise opinions and explanations were given
about this remarkable phenomenon-ihe
gener"' conc'"S'on ne,hs '"a' ''' cause was
s"p'crraneah' anu oe'ongea !" .he ear'"'
quake 'a'hl'y' IL occas'oheu no '''''" H'arn'
among thc pcaceaple people OF PORTSMOUTH
Upon one occasion while tho methodls's
were converting sinners at kittery camp
meeting, a monopoly OF tho cooking anu
feeding business having been granted c1'
clus'veIy to one OF the deacons, II was "d'
Judged unfair and a nuisance lhc ditfi'
Guilty was removed ut nigh. by securing ono
end OF stout rope around the legs OF
cooking-s'ovc, lin, on and about which,
boiling, broiling, roasting Trying, &c, we're
going fiercely on,) and tho other end TO one
OF the "ra'tlin bombs'" sccreted behind n
stone WALL When the tremendous expo
sion came, that same instant the Missing
splitting, sp''''erinS stove anu contents Ills.
appeared from the 'cnt' as d'u 'ho crown y.
customers. a liberal rewar' was 'h'ere"
Tor the person or persons s""y' o"'
nothing more came OF It.
But the richest Of all their prnnlSs wdS
bon,baniing Portsmouth. In the co'ir'e Of
examining into the state Of the town one Of
the members discovered dozen old can.
mons ''laying around loose" upon u wharf,
close 10 what WAS cal'ea i'''e''y n''aS''
solitary uh'rcqieh'eo pace ~ "'s"'' '"'"s'
ohsy enough ny oay' lne'' guns "''
"eeh ",' upo" '"' ""a' " up "a'," ~,
a' a'o ''o'' " 'a'. war 10 sao ~ .'
VIII persist j" saying ""u a''"''t" ''y
had mate some NOISE III 'n' "o''' :. 'n'.
day. YET they were pu' 'o.'''o uo9s ~ "'"'
tune. inward'y 'h'y m'gh' DO 'e''nsu Gun,
S"pa'ea, ny a" a'e"''@.o" ,. '" I ..'s,'." @
rust a"u ""',' ~ 'o''' 'v" -
a"s''',ne' cr '"0e." 7" ''""c ,, ~" -
'ha' "'''''o"' ""' 'I''' ~
"'"' "'''o oa'"'''' ''"" "''" 40
enough anu tn"' 'nc'r "'''a'' ''''"'u 10
c'eaheu on" al'o"ed 10 speak o"''' '''''''
ih 'ru'n' inc du'y' or "'o P',|0' se''"'' ~
unusually tempting, thai 'herc was s'e"'
a'ae'''' SHOW" 'y u" "o '"'"V :" "o
hc" a"u ''Po'a'' WIN NV, .'""'
weeks o' "a'" "'e"' 'o'' '"' ""', uo~e"
guns = "''o .cp' :"
''ap'o c'"''i'" 'o' p"'''' '''''s'
!" Pu''.""'' " VI, oo o.,, -S, -
W WV - - ,,.u
~ "o '.. ' 80 80. -, ..,,,, . 49,, d,,L
ns"' "I 'o. a 49," - ,;.n,,r
u,,'''' ~, ''ey "s. " W. .,s. So =, 49,. -.
was VI SUI. "e" " w -, ...,.a
o""'" 'o' " ~ '..s en- No. -. 80 80 .,.I. 80
guns "e'' ''""'' W." ' ,., "e' ~ " .s.
''''e " p'""o, o"I WV 49, 80 ,..,,
'waaae' 'o"" qui'o W " Ns ".I1s w..
VIII" gree" s'as'I"'a. '"eNo '''. . :. .au
o' propof'onea 'e"g'"S we'' ''' !" We"
pr'nea 'ou'n'"o'e'-"n" ''a' u. ''S""
each S'o"'''A''n was '',eu ~ "'' 'a''o
''s'"',' Wy ',''' '"'r0 "'""' ''''''" '"
NV l"",'' VIM "e' ~ "'', ""'
ru'"sc '.o '''S'"'. ''ie .''''s cee" was 'o"e' ,
w ''",' , us. ';. = ~. ",od m."n," oc
"'"' = """ "' W. e. ,.... 81
,','''0"'". '''' '''' s"''' , w" ","',' ,