The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-07-28
A NARROW ESCAPE.
Dynamiters Attempt to Blow up a
Steamer and XIII Prince Leopold.
The Bomb Quickly Discovered and
Thrown Into the Sea.

NEW YORK. July 27.-Oficers of the Sea
Beach route from New York city to Coney
Island, which is by boat frsm the Battery to
Bay Ridge, and thence by rail to the island,
arranged to entertain Prince Leopold of Bra
zil, and his suite at Coney Island last even
ing The guests. some twenty in all, includ-
ed, besides the young prince, Commodore De
Cana and other officers Of the Brazilian fri
gate, Barros, to which the prince is attached.
DR.. De Mendowea, the Brazilian consul, his
son and three daughters. Mayor Grace, Dis
trict Attorney MARITIME and Assistant Eel
lows were invited to be Of the party, but
were unable to CO. The party left the Bat
terry early in the evening, were shown every
thing of interest at COney Island, and were
entertained at dinner.
President Man of the Sea Beach route had
received during the day a vlllanouse letter
signed Social Rev, Com" warning them
that in case the Brazilian prince was feted
by the company, all the lives Of the princi-
pals should '.be forfeited" and taken at the
earliest opportunity. 'Be warned and coun-
fernandez the fete. Your lives are now in
our hands, and ithe responsibility shall be
with you" was the way the letter ended. 1t
was written in German hand. Although
Mr.. Man apparently treated this missiye
lightly, he had nevertheless taken extraor-
dinary precautions in the way Of detective
surveillance over the party.
Nothing suspicious occurred until the party
were on the steamer Sylvan Stream, on the
return from Bay Bidge to the Battery, and the
boat was well on the way. This was a regu-
lar trip, and there were many passengers In
addition to the Prince and his party on board.
Suddenly kissing noise proceeded from un-
der cabin seat, and those nearest the spot
discovered bottle-shaped bomb from which
extended fuse two feet long. The fuse was
on fire and the blaze had already scorched
the carpet and woodwork, and the nzzing
toward the bomb. George Brown, one
of the men employed on board the
boat. fell on his knees and with averted
face crept toward the lighted missile.
Every moment the sparks became more
numerous and were thrown clear across the
saloon. Brown finally seized the bottle,
rushed on deck and threw it overheard. The
Prince at the time the trouble arose was sit
ting outside with the daughters of the
Brazilian consul. He was distant ssme
twenty feet from the place where the bomb
was found, and the walls of the saloon were
between him and it. The bomb had been
placed almost directly. over the engine, how
ever, and if its explosion had net been pre-
vented, much destruction to life and prop
erty must have ensued. AS soon as the
officers of the company found out what had
happened they directed all their energies to
prevent information being given by Brown
or any of those who witnessed the occur
renee. The Prince was carefully kept in
ignorance as to the real cause of the excite
ment, and as soon as the boat reached the
pier, was surrounded by his naval friends
and hurriedly placed on board the Barrios.