New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-08
HOLT BOMB HUNT
VAIN ON LINERS
WARNED BY U. 5.
Search of Philadelphia and
Saxonia at Sea Fails to
Reveal Explosives.
CARGO AND BAGGAGE
CLOSELY EXAMINED
Narrow Escape of Three Vessels
from Internal Machines Last
May Comes to Light.

Shipping circles here were greatly
relieved yesterday when word was re-
coived from the American Line steam
ship Philadelphia and the Cunard liner
SaNonis that their baggage and cargoes
had been thoroughly searched and no
bombs found aboard Warnings had
been sent out over the Atlantic early
IN the day from government wireless
stations Of the direful message of
Frank Holt to his wife that one of
these vessels would be destroyed yes
terday through the agency of one Of
his internal machines.
Holt in his letter to his wife at Dali
las. Tex, said he was not sure whether
lie had placed his bomb aboard the
SaNonia or the Philadelphia. both Of
vhich ships sailed from here Saturday.
Because of the Indebtedness of his
letter the government took the caution
10 send the wireless warnings over all
the transatlantic shipping lanes, that
al steamers now on the high seas
might be reached.
A message was received at the Gu
nard Line Offices from Captain BigCin
Of the Saxonia at 3 p. m. yesterday.
It read:
Thorough search made; nothing
found"
Baggage All Identified.
The wireless warning reached the
Saxonia when she was ! 200 miles out.
a similar message was received from
Captain Mills of the Philadelphia at
1880 a. NJ She was 1000 miles out
when the government warning reached
her Officials Of the Cunard Line said
that after the warning was received
by the Saxonia every piece of baggage
had been taken from her hold and
identified by its owners TIE officials
Of both lines assumed from the mes
saEes received that the ships cargoes
had also been searched.
The Saxonia has 324 passengers
aboard, of whom 1l5 are in the cabins.
The Philadelphia has aboard Gil. OF
these 206 are in the first cabin, 20j
ia the second and 200 in the stoersee.
Holt's written declaration that he had
prepared to blow up one of the trans
atlantic liners gained a most frightful
significance when It was learned that
the police had been unable TO find one
hundred pounds Of dynamite which he
was known to have received but which
had been unaccounted for. The police
believed Holt might have used some
Of this explosive in the bomb he said ne
placed aboard one Of the liners.
Following the scare over the threat
ened dynamite disasters at sea II was
learned yesterday that three ships sail
ing from this port 20 Havre and reach
ing there last May were found TO have
unexplo6ed bombs aboard, the missiles
having been placed on the ships in this
city before sailing. Two Of the three
vessels menaced by bombs were said
L - u L.. o.. slolr
which sailed from this port May Z, and
the Lord Erne, which sailed April %
for Havre.
Acid Not Strong Enough.
In each case, it was said. the bombs
had been placed aboard a vessel carry
ing automobiles and other war supplies
for the French army The bombs were
found among the cargo. In at least one
the iron and reach the explosive during
the voyage across.
An investigation was said to have
been begun by the United States Secret
Service, in which detectives Of this
city and the French government Joined.
case the internal machine consisted Of
TWO large iron cylinders, one of which
contained acid and the other an eX-
ploslvo which would be set of when
the acid should eat its way through the
cylinder The plot was frustrated in
each Of the three cases, il was said, by
the failure Of the acid 70 penetrate
Because OF Hollis confessed method Of
using acid TO eat through a substance
in his bombs il was thought he might
have had something 10 do with the ear
her plot.
The existence OF we'll defined plot
TO destroy munitions Of war, it was
said. had been uncovered by the dis
Covcry Of the three bombs. The an
nCuncement of their finding was made
by a steamship man Of high standing
in this city, who confirmed the story
Of H. c. Hill, passenger on the steam
er Espagne. Mr. Hill said one such
bomb had been found aboard vessel,
which he refused to name because he
thought its designation might hamper
the investigation. The man confirming
Nh HIPS statement did so emphatlcal-
~ and said the ship TO which Mr.. HiH
referred was only one Of three whose
destruction at sea had been threatened
by bombs.
The steamship man refused to permit
the use Of his name or 10 give further
details on the ground that to do so
nigh. seriously handicap the work OF
the Secret Service and detectives IN
vestigating the plot Mr.. Hill, who IS