New-York tribune., 1912-02-29
Nineteen Sticks of Dynamite
Discovered Under Trucks OF
Car as 1t Reaches
Philadelphia.
MISTAKE, SPOlLS THE PLOT
Explosive Placed Too Far from
Wheel to Produce Friction
Plan Was to Destroy
Goods of American
Wooden Co.
fBy Telegraph to The Tribune. ]


Philadelphia, Feb. 2s.-Enough dyna-
mite 70 blow the town OF Lawrence,
Mass. off the map was found last Sat-
urday attached to the trucks Of freight
car which passed through that city last
Thursday and arrived here loaded with
paper consigned to the Garrett-Pu-
chanan Company, of this city.
The police are working on the case
and intimate that in their opinion the
dynamite was attached to the truck at
Lawrence for the purpose Of blowing up
the entire freight train, in which there
were thirty cars of woollen goods con-
signed to the American Woolen Com
pany, the corporation against which the
strikers are making their fight.
Only THE fact that the persons attach
ing the dynamite to the trucks made q
miscalculation prevented catastrophe
and possibly the loss of numerous lives.
The dynamite, OF which there were nine
teen sticks, each weighing I'm the neigh
borhood of three pounds, being twelve
inches long by an inch and three-quar-
ters in diameter, was attached to the
trucks Of the freight car with devilish
ingenuity.
Planned Friction from, Wheel.
First the sticks were wrapped in heavy
paper, after which they were tied to
the trucks in such a manner that the
wheels of the freight car would run
against the paper as they revolved,
eventually rubbing away the paper and
striking the dynamite. Through each
stick of dynamite had been run a piece
of wire, so that as soon as the wheel
wore away the paper the steel trimmed
wheel would strike the wire, causing the
spark that would cause the explosion and
blow up the train with it's crew.
The miscalculation of the person who
placed the dynamite was in not tying the
sticks close enough TO the wheel and pre-
venting the wheel from wearing away
the outer cover. Even SO, had the jour-
ney been a little longer the heavy wrap
ping paper would have been worn away
and the explosion would have taken
place.
The freight car to which the dynanf'te-
was tied was No. S7,T57 Of the Boston &
Maine road. 1t left the paper mills OF
Wyman, Flint & Son, at Bellows Falls.
VT, on last Wednesday. with a consign-
ment of paper for the Garrett Buchanan
company The car was relayed TO Law
renee, where II was attached TO a train
OF cars OF woollen goods belonging TO
the American Woolen Company. After
leaving the tracks of the Boston &
Maine the train was given 70 the New
York. New Haven & Hartford, and later
to the Central of New Jersey and the
Philadelphia & Reading, arriving in this
city over the tracks Of the latter road.
During it's journey from Lawrence this
car passed hundreds of passenger cars
carrying thousands Of persons. Had
there been the slightest collision the
dynamite would have been exploded.
Car Inspector Makes Discovery.
Upon the arrival in this city the car
was switched to the freight house at
9TH and Noble streets. 1t was unloaded,
and even then the dynamite was not dis
covered. Later the car was switched TO
the siding on the wharf. and Andrew
Straper, a car inspector, who started 20
inspect the wheels, made the discovery.
The detectives believe they have found
a splendid clew through name found
on the wrapping paper in which one OF
the sticks Of dynamite was wrapped.
News of the discovery was telegraphed
to the headquarters Of the Boston &
Maine Railroad with the suggestion
that the officials take immediate steps
to trace every car on the train to which
the car which came here was attached.
It is believed by the officials here that
the person who tied the dynamite TO the
car did not stop with one car. but con-
tinued at intervals through the entire
train and that sooner or later there will
be a terrific explosion unless every car
on the train is traced and examined.
President j. H. Sinnix Of the Garrett
Buchanan Company declares that he
knows of no reason why any person
should wish to blow up a consignment
of paper to his company, as the concern
simply is a selling agent and never has
had labor trouble of any kind.