The Progress., 1896-08-20
LORD LIONEL'S PERIL
INCIDENT OF LORD SACKViLt
STAY IN WASHINGTON.
Tale OF n Mysterious B"x-ApP-rently
Fenian Plot to Blow Up England's En-
tssary Consideration at the Navy and
state Departments For Some Time.

tssary Consideration at the Navy and
state Departments For Some Time.
There is no longer any doubt that Hon.
Lionel Sackvillc West was, during his
term here as British minister, terribly
alarmed rs to his personal safety. Tn
doubtcdly b. imagined that the whole
forco and inaynuity Of tho Irish agitation
party were concentrated upon himself, and
that tho leaders expected and intended to
mako brilliant example Of thoir impor-
lance by immola,ing him upon the altar
Of freedom. We alrrndy know that, rs y
matter of fact Mr.. WCSt was spirited out
of town and taken away upon yacht in
order to save him from tho ravcning Fc-
mans, and it now appears that a really
thrilling tragedy occurred at tho British
legation about the same time--a tragedy
which involved the state and navy depart
mcnts and, for some hours at least, oCCu
pied the attention and prrycd upon tho
nerves of some of our ablcst ordnance OIL
CCrS.
1t seems that ono morning an express
company delivery wagon drew up before
the British establishment on CONNECTICUT
avenue and Deposited It particularly sol
cmn and mysterious box. The box In
question was not much to boast of in the
matter of size. but 1t was N low brOwcd
and forbidding package, suggestive of
Stratagcm and plot It was ohlong in
shape, very heavy rs to its specific gravity
and absolutely noncommital In appear
ance, There was nothing to show whcrc
1t came from. The ono conspicuous fca-
turc, however was an elaborate and OK
plCit inscription, giving minute details rs
to the manner in which the box was to he
opened Tho legend entered into tho most
insignificant particulars, explaining every
evolution with painstaking care and leav
ing It to the fcvcrish imagination of tho
reader to prefigure tho CHASTITY conSc
qucnces of the very smallest carrlcssnoss.
Naturally, the mysterious package first
fell under tho observation OF tho tlunky,
who promptly dismissed it as not being in
his line Then it came to the notice of ono
of the official undcrstrappcrs, who thought
1t good thing to let alone. At last MIR.
Horace HClyar the secretary, surveyed it
and found that it was as insCrutablc rs
tho American waltz. And, finally, Hon.
Lionel Sackvillc-W cst looked at it and
grew white and broke out into goose flesh.
Tho upShot was that they sent the oblong
box to tho state department. with II mes
sage to the effect that her ma jcsty's envoy
extraordinary, and all the rcst of 1t, had
st,,, TO, hn yfp,,t md
a hint that perhaps the United States at
thoritics might like to examine tho Same
Mt their leisure 1t took just two minutes
to convey the package, In the hands of af
frighted janitors, to the navy department.
and as much longer for ono of our dipfo-
matte experts to pen highly hysterical
letter asking the naval big bugs to sec
what the thing amounted to. In less than
half an hour the box was lying on the
grass of the navy yard plaisancc surround
ed at q respectful distance by the scientific
wiseacres of the corps and still turning
upward to the fearless sun its weird and
terrifying inscription.
But of course something had TO be done
and presently gigantic idea occurred to
rowed brow and solemn mien he ordered
out section of double rivetcd boiler iron.
With this he Enclosed the oblong box.
Then o hole was cut In the side of the
iron, and soon a long metallic handle was
spliced to q saw. Next an elderly and not
particularly valuable minion was sum
moned from the shops and told to take
this saw, and, standing outside the case
mate and inserting the instrument through
the portfolio, to saw off the end of the box
and so expose the deadly contents to scien-
tifc observation. The person sawed away,
under some difficulties, of course, whil0
| his superiors, with fingers In their ears,
watched him eagerly. Suddenly he struck
what seemed wire, and then, accom-
panied by the whole party, he fled mile
or SO and waited, palpitating, for tho cata
clysm.
Nothing followed Then they ventured
back and gazed. There was the wire, but
the box was vOiceless and inert. After
some feverish consultation they fastened
another wire, a long one to the wire in &
box, and retreating to the distance of 10t
yards they gave that wire a great bis
Macedonian jerk There was no eruption
The heavens were not rent with ClamOl
nor the earth torn up with violence. Th'
boiler iron stood upright and the oblone
box within lay still like cobra coiled fo1
tho fatal spring.
Then they put their heads together In {
symposium OF terror and confusion, won
dering what they should do next with thu
British minister's express package, ant
about that time smiling flunky appeared
upon the scene bearing very polite ant
somewhat urgent note In which the min
lister, the Hon. Lionel Sackville- West
begged that the box might be returned II
him Immediately. This dreadful thing
as it afterward appeared, was nothing
more or less than the working model o
machine, designed by some ingeniou
cocknes resident in the West Indies, TO
the cheaper and more expeditions oxtrac
ton of the juices of pineapples and s.
forth. Mr.. West had an interest In tn
industry and the machine had been sen
to him for his inspection and approval
The box was afterward rudely opened wit
hatchet and the apparatus used in tn
West menage for the effectual squeezing o
lemons and the like. But the incident wa
tremendous while it lasted, and for a
least six hours the British minister an
the state department and the hig
muck a-mucks of our great America
navy felt as II they stood upon the brin