Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-28
TRIALS WITH EXPLOSIVES.
Suspicious Doinys at Washington Explained.

One t,ay last week it was reported |
to the Washington police that some |
suspicious characters We're hiding in |
the ruins Of the old General Braddock |
house on AnaloStan Island and wer. |
engaged with some mysterious opera
tions, which it was feared meant mis-
chief. From time to time, men had
been seen crossing over in boats from
the Georgetown shore, and they gen
orally went separately with the evident
desire Of escaping public attention.
1t was persstently rumorcd that these
men were Spaniards or agents hired by
| Spanish money, and, when time and
again noises were heard, ominOus.
munied and heavy the boatmcn along
the river said these noises sounded like
the explosion of dynamite.
| The police deemed the matter worthy
! of investigation. There has been Ger
tain knowledge Of the presence Of
| Spanish spies in the city, and the ar
rest and suicide Of George Downing
upon whose person discriminating let
tiers were found. has given impetus to
the police to be on the alert ard take
| all necessary precautions. detail
| was sent over to thoroughly examine
the island and their search was sue
| cessful. While at the time they found
no suspicious persons in hiding, they
did find and bring to headquarters
| several large boxes containing bat
terry and wires and n large quantity
of dangerous explosives. While the
police tried to keep the matter from
notice. the rumors had reached the
ears Of reporters and the public was
further excited by articles in the press,
somewhat colored and magnifed.
Then the true explanation was dis
covered. Professor Charles +. Monroe
Of Columbian University, came for
| ward with the statement that the dy-
| Mantle and other material found on
| Analostan Island did not belong to
desperate men plotting evil against the
Government. but belonged to him,
and were being used in a series of cX
pefimentS. When war was declared q
number of men connected with the
| army and navy, the Geological Survey
and various scientific bureaus, formed
themselves into a private class to
familiarize themselves in the practical
application Of high explosives and thus
be prepared in case their services were
needed by the Government. They had
not realized that the old clothes, in
which it was necessary to dress on ac-
count Of the rough work in which
they We're engaged, had made them oh
jccts Of suspicion. And they Wer"
greatly surprised when one afternoon
on reaching the island, they discovered
that their boxes which had been
buried in the earth for safety had been
dug out and carried aWaV
Although under the charge Of a man
who is consulted as an expert 10y Gov
ernment officials. this particular work
is not under direct Government CON
troll and an account of its operations,
can cause no offence to Uncle SAM.
Personally. | never had any special
reason to he interested In these things.
have always shared in the popular
impression that one should keep at Il
respectful distance from such Il dan
geruuS force as dynamite. So when |
received an invitation to join this party
of scientific mon who We're going to
explode dynamite mines in the Potn-
mac and experiment with "jovtc" III
the earth, thought that while it might
he all very fine to be killed in battle
the prospect Of being a possible mar
tyr for the sake of a mere experiment
was not reasSuring.
However, went. ana was glad did so
Or. Monroe has studied into and Taught
the use Of explosives for many years. lie
is an acknowledged authority on these
j., things. He was chemist to the United
States navy torpedo corps The smoke
less powder used by the naval bureau Of
ordnance is his invention. ana He was
called upon by the government as an OK
PERI in consultation regarding the plans
for mining New York harhor.