The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-03
Explodes Nitroglycerine on
Structure on Maine
Boundary Line.
ARRESTED. SAYS HE'S
KAISER'S OFFICER
Traffic Delayed Only Twen-
ty Minutes, as Damage
Was Slight.
DOMINION ASKS FOR
MANS EXTRADITI0N
Washington May Have to
Pass on Status of the
Case.

VANcEBoRo. Me-. Feb. An unsuc-
cessful attempt to blow up the inter-
national railroad bridge over the 81
Croix River at this point thus Grip
pling Canada's principal rail outlet 20
her winter seaports in the East, was
made early this morning by a man
who says that he is German army
officer giving his name az Werner
Van Horn.
He is now a prisoner here, held I'M
der orders of the Attorney-General Of
the State Of Maine who is awaiting
orders from the Federal authorities
before he takes another move. Mean.
time the Canadian Government acting
through the Canadian Pacific Railway.
has begun proceedings in the hope Of
securing the extradition of the prIs-
oner. II is likely that the scene Of
legal action will shift to Washington
within a few hours.
The prisoner, a powerfully built
German. feet inches tall, weigh
ing about 1870 pounds, is undeniahly
German and gives every appearance
Of having had military training. Ac-
cording to the authorities he makes
no attempt to conceal the fact that IT
midnight last night he placed a large
charge OF nitroglycerine near the
Canadian end Of the bridge, therefore
in British territory. bAnd exploded it
in the hope of cutting off the long
procession of grain trains, general
food trains, troop trains and horse
trains forwarded from northern and
eastern Canada to st. John, ". b., for
shipment to the British armies abroad.
lie proudly exhibits q German flag
which was wrapped around his left
arm when he was captured
Came From New York.
Van Horn left New York city on
Friday night. arriving here on Satur-
day night and putting up at n hotel.
The same night, by appointment, he
met man unknown to him personally
at the east end of the bridge. This
man gave him a satchel containing
dynamite. Van Horn suspended the
satchel from the inside of an end post
OF the bridge, and about 80 O'Clock
this morning discharged the explosive.
| This done. Van Horn planned to go
to Lambert Lake, whence he intended
to drive about thirty miles to Prince
/ ton. The night was intensely cold
and n bat 4.
uEable to carry out this purpose and
so he returned to the hotel.
/ Although Vanceboro sleeps soundly
these cold winter nights the sharp
defamation of the explosive At 1880
o'clock this morning had the town
aroused in a twink.ng. Being Just
on the border the inhabitants have
been In a measure affected by the spy
fever which is raging just across tho
river throughout New Brunswick and
all Canada.
Maine Central Part Owner.
The bridge is Of great Importance, in
the winter season particularly. 1t Is
the joint property OF the Canadian
Pacific and Of the Maine Central rail-
roads. BY using 1t the Canadian Pa
cific is enabled to cut off with short
line over the Maine Central tracks
from Mattawamkeag to Vanceboro a
long, roundabout trip to ST. John from
Quebec, Montreal and the western end
OF the Dominion. over this bridge this
winter have rolled steadily the great
supply trains which wera to carry the
food of the soldiers lighting in Bel
gium and France.
The explosion had every house
alight, every man in the street, every
railroad employee at the tracks, many
of them unmlndful of the piercing
cold. A big food train was due al
most at the moment the explosion oc-
CURED and 1t was stopped at Vance.
boro. The men on the bridge ran out
and made hurried eNaminat lion. One
big steel girder, or beam, had been
twisted out of shape, an inside bolster
post bent and six bridge ties blown
out OF place.
There was no doubt in the
minds OF the citizens who had
done this. Van Horn had been
marked almost hat hour after 10
arrived last Saturday afternoon He
was foreigner and his accent was
recognized as German. He said ia
was only seeing for himself what n
cold northern winter was like. Vts-
itors do not come to Nanceboro for
the winter and thereafter his STAY at
the Post House was marked by tho
curious gaze Of almost every man
, woman and child in town.
ITS the stranger at the Post
House was the general cry. Deputy
, Sheriff George W. Ross. accomnap,nA