The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-26
THE EXPLOSION AT THE TOWER
Sixteen Persons Injured, Among Whom Are
Many Children.

THE EXPLOSION AT THE TOWER.
| Sixteen Persons Injured, Among Whom Are
| Many Children.
LONDON, Jan. Pap M-The rumors regard
| ing an explosion at London Tower are confirmed
The outrage was the most successful yet made
upon any of the public buildings since the inaug-
uration of the present era of dynamite warfare.
The famous old building was crowded with visit
ors at the time of the explosion, and the widest
rumors are in circulation as to the number of
persons injured. These rumors are being car
ried through the city, and are constantly ex-
| aggerated by visitors present at the time Up
| to o'clock but sixteen persons had been Off
cIally reported as injured by the explosion
| none MORALLY
The attack was made on that portion of the
| building known as the white Tower" It 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
White Tower was almost completely wrecked by
the force of the explosion; the roof
was blown clear off the structure. All
injured were visitors The police, the moment
they realized the nature of the explosion, effect
ually barred all egress from the tower and guards
are now subJecting every person detained to q
| most rigid search, upon the theory thatthe at
tack was perpetrated by some person or persons
inside the premises.
Surgeons were promptly summoned to the as
sistance of the wounded, who are now receiving
| all attention practicable. The excitement is
growing as the news of the explosion spreads,
and the crowds in the vicinity of the damaged
buildings are increasing momentarily.
Investigation so far made leads to the conclus-
sion that the explosives used in the attack on the
Tower were handled by persons who gained &C
cess to the structure as sightseers. The ruins
also show that the explosives were operated from
point somewhere on the inner bastlon
or IN the esplanade nearest the Thames
Tower. 1t turns out that the police
were unusually prompt and successful
in placing their embargo upon ali egress
from the Tower grounds and but few persons
had left When the embargo was ordered. Extra
guards shave been posted about the walls.
Every person within was subjected to personal
examination. The report made by tie explo-
sion was terrific. 1t was heard~for miles up and
down the Thames, and at once attracted an i'm
mense crowd to the scene.
Later reports show that the first stories about
damage to the White Tower were somewhat ex
aggerated. The White Tower building was not
destroyed, and it is now said the structure was
not even seriously injured These later reports
tend somewhat to alay the public excitement.
If the explosion had really demolished the
White Tower the result must have been i'm
mensely more serious for part of the building
was used for storage Of rifles and often Of large
quantities of ammunition. This fact makes the
popular indignation against the perpetrators of
the outrage indescribable.
large number of children were among the
visitors Many of these little ones had their
faces and hands badly torn by broken glass and
flying spliuters. The most piteous sight in the
large crowd of innocent prisoners temporarily
detained within the tower walls was offered by
these little ones with their pale faces and bleed
ing heads The crowd outside the walls has
been wrought up to a state of frenzy against the
perpetrators OF the outrage.
Another account of the explosion at the tower
says several children are among the injured.
Their pale faces, bloody heads and broken
limbs reused the great crowd congregated in the
vicinity to frenzy. Yells are heard on every
side to stLynch the villiansr Roast the fiends!"
All visitors are still detained in the tower, and
will be kept there until their antecedents have
been thoroughly inquired into.
Colonel Majendie chief inspector of explos-
ives. in an interview this afternoon, said the ex
plosion was due to nitro-glycerine compounds
precisely similar to those used in previous out
RACES in this city. He believed that women
charged the explosive apparatus at Westminster
Hall and in the lobby of the House Of Commons.
The explosion occurred on the second floor of
the White tower All authorities agree that
dynamite was used The three floors were
thoroughly wrecked and the explosion damaged
many hundred stands of arms. The explosion
occurred exactly at 2 o'clock Lord Chelmsford
and General Milman are now engaged in the
work of inspecting the damaged structure.
Some reports place the number of persons in
jured by the tower explosion at four. No ar
rests nave yet peen made. Inc police have
been ordered to be doubly vigilant
Count Won Munster, German minister to
England. and the Lord Mayor of London visited
the scene of the explosion at the Tower this
evening. It has been ascertRined that the
crown jewels and regalia, which have been for
a long time in She Tower, are unchanged. The
noise of the explosion was preceded by a blind
ing flash, and followed by great clouds of dust
Additional guards have been placed tonight
around the Tower, the Parliament houses and
other public buildings,
An Irishman giving the name of Cunning
ham, but who is known as Dalton and Gilbert
was found among the visitors detained for
scrutiny after the explosion at the tower. He
had recently come from America. and, being
unable to give a satisfactory exclamation of his
object in visiting the tower he was taken into
custody and conveyed to police cell at White
chapel where he will be detained until able to
give clearer account of himself
DAMAGE AT THE TOWER
About sixty visitors were in the Tower at the
time of the explosion. The explosive agent was
deposited in what is known as the banqueting
hall This hall is nowused as an armory andinit
were stored large number of Martini rifles which
were TO be shortly issued to volunteers 1t was
behind a rack of these that the deadly com
pound was placed. The dynamite played It's
maddest freaks with the rifles; many Of them
were twisted into the most eccentric shapes
imaginable, and their distorted forms were
scattered about the apartment in a marvel
of confusion. All glass and other
fragile articles in the hall were smashed out Of
all semblance to their former selves a. large hole
was crushed through the floor at the spot where
the dynamite was placed. Directly overhead
similar hole was blown through the roof The
wood work was set on fire by the explosion, but
before any serious damage had been done by the
flames they were extinguished.
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