Worker's thermos triggers scare near City Hall; 'bomb dude' responds

July 10, 2008 03:09 PM Email| Comments (0)| Text size – +

By John Drake, Globe Staff

A construction worker's thermos left on a bench across the street from City Hall led to a one-hour security disruption today.

The bomb scare began around 1:45 p.m., at the same time Governor Deval Patrick was addressing new citizens at a naturalization ceremony a block away at Faneuil Hall. It could not be learned how Patrick's security team responded to the incident.

Mike Cormier, a clerk at Newbury Comics at 1 Washingon St., said several customers inside the store were not able to leave for nearly an hour.

"At first we just heard 'bomb scare,' and then the bomb dude came out and what he was looking at was a thermos," Cormier said. "They were refusing to let people leave."

Investigators interviewed a construction worker from the renovation of the 14-story Ames Building, which is being converted to a 130-room hotel. The worker had a large, silver thermos tucked under his arm.

Police blocked State Street between Congress and Cambridge streets and roped off the southwest entrance to City Hall. Workers at a hot-dog stand along the pedestrian path between City Hall and State Street were told to leave the stand.

Boston police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said authorities received a call at 1:40 p.m. reporting a "strange electrical device." The department's bomb squad cordoned off the area and used a digital X-ray device to determine the object was filled with liquid, she said. Police declared "all clear" at 2:43 p.m.