New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-18

angles between the state-rooms. Here in one of the
most obscure passages at the end nearest the
partly saturated with kind of fluid, from which
a vapor and strong odOr arising: Calling
Second Officer Stevens, he started To fold up the
runner" as it is called, which was of thick WOO: :
len carpet. The friction incident TO the folding OF
the carpet apparently caused the iiuds To ignite,
and they burst into a fame Before the woodwork
was sc0rcbed. however the blazing carpet was car
ried out to the gangway ana thrown upon
deck, W here it was quickly surrounded by aston,
ished sailors subsequently the runner burned
with such fury that it was thrown 09yyerboard 10
prevent the vessel from taking fire. EXAMINATION
was then made TO see If the supposed lncendlarles
had left any traces of their work behind them Two
k-shaped bottles were found unbroken and the
fragments of two Others. One of the unDroken
TASKS, which was Of black glass, contained iew
drops OF what appeared to be phosphorus; te Other
apparently had contained Kerosene or some 0ther
kind of oil The steward threw the rag
ments ont through port-hole and. ne
two entire bottles were turned over to ponce ior
inspection.
A Tribune reporter went on board the Bothnia
last evening and shown the spot where the sup
posed attempt to set fire to the ship was made Inc
plSSage-way was in very remote place, ana so
dark that it was impossible to see anything llntli
match was stuck A strong smell OF phoSphorouS
yet peTVaded the passage although the hoor nad
been thoroughly scrubbed to remove the nulds.
No Traces of the flames to be seen on the wood
work. owing as the steward explained to the quick
removal of the carpet. ~
Vernon H. Brown, he agent of the Cunard Line,
said last evening that the men were admitted to the
because they represented tdt Incy Nlolltu W
see the boalswaIn. As heydd not attract particular
attention no suspicion was aroused.
Did they look like IriShmen y asked the re-
porter
do you believe that it was an Irish plot to des-
troy the shipV
"WcIl-it may have been done by somebody
who had spite against the yes3el-Or ii might have
been done by accident"
Captain Gastliu, of the Steamboat Squad, with
several of his men were engaged on the all day
/ llFn
Information was Cleaned that during the summer
one" or tWlCc explosives concealed III freight had
been turned back from the CunIrd pier ana also
from The piers of other English steamers III the
North River; but for fear OF panic the lacts hau
been suppressed.
On account OF the officers Of the affair of the
steamship to suppress the facts, the real magnitude
of the case was not learned until last
evening. Almost immediately after the DIS
c0yery of the phosphorus AZ the a!coVe aI-
ready described, the carpets the alcOye opposite
and one further towards the stern of the vessel were
found III tho same condition; They needed 24n.y
slight friction to set them aDlaze. Inc
alarm soon spread through the vessel,
and the entire crew set 10 work trying
to cXtnguish the flames. First sand was thrown on
were used. and served to make II possible TO take
hold of the carpets and carry Them out. Mean
while Chief Officer Marshall went TO ms
room, and had hardly crossed the uoor When
ne was amazed at finding his own carp on lfe'
The mixture adhering 10 his boots bad lgnlted.
Help was called, and the entire carpet,
rap,dlv becoming mass Of tame, was
carried out to the main deck. All OF the
caructs were thrown over the side of the vessel,
but instead of being extinguishod by contact with
the water, they burned more iercely than ever
They were finally put out by throwing neaFy WGlgnts
on them and sinking them out of sight. At Police
Headquarters an experiment was made with the
contents of the bottles. BY mixing them and sup
plying small amount Of friction, piece OF teiG-
graph wire was heated to white heat and melted.
According TO a description OF the men obtalned
the shorter Wtll-dTeSsed Ill blacK
clothes. had n full round face and black mHstache
and wore a soft nat. The tall one wore Iight col
orci trousers, a long coat AMI a black soft hat lie
was OF light compieXion and wore light coiored
uastachc and side whiSkcrs.