The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-05-01
THE WORK OF DYNAMITE.
Attempt to Blow Up the British
Admiralty Office.
A Secretary Wounded and a Room
Completely Wrecked.

A terrific explosion, caused by an Internal
machine, occurred at 1880 o'clock A. NJ, in a
passage in the Office of the lords of the adj
miralty, on Whitehall street, London The
point at which the explosive went Off was
close to, but not in, the room used by
Edward N. Swanson, secretary to the
admiralty. Mr.. Swanson received
severe scalp wound and some painful
bruises and several clerks in the
office were injured The room itself and
everything in it were completely wrecked.
A fire broke out as a result of the explosion,
but it was promptly subdued by the firemen
and police. The passage in which the
explosion occurred is in the basement
of the admiralty building and Immediately
in the rear of the office proper 1t overlooks
the yard in front of the residence of
Lord Northbrook, first lord of the admiralty.
and is connected by staircase with the
board room in the southwest corner of the
building. The iron railing of the staircase
was wrenched from its fastenings by the ex-
ploson, and windows fifty yards distant were
broken.
When the report was heard the relief troop
Of Horse Guards, which was paradng at the
me- was instantly ordered to watch the
building, and additional sentries were placed
at every point of ingress and egress Mr..
Gladstone, Earl Granville, and Lord Edmund
Fitzmaurice were at breakfast in the foreign
office when they heard the explosion. They
fastened to the spot, where they
were soon Joined by William
Sproston Caine, member of Parliament,
civil lord of the admiralty, who had
been summoned 1t was at first Thought
that projectile, while being tested, hau ex-
ploded. Then came reports of large loss of
life and the free use of the word dynamite
For time the greatest disorder prevailed,
and it was not till the fire had been extin-
guished that any idea of the extent of the
damage could be gained. 1t was then found
that there had been no lives lost, and that the
damage was comparatively slight.
A report, and one which is believed to con-
tain the elements of truth, Is that the explo-
sive was carried into the building by a couple
of men who were supposed to be government
employees engaged in the survey now being
made of the building. Although the two
were not molested, they attracted so much
attention that two officers claim they could
identify them should they see them again
Colonel Majendie, chief of the bureau of
explosives, and Sir William Vernon Har-
court, home secretary went to the scene of
the explosion and began an investigation
They We're able to discover little in addition
to what is stated above. The face of small
American clock was, however, found among
the ruins and is believed to have been part
of the mechanism of the Internal ma
jendles aides, says that the explosive
used was gun cotton. Opinion is
divided to the motive of the crime.
1t is regarded BY some a dynamite out
rage of the same class as that which was re-
Gently peYpetrated at Westminster. Others
think that it was done with view to retard-
ing the war preparations, in which the adj
miralty office is actively engaged By others,
Including the police and officials OF the
office, it is thought that the explo-
sion was the result of private
malice toward Mr.. Swanson who
is greatly dsliked by many people, including
some of those under him in the office The
admiralty officials are positive that the per
petlator of the crime was familiar with the
building, and not n stranger to the guards,
the latter being positive that no unknown
person had entered the building during tho
twenty-four hours prior to the explosion.
MIR Swainson's injuries are principally on the
head and face, and while serious, are not
fatal
A prominent Scotland Yard detective as
serts that the nlhilists in London had become
very patriotic in their conversation since the
controversy between England and Russia re-
garding the Afghan boundary question had
reached critical stage
The admiralty occupies the site of Waling-
ford house, in Whitehall street, in which the
business of the lord high admiral which was
first conducted there in 1926 under Nilliers,
Duke of buckingham became permanently
established during the reign of William Ill
The buildings are high and massive pile
OF stone, situated near the Horse Guards and
within few blocks of the houses of parlia-
ment. Adjoining and communicating with
The admiralty is spacious house for the
residence of the first lord. The secretary and
three or four of the junior lords have resi-
dences in the northern wing of the building.