The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-01-31 00:00:00

TERRIBLE DYNAMITE OUTRAGES
IN TEE METROPOLIS.

. iaTEMPT 110 DESTROY THE HOUSES OF
PARLIAMENT AND THE TOWER OF
1 LONDON.

The Palace of Westminster has at length suffered
from the daring attempts of the "dynamite party."
Almost simultaneously two explosions occurred on
Saturday at Westminster, one within the House of
Commons itself, and the other in Westminster Hall,
with results of the most disastrous kind. On Satur-
days the public are allowed access to the two Houses
of Parliament, and it was this privilege which gave
the miscreants an opportunity of carrying into effect
operations which, it is evident, had been carefully
pre-arranged. When it is said, at the outset, that
the House of Commons has been wrecked almost
through its entire length, the statement conveys,
only too well, an idea of the success that
has attended the . outrage. From the fact
that another attack upon the Tower of London
happened almost simultaneously, it is evident
that the three explosions were the work of persons
acting in harmony, and that the time fixed for this
triple blew was two o'clock in the afternoon. The
Palace of Westminster was thronged with visitors,
who had obtained, as a matter of form, a ticket of
ache ission at the Lord Chamberlain's office near the
Victoria Tower. In point of time, the explosion in
Westminster Hall occurred first, and though the de-
vastation which it brought about was not so wide-
spread, on first examination, as that caused within
the Popular Chamber shortly afterwards, it was
unfortunately attended by serious injury to two police-
constables. The earliest warning of it was given by a
lady, who, in company with another lady and a gentle-
man, was descending to the crypt. Those who are
familiar with Westminster Hall knpw that on the left-
hand side of the: steps leading to St. Stephen'.
Hall is an iron gateway giving access to another,
and in this case a smaller, flight of stairs leading to
the crypt—one of the favourite "show places " with
Saturday afternoon visitors. The lady in question,
Miss Davies, accompanied by her sister and her
brother-in-law, Mr. Green, was going down these steps
when she noticed a small parcel lying near the first
landing. As smoke was issuing from this package the
party at once became alarmed, and guessing the
nature of its contents they hurried back. The police-
man on duty at this point, overhearing their remarks,
without a moment's hesitation seized the parcel, with
the object of carrying it to some place where its power
of mischief would be minimised. He had conveyed it
to the top of the steps when it is supposed that the
heat compelled him to loosen his hold, for he threw it
forward on to the stone pavement, and at the same
moment it exploded. The dull, heavy discharge was
accompanied by great damage to the building, as
well as serious injuries to those persons who were
near at hand. Constable Cole, the officer who had
so courageously carried the dynamite from its
resting-place, as well as another policeman, Con-
stable Cox, who was stationed on the steps at the
south end of Westminster Hall, were so severely hurt
that their recovery was doubtfnl, the one having
sustained a fracture of the skull and concussion of
the brain, and the other suffering from internal
hemorrhage. They were conveyed to the Westmin-
ster Hospital. Miss Davies and Mr. Green also were
much shaken, but the other lady who formed the
party escaped with trifling injuries. As is always the
case with explosives of the nature of dynamite, the
mischief was principally in a downward direction.
Right through the heavy paving a chasm was rent,
irregular in shape, but measuring in diameter about
two yards, and broken pieces of stone were scattered
in every direction. One effect of the charge was
curious. After bursting through into the vault be-
neath the force was not wholly expended, but cul-
minated in a final burst which lifted a huge paving-
stone from its place, and throwing it on one side, left
another cavity bare. Constable Cole and Mr. Green sus-
tained some additional wound through falling into the
jagged hole made by the explosive in its downward
course. The damage in Westminster Hall was supple-
mented by the shattering of the small windows run-
ning along each side, the displacement of portions of
the roof here and there, and material injuries to the
great windows north and south. The latter, which is
one of the handsomest in the whole Palace of West-
minster, retained its place, but the stained glass is
disfigured by innumerable apertures. The iron gate
at the top of the steps leading to the crypt is twisted
and torn, but it is remarkable that several workmen
who were engaged a short distance off, in connection
with the restoration of Westminster-hall, escaped
almost without injury. The shock was, as a matter
of course, experienced in considerable force by the
officials and visitors in the House of Commons itself.
This led to a stampede, and in all probability gave
the author of the second explosion a better opportu-
nity of carrying out his design. At about thirteen
minutes past two a second detonation was heard ; and
then it was perceived that the House itself was a
scene of chaos and confusion. The exact time is fixed
by the stoppage of the clock above the gallery. From
end to end the spectacle of shattered timber work,
broken benches, fallen glass, and mutilated uphol-
stery presented itself. The lower part of the Chamber,
in the vicinity of th. sees eee- —ens. It i?
the ministerial vide of the House that the principal
injury has been wrought. As one enters from the
lobby a vast gap between the outer and inner doors,
on the left-hand side, displays a view of the interior
of the building—so different from the picture of
brightness of architectural beauty to which habituts
of the House are accustomed. The sturdy door-posts
are smashed, one of the massive doors, torn from its
hinges, lies across the entrance, and beyond, heaped
up benches, torn leather, black dust, splinters, frag-
ments of stained glass, blocks of severed timber, and
bare iron girders combine to make up a gruesome
picture of terrible, if meaningless, destruction. Over-
head a great orifice is torn through the flooring of
the Peers' Gallery; and the long bench running
across, from which members of theirlordships' House
are wont to survey the scene on the floor below, has
been completely overturned. Nor, if aristocracy
has suffered, has democracy escaped, for the green
seat beneath, on which Mr. Bradlaugh has held
many a little reception of his friends and
sympathisers is "destroyed, smashed, and pulverised."
The line of wreckage runs along to the Treasury
bench, and it is worthy of note that the principal
injury here done is to the exact spot where Mr.
Gladstone site. Here the leather is torn away and
wool and horsehair protrude through a hole about a
foot in each direction. The despatch box on the
table, too, shows indications of having been struck by
a flying missile, which afterwards fell to the floor
near the Speaker's chair. The chair itself has also
suffered, the leather arm on the right side having been
torn away and the ponderous carved woodwork forced
out of position. Near the gap under the Peers'
Gallery, where the main strength of the explosion
asserted itself, overthrown seats, oak columns and
huge, jagged splinters, show the terrible violence of
the shock at its worst. At this end of the chamber,
also, the glass roof is shattered, while the side lights
along the Opposition side exhibit similar marks of
injury. The projecting members' gallery above the
Ministerial back benches helped to break the shock in
some measure, but here, too, the windows display
plentiful indications of the general devastation.
Little doubt can be entertained that the explosive
was thrown or placed—most probably the latter—in
the recess just behind the stone pillar of the arch
which forms the principal doorway to the House.
The stonework, about Bft. above the ground, is forced
out of position to the extent of about two inches, and
it is in this neighbourhood that the evidences of des-
truction are most thickly strewn. In a lesser degree
the division lobbies have suffered. Empty window-
panes, broken lamps, and dust half an inch thick on
the floor and desks testify to the far-reaching nature
of the explosive. A door thrown down here, a panel
crushed there, a twisted piece of brasswork a few feet
further on, ruin everywhere, are the records of Satur-
day's defiant answer to the declaration that force is no
remedy. The costly stained windows in the central
hall aee starred and forced out of position, and the
same tale of disaster is carried the whole length of
St. Stephen's Hall, which probably suffered from the
shock of both explosions. One solid column of oak,
more than a yard in length, was borne from its place
under the Peers' Gallery, right along the House of
Commons and lodged alongside the Sppeaker's chair.
Immediately after the explosions the building was
cleared of visitors, and since then the force of police
under Inspector Denning, snpplemented by men from
King-street Police-station, have strictly excluded all
who could not show good reason for entering the
Houses of Parliament. The gates of New Palace-
pird are closed, and Westminster Hall is shut up.
Several arrests were made, but the persons who
were temporarily detained, being able to give
a satisfactory account of themselves, were soon
set at liberty. A rough estimate put the damage
at e.E10,000. Mr. Shaw - Lefevre, the rect ntly-
appointed Postmaster - General, who is still
perforniing the official duties of First Commie-
sioner of Works, has given instructions that the work
of restoration is to be begun at once, so that the ,
House may be in a fit condition for the meeting of
Parliament on the 19th of next month. The scene of
the explosion was visited on Sunday by the Duke of
Cambridge, and almost the whole of the members of
Parliament at present in town, besides a number of
peers and ladies. The approaches to Westminster
were thronged with crowds of sightseers to such an
extent that Whitehall, Parliament-street, and the
Embankment were almost impassable, but they were
forced to content themselves with an outside view of
the building through the railings of Palace-yard.
The following message to Sir E. Henderson was
received on 'behalf of her Majesty from Osborne on
Sunday: "From Sir H. ronsonby, Osborne.—The
Queen has commanded me to ask you as to the con-
dition of the injured policemen.' Sir E. Henderson
forwarded a reply informing her Majesty that both
constables were progressing favourably. On Satur-
day, shortly after the explosion, a communication was
received at one of the Government offices giving a
list of public buildings, including a newspaper office,
which the "dynamite party" had marked for dee.
truction. Internal evidence has led the authorities
to regard this letter as one of extreme importance;
and precautions are accordingly being taken.
Inspector Denning, the chief of the House of
Commons Police, his made the following statement: I
was in my offices, at the foot of the memberi!staircase,
whez the first explosion took place. I could hear the

screaming of women, and rushing out into the hall by
the main entrance I found the place in utter darkness.
The report seemed to me like a rumbling, heavy
souni, resembling a distant salvo of artillery, and
lasted about two seconds. As I walked up the ball
towards the great staircase I discovered the flooring
to be thickly covered with powdered glass, whilst
the air was densely charged with dust and smoke.
There were, I should think, 10 or 12 persons in
the halt. Immediately outside the crypt I found
the policemen Cox and Cole lying amongst the d6bris,
apparently dangerously injuret There were, also
four other persons suffering from the force of the
shock. I understand that when Cole threw down the
package it fell at the feet of Mr. Green, of 24,
Abingdon-street, who was amongst those who sus-
tained injuries. Whilst I was attending to the
wounded, and having them conveyed to Westminster
Ro-pital, the King-street Police-station, and Abing-
don-street, a second explosion took place. It came
from the direction of the House of Commons, and I
ran up at once. There was not a soul in the place,
which was filled with dust. As I passed the entrance.
which was blocked with the dThris of the door, I noticed
a strong smell of sulpher and gunpowder. Extra police
were then sent for, and the approaches to the building
carefully guarded. •In future extra precautions will
be taken as to admission to the House under any cir-
cumstances. During the interval between the two
explosions a Canadian, whose movements aroused the
suspicions of the officer on duty, was arrested in the
Lords' corridor and taken to King-street. It having
been ascertained that he was a shipowner of some
p.tanding and good credentials, he was released. He
was, I believe, on a visit to some relatives in London.
The crinolette and bats found in Westminster Hall
after-the explosion have all been identified. The two
ladies who were taken to King-street were released the
same night.