The Portland daily press., 1885-01-26
THEno.Ry RxProsVoN.
Fhe lobby of the Hcasc of Commons
Wrecked No One Seriously Injured.

TEc Lobby OF the Housc of Commons
Wrscked-No One Seriously Injured.
LONDON, Jan. 24.-40 05 D. m.-Tha scene of
the second explosion was in the lobby of the
House of Commons, and completely wrecked
the place. The wall separating the lobby from
the chamber is nearly demolished, aud the
woman's gallery, which faced the Speakers
chair at the southern end, and which was part
ly over the lobby, was torn to pieces, Brad
laughs familiar seat, under the strangers gal
lery, is buried, and strangely enough hardly
vesige is left Of the Irish benches. The giass
roof OF the Commons was broken all to pieces,
Ths walls of the division rooms, on each side
Of the lobby, into which the members file when
the House divides on a measure. were blown
down. Most of the benches on the floor were
broken up, and all were thrown iuto heaps.
The Strangers and Peers CALLER es are partial
wrecks. No one was seriously Injured by the
second explosion, as nearly all the visitors and
attendants had gone into Westminster Hall,
whence came the tirst re port.
The windows Of the shops Ia Parliament
street we're broken, and the keepers generally
put up their shutters to protect their wares,
IL was at least quarter of an hour before the
crowds in WHITEHALL Great George street and
on Westminster Bridge could obtain any
pointed news of the happening. Thousands
had crowded on to the bridge from the Lam
beth side of the Thames, and could not be
kept back without freq aent use of clubs on the
part of the police stationed in front of the
certainly from $4,000 to rs ,000 people crowding
each other in the streets within radius of
quarter of mile from the scene Of the explo-
sioDs.
The name of the policeman who stood guard
at the steps leading up to st. Stephens Hall is
Cox. He is lying in ST. Thomas Hospital, in
critical condition. The woman who called at
tention to the internal machine is under close
guard in the Westminster Hospital, one of the
theories of the police being that she carried
fto o0Ha int "a 0f a
machine which exploded last can be found 1t
s estimated that it must have contained at
least twenty or twenty-five pounds of dynamite
to have caused so much damage. The marble
about the doorwsys of the House Of Commons
was shattered, and in st. Stephens Hall great
damage has been done the Statuary.
AS a residence, except for minor officials,
Westminster Palace ceased many years ago.
The buildings, erected on the site of those
burned about forty five years ago, aimed to in
clude those portions of the ancient structure
saved from destruction, and especially West
minister Hall in the architectural grouping
This ancient hall, dating back to the time Of
William H., has been the scene of many
startling events in English history, figuring in
State trials, coronations, otc. Of late years it
| has been practically only vestibule for the
law courts or the Houses OF Parliament On
| the left hand side OF this spacious hall-one of
| the largest in the world, by the way, which is
| unobstructed by pillars-is a private entrance
| to the House of Commons and in the left
corner is the flight of steps descending which
| the crypt is reached. This is in the cellar or
| basement and is partly under the House Of
| Commons and the lobby. 1t is fitted up as a
| chapel, but few chapels or churches approach
| it in magnificence or decoration. The floor is
composed of various coored tiles of diamond
| shape and the walls and columns are refulgent
with gold and bright coors. The roof is
Joined with curves as perfect as possible In ar
| chitecture, while at the extreme east end is a
raised dais running the whole width of the
room, with reading desk on which rest the
| Bible and Common Prayer book. In front OF
| to side. The windows are almost as elegant
IS those in the Templars' Chapel each con-