New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-02-15
AT WESTMINSTER.
.,oog INTO THE HALL AND THE HOUSES |


Is oncient memories which dimlned his vision as he
e.. stnod in Westminster Hall. Let him go
there now and no matter how familiar. how hack
ao,.oa the MACE has become TO him, will answer
for il he shall find it more impressive than ever
Tho annroach to it is tho approach to fortress
Palace Yard has closed its gates save one ana
ooleemen are guarding that is0litary entrance. All
the WAY from Westminster Bridge past the CLOCK
to,yer and the court past Westminster i1aii' pas'
the great front which stretches thence 20 'ic'oi"
Tower. and 80 on to the river and along 'ne '""'
and terrace to the bridge again, there - "'7
wall of helncted police. was with Il parry ''ou S
ing one Young lady. but as We slopp'" a. Wv
80 7 no,,co5 NJ ONE a movement OF police toward
us Nv pass was scrutinized, ana we "cio '0'u -
On nm 70 the south entrance. There we were ha'"0"
on 10 other police inside the door, on the e'aio"so
and an the platform beneath the painted window
in the Hall. wooden railing runs across the plat
form. shutting out even those who have got adinis
son thus far One of the policemen at TINS raiihs
carries the letter to Inspector Dennine and comes
back with word that we may go ill., such are Tue
precautions taken for the moment.
Itwas n dull morning and the Hall would nave
looked gloomy enough at best In TACT IL haa
singular air of having gone throngh siege Inc
dust of ages shaken down from Inc arches hdi
covered walls and floor with CRIME ike the s'alh
of powder Every window was shattered; the
glass wholly gone from most the painted lattice at
the south excepted Through rents III the ROOF lar
above the huge blackened beams struggled the gray
light of a January morning in London. Inc outer
doors were barred. Along the bare walls inside as
well as out paced the ever-present ponce. Ana
there in the right hand corner below the broad stone
stems which lead down to the floor and maip spaces
of the great Hall, was the deep wound which the
dynamite had left group of people stood ABOUT
IL as abont a grave bending over and peerng III
.s IL the foundation stones would give up the secret
of the havoc that had been wrought Iart Oh IL
was already boarded over. but there RENAME"
visible the two yawning gaps where the dynamite
had torn its way downward through soho granite
opd oround in pieces the not less solid brick arch
WAYS below. There to the right was the door ead
ing to the crypt; the door through when inc
policeman Cole had brought in his hands the oox oil
dynamite with its lighted and Kissing fuse Not
mucht see-only many cubic feet shattcrcdstoho
and crumbled brick, and so many squares OF broken
glass that would have to be set. Not much to say
about IT, perhaps. 1t is only one more outrage Dut
the dynamite happens to have spent its force in one
of the most venerable buildings in the world, as
dear to Americans as to EnglIshmcn. Perhaps
after all il is no great wonder that the echo OF the
explosion in Westminster was hoard in Washington
itself.
Then. under the escort-I had almost written in
the custody-of Inspector Denning. we went up the
stone stairs. through the long chamber where
strangers waiting for admission to the slttngs OF
the House are kept, through the outer lobby ana
long passage between it and the inner or real lobby
of the House of Commons. to the spot where the
second explosion occurred. AZ every door stood
two policemen who stared hard at us as if even the
company OF their own chief officer was not quite
that hal a ri a
they said nothing and we passed IN. The scene OF
the second explosion is the left OF the inner
lobby but Mr. Denning took us first to the night to
point out the exact spot corresponding to that
where the dynamite is supposed to have been placed
on the opposite SIDE The entrance to the House is
in the centre On either side. narrow passages with
n step or two conduct TO the seats under the
Sneakers and distinguished strangers galleries
where peers and other favored perSonages may sit
almost on a level with the members of the House
itself 1t in the narrow passage to the left that
the explosion took place with the effect of making
the passage less narrow tearing away the walls
scooping out the floor, aud rending the arches on
which 1t rested. Workmen were clearing away the
rubbish. A platform had been laid down. on which
we could advance till we stood the central site
Of the outrage.
The House of Commons itself was in full view.
Benches that had been torn up lay about; broken
timbers and fragments of all kinds strewed the
place. Mr. Denning asks us to look at the clock
with its hands still marking 2:l4, the moment OF
the explosion the uprooted cross bench, the INJURY
done TO Mr.. Gadstones seat opposite the corner.of
the clerks table, the marks on the Speakers chair
and the other familiar objects of interest. But
il was the general aspect Of this chamber which
told us more of the story than all the details we
could inspect This actual chamber is not very old,
he he cllambcr in which sits the
Oldest free legislative assembly known to the
world. The site is historic, every American knows
what has happended here, and that this outrage
was committed upon the home OF Parliament
which for five out of its six centuries of life belongs
to us. The marks of the explosion were over 1t all
roof, walls and floor had suffered. The actual
structural damage is not very important, though 1T
will take many weeks and scores of thousands of
dollars to make good. But to the eye of the visitor
on that morning. the chamber was wreck. III
YOU care for minute description OF the damage
DONE and of the appearance the House of Commons
presented on Sunday morning. you must read the
many columns which the London press devote TO
thcstory. Nobody lays stress the money loss; it
Is considerable but it is nevertheless trivial in the
estimate of everybody. by the date fixed for the
opening of the next session the chamber will be
again to all appearance in good order
1t was evident from the account then given rs
and from what we learned esew here. that the two
explosions were meant to be simultaneous. But B.!
am not sure that it is easy to realize what that
means until you have stood in the lobby and seen as
well as heard what would have happened If the
plan of the dynamitards had been carried out A
large party of sight-secrs would have been IN the
chamber but for the alarm given by the explosion
in Westminster Hail. Another large party would
have been in the Hobbies and in the staircase
where the second case of dynamite placed.
Nothing but the courage and devotion of the police
man Cole saved these lives. If he had not seized
the parcel on the staircase, carried it into the hall