Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-01-30

tains the House OF Parliament, anu one
in the White Tower, within the walls
of the historic Tower Of London. The
first explosion in Westminster Palace
was In Westminster Hall, and the
second occurred in what Is called the
lobby under the Peers gallery In the
House of Commons. Saturday being
visiting day, there were large num-
Der of sightseers, both at Westminster
and the Tower. At both places over
thIty persons were injured, though,
perhaps, none fatally, by shattered
windows and by the force of the con-
cussion. Many Of those hurt were
women and children. Parliament was
not In session, having adjourned on De-
cember 6 to February 10. The explo-
sions produced the widest excitement
I'm London, aud three arrests were made
on Saturday, but all but one Of the per-
sons arrested on that day were subse-
ouently released. Several arrests have
since been made, but it is doubtful If
the real offenders have been caught.
The explosion in the Tower and the
two explosions in the Parliament houses
occurred within Is minutes of each
other, and as the localities are separated
by Il distance of over two miles, the
conclusion is irresistible that deliber-
ate plot was formed to destroy both the
Tower and the new Palace Of Westmin-
stsr simultaneously.
The most disastrous of the explosions
in their effect upon property were those
in the magnificent new houses Of Par
lament, on the left bank Of the Thames,
between the Westminster and Vauxhall
bridges. A great number Of people
were visiting the palace and Westmin-
ster Hall, through which the main pub
lie entrance leads, and the House Of
Commons was filled with sightseers.
As is usually the case on Saturdays, the
great proportion of the visitors were
ladies, being the only day on which
thew were allowed in the House.
Among the visitors Saturday was Edwin
Green, a civil engineer, who was ac-
companied by his wife and sister, both
of whom are Irish women. They de-
scended the staircase leading from
Westminster Hall to st. Stephens
Crypt, the chapel under st. Stephens
Hall, and just as they reached the bot
tom Mrs. Green discovered a small pack
age at the entrance to the Crypt. 1t
was in the form of roll and looked
very much like cloth, but burning
fuse was attached to one end, and Mrs.
Green at once exclaimed" Why, what's
thatP 1t looks like dynamite !' The
party started back, rushing up stairs,
the ladies screaming as they ran. Po-
liceman Cole was the first officer they
met in Westminster Hall, and as soon
as he heard the story he rushed down.
the stairs and seized the suspicious
looking roll. He ran up the stairs
with it, the fuse still burning, intend-
ing to carry it out Of the building, but
just as he reached the top step he STUN
bled and dropped the roll, which imme-
diately exploded with a loud report,
Mrs. Green and her sister were thrown
to the floor, half stripped of their cloth
ing, and were terribly bruised. Both
the women tainted. Mr.. Green was
hurled dozen feet, and dashed violently
to the stone floor and badly injured.
Policeman Cole and policeman Cox,
who had run to his assistance, were
both badly wounded, and number OF
persons who were in Westminster Hall
at the time received bruises more or less
serious from the broken glass of the
windows, every one Of which was shat
tered by the terrific force of the explo-
sion. The great ornamental gates lead
ing to the Crypt were blown from their
hinges and hurled into the Crypt. The
conclusion shook down from the grand
old oaken roof of the hall the accumu-
Lated dust of years, and this, in its
downward course made so dense cloud
that the officers and guard became
alarmed and dared not enter the room.
The noise of the explosion in West
minister Hall was heard in the House of
Commons, and the visitors made rush
through the corridor and the central
hall, following the direction of the
sound. 1t is probable that this move
ment saved the lives of many, for with
i'm three minutes after the first explosion
there was a second loud report, this time
i'm the House Of Commons itself, which
had just been vacated by visitors. In
the excitement which followed nobody
thought Of noting the time, but the
clock In the House of Commons stopped
at 2.13, and this, no doubt, marks the
time of the explosion. The report was
terrific, and the elegantly appointed
chamber was in al instant flying frag-
ments. Every window was blown out,
all the wOodw ork was shattered, and
wide hole was made through the floor
near Mr.. Gla0stone's seat. The galleries
were wrenched from their positions,
and even the solid stonework Of the
doorways was either pulvcrized or
shifted from it's position. The benches
In the galleries were overturned and
many of them broken, and shower of
splinters filed the room, which were
projected with such force against the
leather upholstered seats of the mem.
bers that they were torn and destroyed.
The glass roof was completely shat
tered.
The lobby of the House was almost
completely demolished. The masonry