The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-11
WRECKERS AT WORK.
Attempt TO Blow Up English stock
Transport.


New Orleans, Aug. 10.-What is re-
garded as an attempt of a Boer SYM
pathizer to blow up a British trans
port occurred shortly after midnight
when there was a terrific explosion at
the stock landing where the Harrison
steamer Mechanician is moored. The
Mechanician is to carry mules to South
Africa. The explosion shook houses.
ratified dishes and awakened people for
some distance around. Most of the
crew of the ship were asleep, but the
explosion brought them quickly from
their berths to the deck. An examina-
ton showed a large dent on the star
board side of the ship. Two plates at
the waters edge had been sprung and
considerable water was let into the
ship.
Pumps were Immediately put to
found that the vessel was in no dan
ger of sinking and that the damage
done was not serious. The crew of the
vessel denied that there was any ex-
plcsive on board and there seems lit
tie doubt, according to the statements
of those who examined the ship that
the explosion was from the outside,
and that some sort of bomb or torpedo
had been used.
Alfred Leblanc of the Harrison Line
visited the Mechanician early to-day,
ana report of the damage was SUD
mitted to him. He said three large
mates in fhp ctarhna Of tho chin hod
been stove in and that sixteen rivets
had been broken off or knocked COM
pletely from their places. AS the ship
was making considerable water it was
decided to shift the ballast so as to
lift the damaged section out of the
water. 1t is thought the damage can
be- repaired here. Agent Leblanc said
the Mechanician will be loaded with a
cargo of mules on Monday and get
away for South Africa as soon as pos
sible.
A British officer who was on the ship
last night said the explosion was ter
rifle and a column of water went high
up in the air and came down on the
vessels deck.
Capt. Hall of the Mechanician was
on board at the time, but none of the
officers was willing to express a the
ory with regard to who was resopnsi-
BILE for the explosion. 1t was suggest
ed in some quarters that it might have
been the act of some disgruntled mule
teer. Many of te muleteers who have
from time to time left the city on the
British transports have returned with
complaints of ill treatment and a num-
Der of suits are now pending against
| the British ships in the federal courts.
New Evidence Discovered.
Nyauy of tha 11lau1S e.
destroy the British mule ship Mechan-
ician were discovered by an officer of
that vessel to-day. Attached to the
anchor chain near the surface of the
water was found a cotton wrapped wire
about 125 feet long. to which was un-
doubtedly attached the bomb or tor
pedo that exploded last night and drove
in three plates of the ship on the port
side at the water line. The detectives
| are following up the clew and q search
| is being made for the place where the
wire was purchased or came from. 1t
| is the belief of the officers that the par
| ties who perpetrated the deed took the
torpedo with the wire attached, several
| lengths ahead of the ship and set 1t
| in the stream, where the current car
ried it around to the side, the time
fuse exploding after they had gotten
| safely away. The British officers here
ana agents OF the INES employed by
the British government for the trans
portation of mules and horses to South
Africa are much exercised over the at
tempted destruction of the Mechanician
and the vessel has been moved out in
midstream, with a double watch on
| guard. This is true also of the mule
transports in port, the Milwaukee be-
ing one of them. But for the torpedo
exploding where a bulkhead sustained
the plates the vessel would have un-
doubtedly been sunk. Mules will be
taken aboard Monday and the ship will
proceed on her trip to East London.
She will probably go into Liverpool,
her home port, for docking.