An employee at the Queen Mary attraction in Long Beach, CA was charged Thursday with creating an anthrax scare that caused authorities to seal off the historic British ocean liner for several hours.

A carpenter working at the site earlier in the week was throwing out rubbish when he saw a five-gallon bucket in a trash bin. Written in red ink were the words: "DANGER. DO NOT OPEN. ANTRAX."

Security was notified and the Queen Mary was sealed off while authorities tested the bucket's contents, which turned out to be rotten beans and chili, Gibbons said. No one was injured.

Arrested was Dionicio Garcia, 20, who misspelled Anthrax, charged with two felonies: a threat to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempted criminal threats.

[10/21/2001]