The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-10-17
ALARMING EXPLOSIONS,
Attempt 10 Destroy the New ParIia-
ment Buildings i'm Quebec.

Much a'arm has been caused in Quebec.
Canada, by two explosions of dynamite which
blew down large sections of the now parlia-
ment buildings in the course of construction.
Says dispatch: The attempted destruction
OF the parliament house in this city to-day
constitutes one of the most diabolical plots
ever designed, and nothing short of q miracle
prevented, as one of its results, n terrible
sacrifice of human life At II 40 p. NJ. the whole
city was startled 10y the report of an explo-
sion which caused people to rush out of doors
and eagerly inquire the cause. The news
that the explosion was in the parliament
house spread like wild fire, and it was aston
ishing to note with what rapidity thousands
OF persons assembled at the scene. They saw
on reaching thr spot, great gap in the front
wall of the new parliament house some thirty
or forty feet square, and adjacent to the east
end OF the wing of the department building
facing the Grand Alice
The structure is situated just outside St
LOUIS gate, and is built in four wings The
three wings containing the public offices have
| Deen completed some time, but the fourth,
which is really the main building, is lust
nearing completion and ready to receive the
roof, 1t was to be the parliament house
proper, and was to be ready for the session of
the legislature next January.
Those who were in the immediate vicinity
OF the parliament house when the explosion
occurred found themselves tottering upon
their feet from the force of the conclusion
Inc report was of terrific volume, and para
lying in its awful force and suddenness. A
shower of bricks and small broken stone and
debris from the interior of the building was
blown into the air and fell like hail in tile
immediate neighborhood of the struc-
ture. Immense blocks of cut stone
We're torn from the outer wall
and forced with fearful velocity
across the lawn in front of the building tear
ing up the grass i'll their course. Two ladies
VINO lived In the terrace facing the wing on
the Grand Alice were walking up the upper
end of st. Eustache street at the time and
narrowly escaped being struck by the huge
blocks of stone Several men had been seen
about the building few minutes previously.
and the report was circulated that a number
of them had been killed. Fortunately, how
ever, such was not the case 1t was the work
men dinner hour, and none of them except
two were near enough to receive any injuries
Only one of the two, a workman named Mar
tel, was seriously hurt
reasonable time having elapsed. a search
was instituted Ter the direction of the con
tractor, for further explosives but without
result. At about u r. NJ, however the
crowd which still loitered around were
startled and terrified by new explosion this
tilne aI 'ht other END OF The parliament house,
and close to the northeast corner of the block.
The masonry here is double the thickness of
that blown away by the first explosion.
Nothing but quantity of lime and dust as
cended from the building and no blocks Of
stone were hurled from the wall vet the
damage is far in excess of that caused by the
first explosion. The whole corner is so bulped
out that it can barely hold together and must
all be demolished, A number of officials who
had ventured back into the department
Offices since the first explosion lost no time in
again taking leave of their desks, and nobody
would again venture in the building for the
remainder of the afternoon. Mr.. Charlebois.
the contractor, had wisely dismissed his work
men for the day after the first explosion
The government offered a reward of "a OOO
for the conviction of the persons responsible
for the explosion