Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1883-03-17

LONDON. March ia terrible explo-
sion occurred in the Local Government
Board offices at. Westminstersat nine
o'clock tonight, destroying much prop
erty. The report was heard in the
alarm. The concussion was so great that
1t shook the sides Of the gallery and
reporters gallery. Being dinner hour,
but few members Of the House were in
the hall. The Duke Of Edinburgh was
in the Peers galleries, and seemed much
alarmed. The speaker rang his bell and
asked the cause OF the alarm. No one
was injured. Tho widest rumors are
afoat. The report resembled the dis.
charge Of an eighty ton gun. 1t is
believed the explosion was caused
by dynamite and was deliberate at
tempt TO blow up the Government Office.
The explosion 10 undoubtedly the work
Of Fenians. Adjacent streets were filled
with myriads Of fragments Of glass and
heavy plate glass is lying in heaps on
the ground. A stone weighing two
hundred pounds was projected against
King Street Police Station, making a
hole the size Of mans head. Moth
ing will he touched until an inquiry is
made. The full extent of the damage
cannot be estimated till daylight. There
are rive hundred constables guarding
the scene. The building has the appear.
ance of having been bombarded. There
is deep trench ten feet by three in one
room, the foorof which has been literally
ploughed. Two children sleeping In q
house at the corner Of King street
were thrown from their beds by the force
of the explosion and their faces badly
cut Every pane Of glass in the vicinity
was shattered. A man was arrested at
midnight on suspicion Of being con.
cerned in the explosion. Noise Of the
explosion was heard three miles. Yes.
terday evening canister containing
explosive material was found behind the
Times Office with, it Is rumored, a
lighted fuse attached. Police are
making thorough investigation. Off,
cials think the explosion was oaused by
gunpowder or dynamite. Officers Of
the Gas company declare they can find
no evidences that II was cansed by gas.
Another report says the force
OF the explosion was terrific. A
eAoos ssSAc oetusdhuc WIS ODlts
Grated, massive masonry blown
to fragments and the pavement
shattered and ground to powders wood
en- structure opposite blown into splin-
tiers, and many stones were driven
through walls Of houses. OF inside
walls. there remained nothing but spln-
tered wood and broken plaster. Walls
were burst aspnder, making an indes-
cribable scene of destruction. The street
i completely covered with fragments Of
broken plate.glass, blown bodily out and
shattered to atoms. The greatest con-
sternation prevailed. People poured
out OF their houses and rushed to the
scene. Great alarm prevailed. In the
House OF Commons. among members the
explosion Is ascribed to Irish Invinci-
bles, and is described ~ part Of the
Fenian plot to warn the Government. A
remarkable feature is that this disaster
10 unattended by serious fatality.
At 1.-THE scene or the ExpIssien.
LONDON, March i6.-An enormous
crowd gathered at the scene Of the ex-
plosion. The Government Inspector es.
Inmates the damage at $4,000. 1t Is
thought that the vessel which obtained
the explosive material was placed in the
cellar Of the building. Later and closer
inspection shows that the ex plosion oc-
CURED from the outside OF the building.
No arrests have yet been made. The
police say they noticed nothing suspic-
ious about the building prior to the ex-
plosion.