The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1883-03-21

LONDON, March ia terrible gas
explosion in the local government board
office at Westminster, at 8 o'clock to-
night, destroyed much property. The
report was heard in the House of Com
mons and caused great alarm. The
conclusion was so great that it shook the
side galleries and the reporters gallery.
1t being dinner hour, there were but a
few members Of the House in the hall.
The Duke of Edinburg was in the Peers
gallery and seemed much alarmed.
The speaker rang the bell and asked the
u of the alarm. Noone was injured.
The widest rumors are ahoat.
The report esembled the discharge of
an eighty ton gun.
Later-It is now believed that the ex-
plosion was caused by dynamite, and
that it was a deliberate attempt to blow
up the government offices.
New YORK, March 16.-The Sun this
morning had this from London: Every
part OF Westminster Abbey, the House
of Parliament, the great structures OF the
public Offices, the clubs and dwelling
houses, were violently shaken tonight
by the tremendous explosion, which oc-
Cured at nine o'clock precisely. A
great detonation was heard, followed by
the crash of glass falling from thousands
of windows. A deliberate attempt has
been made to plow up part of the gov
eminent offices, the part occupied by
Sir Charles Dixie and the local govern
ment board. 1t is an immense building,
bounded by Parliament street, Downing
street, Charles street and st. James
Park. The apartments in question front
on Charles street, and are almost level
with the pavement. The walls are three
great thicknesses of solid masonry, and
tho windows are protected by massive
stone balustrades. Opposite fifty yards
away, is the King street police station,
and fifty feet away are the sentry guards
on the Parliament street front. Charles
street is dark and unfrequented at night
which partly explains the extraordinary
fact that nc lives were lost. The dyna-
mite was placed en the window sill in
side the balustrade, where the fuse when
burning, would be concealed from the
view of any n passing. The force of
the explosion was terrific. The great
stone baIustrades was obliterated; the
massive masonry blown to fragrants,
and the pavement was shattered and
ground to powder. A wooden. structure
opposite, was blown into splinters, and
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wall Of a house beyond it.
Inside of the walls there remained
nothing but splintered wood, broken
p,aster, walls burst asunder and an in
uescribable scene of destruction. The
street was completely covered with the
fragrants Of broken plate blown bodily
out and shattered to atoms.
The doors of the King street police
station were burse in by the force of the
air and the occupants Frustrated. Peo-
pie crossing at Parliament street were
knocked down; a Lansome horse was
flung across the sidewalk against the
front of the Whitehall club house, in
which the great plate glass windows
were driven in a shower into the room.
Everywhere the greatest CONSERVATION
prevailed. Poodle poured out of their
houses, the broken glass cracking under
their feet.
In the House Of Commons the alarm
was general; many members left i'm
mediately. The lobby was empty and
people rushed out of Westminster hall.
Some two hundred police and a detach-
ment of the fire brigade took possession
of Charles street and drew a Gordon
around the building, which no one but
members of Parliament and public Of
fcials were ollowed to pass.
No n tonight pretends to explain
the motive or purpose Of the act. 1t is
ascribed to the Irish Invincibles, as a
matter of course, and is described as part
of 9. Fenian plot, a threat and warning
to the government. One thing only is
certain; it was an act frightful from it's
recklessness and atrocity, and only an
inexplicable good fortune prevented it
from being attended with the most SER
ious fatality.
LONDON March 16.-The Pail Mall
Gazette says: In many of the maps of
London the local government board Of
flee is marked as the home office, and it
is thought that an attempt to blow up
the home office was made with the idea
that it was the latter, Sir VIM Harcourt
home secretary, being very obnoxious to
the Fenians.
A London bulletin dated IL q. m. says:
There is an enormous crowd gathered at
the scene of the explosion of last night
in the local government board office in
Westminster. The government inspec-
tor has made an examination of that
portion of the building damaged by the
explosion and places the loss at $4,000.
Tho yoccaI which 0nptainp6 the aynlo-