The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-12-14
LONDON BRIDGE SHAKEN.
DYNAMITE EyPLOsION THAT FAILED
TO DO SERIOUS DAMA0E.
Pedestrians knocked Dows, Window shn'.
tered. Iamps ExstuguIshed, and the city
Tsr"vwn into Alarm, hut the Great B~idxe
Vnh armed-No Trace Of tho Fe ne r n ora


tered. Lamps Exs'"s"'shed. and the city
Tsr"wn into Alarm, hat the Great B~idxo
Unhsrmed-No Trace of the Ferpesrators
LONDON, Dec. 13.-Twenty minutes before
o'clock this evening . terrific explosion
caused great excite nent over n large area OF
the city In the neighborhood OF London Bridge,
The impression Immediately spread that an
atte mpt had beon made to blow up tho bridge
with dynamite This proved to be. probably.
the true explanation OF tho ex plosiop although
Tor a long time tho matter remain ed a mystery.
Fortunately no Injury was caused to tho bridge
The only damage done IA far as can DO ascer-
tanned Is tho obstruction Of perhaps $50 worth
OF window glass in the warehouses; on both
banks OF inc river. tho twisting OF number OF
lampposts Into fantastic shapes. and tho
knocking over OF n few travellers. Ono pedes-
TRAN. who was probably the nearest one to tho
explosion. is said to have been slightly bruised
by being violently thrown against tho stone
parapet OF the bridge.
Had tho outrage boon carefully planned and
had the perpetrators Intended serious mis-
chief. which is doubted by the police officials.
tho result must have boon appalling. London
Bridge is known to be tho most throngcd
thoroughfare In the world. 1t is estimated
that 10000 people from tho London. Chatham
and Dover Hallway station alone pass to and
FRO on the bridge daily Four lines Of vehicles
are with difficulty kept moving on the bridge
by policemen stationed within a fow yards of
each other. and.the sidewalks are proportions
ately crowded for eighteen hours out OF the
twenty-four. On Saturdays business houses in
the city close at an earlier hour than on other
week days, and toward evening there is per-
cc.eptih!e dlminution In the usual crowd To
tniS circumstances alone many parsons unuues-
tionably owe their ESCAPE from injury to-day.
stationed between tho city and tho S0Wthwmrk
si 81 wa dIublei IN conseInsnce Of the threats
the alarm dHd away and the extra force was
d,
and IA soon II, the locality of the attemp t could
r p" ns, -, c ;9e rHn%r.er hurried to ,ns
til. second arch .: no bridge on the SanthwarR
IL ,hs Ss bsa Of ns Of
r'i,o"m"n exam lining the piers and buttresscs
His first question, however, resulted in his ar
rest. aud drsu!to cards. PAPERS of iientinca-
ashor" aui to tic nearest police station iS1.'' A
snocia ,nrGsrrger sent to n well, known news
nureAp llha,y Drought succor. and the reporter
=, Will Gnder the bridge anil rarloying with
tht C!HelaI' hu"h an examination as the wan
i ir I'LL rS,mt' pitt. shovel that no damnEe
THIS fact would seem to Justify. tho police
ti'n and eli route. that tlle dynamite which had
boon u."6 WAS enclosed in n tin case and had
t br 9rdtnss T sTra %s G in %s sns ..
si.,rt ii!'e nal be II ned. or wheth"r, tho eXplo
reareIi {" aEr"c tha. i nad occurred On or very
aud there wcr"' very few boats near-two cir
"uinstaners which materially lessened tho
danger 10 iii" and Prop"rty.
At midnight the police had secured tho river
without HndiE,. any c'uo to tho pcrpotratOr
and all h"pe has practically been abandoned Of
az" Tha by the explosion was
SO distinct and startling that for limo tho OK
ThroGmori"n T-uchGTch. and k igg'H Wia M
ans "h r "m1 s ss
ana "ihrr r"cc9 OF resort to ,hs yicn.ty of
King WilliGr,'s statue. which faces tho en-
trance toth"hridEG IN droves, aud we're only pre-
Gordon Of pn.ic"men. which had been formed
as soon as tho locality OF mo e~posion was
ns"erin'n"d. ON tn, railway bridge. Il short
distance above. all became confusion trains
denoraiZafio ion lasting forten OF fifteen minu @ =
The new-pupar Offices in Fleet street and
Nicinity n"&t i.csine III" centres OF attraction.
crowds pushed th"irway into til" rouutine and
had happened. and others r"plate with rumors
OF the horrible things that Ina! harp"ned.
tNrrrt- frpta Scotland lHri estimate TINT n
least ATTY pounds Of dynamite must have been
windows on bot Sides Of tho river and nut ont
gasiiShls for u spac" Of a. least quarter of II
mile They aro nstound"d at tho small damage
done. ana assert that perhaps no other series
OF circumstances than those W Itch proviLou ial-
~ existed IA the moment could have led 10 50
trihihg catastrophe, coupled with SO potent n
cause.
1t is not NJ Mi likely that tho police will sue
coed III max INK any arrests. as they have LON:
"inct. re %td u'l precautions against overt acts
OF this DESCRIPTION except in the vicinity of tho
Govnrnrout buildings.
p"csunS wiip on London Bridge n. thn
TIM" OF the explosion saw they heard n IOnl
report an, observed two hash hos of light. Much
glass was broken in tho Custom House.