The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-17
The Explosion Attributed to the "Invinci-
bles," and Regarded as a Fenian Warning
to the Government.
The Outrage Causes a Violent Revul-
sion of Feeling Toward Ireland.
O'Donovan Rosa and Sheridan Admit tina
the Explosion Is Part of the Irish Plan
Views of Other Agitators,
AN ATROCIoUs DEED
Additional Details of the Attempt to Blow
Up the Government Offices.

Additional Details of the attempt to Blow
Up the Government Offices.
London Special.
Every part of Westminster, the Abbey, the
houses of Parliament, the great structures of
the public offices, the clubs and dwelling
houses were violently shaken tonight by a
tremendous explosion at 8 o'clock precisely.
A great defamation was heard, followed by
the crash of glass falling from thousands of
windows. A deliberate attempt has been
made to blow up part of the government
offices, the part occupied by Sir Charles
Dixie and the local government board in the
immediate building bounded by Parliament
street, Downing street, Charles street and st.
James Park. Tie apartments in question
front on Charles street, and are almost level
with the pavement. The walls are of great
thickness and of solid masonry, and the win
dows protected by a massive stone balus-
trade. Opposite, fifty yards away, is the
King-street police station, and fifty
feet away a sentry guards the Parlia-
ment street front. Charles street is
dark and unfrequented at night,
which partly explains the extraordinary
'tNe oAab ~ MCIC lOob, Liz dNudU1llC
was placed on the window-sill inside the bal
ustrade, where the fuse, when burning, would
be concealed from the view of any one pass
ing. The force of the explosion was terrific.
The great stone balustrade was obliterated,
the massive masonry rent to fragments, and
the pavement shattered and ground to pow
der. A wooden structure opposite was blown
into cn1intapc opI n =, a o Of stone wac 1r;,,a,
through the wall of the house beyond it. In
side the Offices there remained nothing but
splintered wood, broken plaster, walls burst
asunder, an indescribable scene of destruc-
ton. The street was completely covered
with the fragments of broken plate-glass,
blown bodily out and shattered
to atoms. The doors of the
King street police station were
burst in BY the blast of air, snd the detach-
ment present was Frustrated. Broken tim
bers and masses of stone were sent flying
into King street. People crossing at Parlia-
ment street were knocked down. A hanson
cab and horse were sent flying across the
sidewalk against the front of the Whitehall
Club, in which the great plate-glass windows
were driven in a shower into the rooms.
Everywhere the greatest CONSERVATION pre-
vailed. People poured out of their houses, the
broken plate-glass cracking nnder their feet.
In the House of Commons the alarm was
general. Many members left immedi-
ately. The lobby was emptied, and the
people rushed out of Westmin-
ster Hall. Some two hundred police
and a detachment of the fire brigade took
possession of Charles street, and drew a cor
don around the building, which no one but
members of Parliament and the public Off
Gals were allowed to pass. AS the alarm
spread. thousands iocked from all parts to-
ward Westminster, and the most intense ex-
element prevailed, the report rapidly gaining
currency that the House of Commons had
been blown up. No one 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
a Fenian plot, a threat and a warning to the
government. One thing only is certain, it
was a deed of frightful recklessness and
atrocity, and only an inexplicable good for
tune prevented it from being attended with
the most serious fatality.