River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-01-29
Destructive Dynamite.


LONDON Jan 24-An explosion occurred
at . p m in the White Tower, and ten min
utes later two explosions took place in the
parliament houses. The houses of parlia-
ment and government offices were severely
shaken and considerable damage done. The
second came about three minutes after the
first One was near the house of COM
mons; the other near Westminster hall. A
quantity of explosive matter had been
placed inside the great ornamental gates
leading to the crypt under Westminster
hall These gates We're blown off tho
hinges and thrown to the ground
All the windows on the north
and south sides of the immense building
We're blown to atoms. The conclusion shook
down from the grand oak roof of the hall
the accumulated SCOT of centuries This, in
its downward movement made a dense
cloud, so heavy that the officers on guard be-
came alarmed and dared not enter the room
in the lobby. Tho splinters were four times
as thick as the flakes in a binding snow and
We're propelled with dangerous force.
They cut and ripped the leather coverings
and tore out and scattered the horsehair
from the seats all over the house
Immediately before the first explosion a
lady visitor, who was alone and about to
enter the building, beckoned to policeman
named Cole and called his attention to
package lying upon the steps outside the
crypt The policeman picked up the pack
went with it out into Westminster hall He
had no sooner reached the hall than the
package exploded This explosion knocked
the policeman down and injured him SO seri-
ously that little hope OF his recovery is en-
tertained. Its force also knocked down Two
other policemen standing in the vicinity and
stunned them. A lady ana gentleman stand
ing near the officer who had the package
were also Frustrated The great window
over the entrance to Westminster hall was
smashed TO atoms, and the side windows
were blown out Those who were in the
house of commons fled prectpitately, and
many ladies were bruised in the crush. The
second explosion was far more destruct-
i've than the first The lobby of the
house of commons is completely demol-
fshed The western extremity of the house
is a total wreck All the woodwork on the
government side of the house is shattered,
and a wide hole blown through the floor.
| The gallery was displaced, and even the solid
stone work of the doorway was either pull
verified or shifted from position. Every pane
of glass in the house was
SMASHED TO ATOMS
| and the gallery benches were overturned
aud broken The gallery generallyis lnisman-
| tied Immense damage was done in the
lobby. The masonry, decorations and sculp-
ture were utterly destroyed The place is
described as literally blown to pieces
sixteen persons were injured, but none
mortally, by the explosion at the Tower.
This outrage was the most successful yet
made upon any public building since the in
augura6ion of the present era of dynamite
warfare. The attack was made on that por-
ton of the building known as the White
Tower" 1t was fairly filled with visitors at
the time, and most, if not all of those hurt,
were moving about in the Tower at the time
of the explosion. The roof was blown clear
off the structure All the persons known to
have been injured were visitors. The police,
the moment they realized the nature of the
explosion, effectually barred ali egress trom
! the Tower and grounds, and are now subject
ing every person detained to the most rigid
search upon the theory that the attack was
perpetrated by some person or per
sons inside the premises. The in
designations so far made led to the couciu-
! sion that the explosives used IN the attack
on the Tower We're handled by persons wfo
| gained access to the structure rs sight-seers.
| The ruins also show that tde explosives
| operated from point somewhere in the in
ner baStion or in the eSplanade nearest the
! Thames tower. There was large number of
! children among the visitors. Many OF these
| ones had their faces and hands badly torn by
! broken glass and flying splinters The most
/ piteous sight in the large crowd of innocent
| prisoners temporarily detained within the
/ Tower walls was afforded by these little ones,
with their pale faces and bleeding heads.
/ The scenes in and around the Tower were in
deScubable. The pale faces, bloody heads,
| and broken limbs of the wounded children
! reused the great crowd congregated in the
/ vicinity to frenzy. Yells We're heard on
every side to Lynch the Villainsl" %Roast
| the Fiends!" Hundreds of rifles were dam
aged in the Tower, which was ignited, and
! the fire was
SUPPRESSED WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY.
! The ancient armOry was destroyed The
! explosion occurred on the second floor of
! the White Tower All the authorities agree
| that dynamite was used Three floors were
| thoroughly wrecked, and the explosion dam
| aged hundreds of stands of arms.
| The favorite theory of the police is that
! the dynamite used was carried to the place
! in each case concealed under the long cloak
! of q woman, whose appearance was thus
made to resemble that of woman about to
appearance was very noticeable was seen
| among the visitors at the tower this after
noon, shortly before the explosion occurred.
| She was escorted by a tall man with mill
| tary air Neither of them could be found
| after the gates were closed after the eXplo-
| sion, and when the visitors came to be
| searched it is supposed the woman and
| her escort escaped during the rush that oc-
| Cured Just after the explosion, and before
! the gates were closed. The impotent action
of the police is generally ridiculed. The
number of those injured by the explosions
| is as follows:
! At the Tower-Six injured seriously, fourteen
! slightly.
At the Parliament Buildings-Four seriously,
| ten slightly.
! The worst injuries We're received by Con-
! stables Cox and Cole, both of whom will
die, and a civil engineer named Edwin
| Green, visiting the parliament buildings.
! Several persons were arrested on suspicion
| but all were released as there was no evil
| dence AGAINST them