The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-01-25
TOWER OF LONDON SHAKEN.
AFTER A DYNAMITE EXPLOSION IN
THE HOUSE or PARLIAMENT.
The Lives OF a Lot OF Saturday Visitors
Imperilled- Several Persons Injured
Only One, However, Fatally

kmpertiAed-Seyeral Persons Injured
-OnIy One, However, Fatally
LONDON, Jan. 24.-An alarming explo-
sion occurred at two o'clock this afternoon
at the Houses of Parliament. Saturday
being the usual visiting day at the Houses
of Parliament, the buildings contained a
great number Of sightseers at the time Of
the explosion. The first explosion oc-
CURED in the crypt of Westminster Hail.
The second took place in the strangers
gallery of the House of Commons.
Immediately before the first explosion a
lady visitor, who was alone and was about
to enter the buildings, beckoned to a po-
liceman, and when he went to her she
called his attention to package lying
upon the steps outside the crypt. The
policeman picked up the package care
lessly, not suspecting anything, and 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 seriously that his case is considered
critical. Its force almost knocked down
two other policemen, who we're standing
in the vicinity, and badly stunned them.
A lady and gentleman standing near the
officer Ewho had the ackage were also
Frustrated. The great window over the
main entrance to Westminster Hall, was
smashed to atoms, and all the side win
dows were blown out. In the interior of
tho House of Commons and upon the
floor, the only seat damaged by the explo-
sion Was that which Mr.. Gladstone occu-
kol A II.
was also torn off thu top of the Speakers
chair. The explosion caused quite panic
among the visitors in the buildings. Those
who were in the House of Commons fed
precipitately, and many of the ladies were
bruised in the crush. The second explo-
sion in the Parliament Buildings occurred
three minutes later than the first, and was
far more destructive. The dynamite
which caused the second explosion must
have been placed under the Peers Gal
lery on the left side. Little hope is enter
tanned of the wounded policeman. The
force of the explosion was such that one
man was blown to the earth who was
about 800 yards from the point where it
occurred.
Just before the explosion occurred a
man and a woman, the latter carrying
handbag, engaged cab outside of Parlia-
ment Yard and drove rapidly away, giving
no directions as to their destination. They
had not gone far when the explosion hap
pened. The cabman hearing this stopped
his cab. The man and woman at once
leaped out and FASTENED quickly from the
spot The cabman went in pursuit, and
the runa Hass were soon oyertaken and ar
rested by police.
The ruf yrs regarding an explosion at
London Tower are confirmed. The outrage
was the most successful which has yet been
made upon any of the public buildings
since the Inauguration of the present era
of dynamite warfare. The famous old
building was crowded with visitors at the
time of the explosion. Up to A o'clock
sixteen persons had been officially returned
as having been injured by the explosion.
None of these are reported as mortaily
hurt.
The attack was made on that part of the
building known as the "White Tower" 1t
was fairly filed with visitors at the time,
and most, if not all, of those who are known
to have been 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, and
the roof was blown clear off the structure.
Later reports now show that the first
stories about the damage to the White
Tower were somewhat exaggerated. The
White Tower Building was not destroyed.
1t is said that the structure was not even
seriously injured. These later reports
have tended somewhat to allay the public
excitement If the explosion had really
demolished the White Tower, the result
would have been immensely more serious.
for part of the building is an armory
used at present for the storage of rifles
and often of large quantities of ammuni-
ton. This fact makes the popular indig-
nation against the perpetrators of the ont
rage indescribable.
The Houses of Parliament, on the left
bank of the Thames, and between the
River and Westminster Abbey, occupy the
site of the old palace, which was burned
October 16, 1884. They cover an area of
eight acres, and contain HOO apartments.
100 staircases, and two miles Of corridors,
The foundation stone was laid April 81,
1910.
Westminster Hall, the other building re-
ported damaged, is 290 feet long, ITO high,
and 68 wide, and occupies the site of the
old hall of the royal palace, where some of
the early parliaments were held.
The Tower of London is the most cele-
brated citadel of England and the only
fortress in London. 1t is of very ancient
origin. 1t contains renowned collection
of armor and regalia of English monarchs.
Among its NEST memorable spots are the
traitors gate, the bloody tower, opposite
the gate, where the sons of Edward Nv.
were murdered, and the white tower, con-
structed by William the Conqueror, and
externally remode led by Wren, but almost
unchanged in the interior This is the
tower which was damaged by the explo-
sion. The Tower is three or four miles
distant from the Houses of Parliament.
The safest and the best sOdy to secure the