Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-01-30
Tho FIrst EHnIoaIon


LONDON, Jan. 25.-This city was thrown
into wild excitement yesterday by two dyna-
mite explosions at the Houses of Parliament
and one at the Tower. The first explosion
occurred about 2 o'clock in the crypt of West
minister hail. the public entrance to the House
Of Commons. The report was heard in Down
ing street, about three-quarters of mile dis
tant. The great window over the main en-
trance to Westminster hall was smashed to
atoms and all the side windows were blown
out Remarkable force was shown by the
explosive in a downward direction. Holes
were scooped in the ground large enough to
hold q man. Over 100 visitors were in the
House of Commons when the explosion in
Westminster hall occurred. Most of them
rushed out of the building to ascertain the
cause of the first report, and thus many lives
were saved when the second explosion came
Among the visitors to-day was Edward Green
a civil engineer, who was accompanied by his
wife and sister, both OF whom are Irish wom-
en-. They descended the staircase leading
from Westminster hall to the chapel under
st. Stephens hail. and Just as they reached
the bottom Mrs. Green discovered small
package at the entrance to the crypt. TWAS
in the form of roll and looked very much
like cloth, but burning fuse was attached to
one end, and Mrs. Green at once exclaimed,
why, what's that? 1t looks like dynamite"
The party started back and rushed upstairs,
the women screaming as they ran, Police
man Cole was the first officer they met in
Westminster hail. and as soon as he heard the
story he rushed down the stairs and seized
the spicious-looking roll. He ran up the
stairs with it, the fuse still burning, intending
to carry it out of the building, but just as he
reached the top step he stumbled and drop
ped the roll, which Immediately exploded
with loud report. Mrs. Green and her sis
ter we're thrown to the floor, half stripped of
their clothing, and terribly bruised Both
women tainted. Policeman Cole and Police
man Cox, who had run to his assistance, were
both badly wounded, and a number Of per-
sons who were in Westminster hall at the
time received bruises more or less serious
from the broken glass of the windows, every
one Of which was shattered by the terrific
force of the explosion. The great ornamen-
tai gates leading to the crypt we're blown from
their hinges and hurled into the crypt. The
conclusion shook down from the grand old
oaken roof of the hall the accumulated dust
of years. which made so dense a cloud that
the officers and guard became alarmed and
dared not enter the room. All was fear and
confusion, and the bruised and wounded we're
left to take care of themselves for the time
being.
The Second Explosion.
The second explosion occurred in the stran-
gers gallery of the House OF Commons three
Minutes later than the first and was much
more destructive. The lobby was completely
wrecked, the gallery was torn down, the
speakers chair destroyed and the massive
stonework displaced. All the woodwork in
that part of the building was shattered, and
a wide hole was made through the floor The
gallery was displaced, and even the solid
stonework of the doorwsys was either pulver-
lied or shifted from its position. Every pane
of glass in the house was smashed to atoms.
The flooring was driven clear through to the
basement. The floors all over the building
are Uttered with the debris of broken chande-
Tiers, glass, and other objects of fragile ma
ture. The gallery benches were overturned
and broken, and the gallery generally dis
msntled. The glass roof of the House of
Commons was completely shattered. The
clock in the House stopped at 2. 10 Pm. The
statues of King William ". and King George
", in Westminster hall, were overturned.
The Third Explosion.
The third explosion occurred in that por-
ton of the Tower of London known as the
"White Tower" situated three or four miles
distant from the houses of Parliament 1t
occurred 10 minutes before the explosion in
Westminster Hall, on the second floor of the
tower, and the quantity of dynamite used
here must have been greater than at the 9th.
er points of attack, es the tower was almost
completely wrecked by the force Of the ex-
posion and the roof was blown clear off the
structure While it did not result in so much
damage to property as the explosion in the
palace, it placed an even larger number of
lives in jeopardy.
Next to the bloody tower, in which the
crown jewels are exhibited, the white tower,
the eldest part of the Notifications, was the
principal gathering place for visitors. In
this old donjon, large part of which is now
used as an armory for the storage of rifles
and ammunition, a crowd had assembled at
2 O'Clock. Fortunately the walls were solid
enough to withstand the shock, or a terrible
loss of life would have followed. As it was,
every window in the white tower was blown
out, and the broken glass was scattered in all
directions, About GO visitors were in the
tower at the time, many of whom were Sc
riously injured. Among them were several
children of tender years, and their pale faces,
bleeding wounds and broken limbs were so
pitiful to behold that when they were carried
from the quaking building and across one of
the courtyards the crowd, which had run to
Infatuated. Frenzied yells of Lynch the
villains!" Roast the fends!" ETC., were
heard on all sides.
An investigation showed that the explosive
agent was deposited in what is known as the
banqueting hall of the white tower. This
hall ls now used as an armory, and in ii were
stored a large number of Martini rifles which
were shortly to have been issued to the vol.
unteers. 1t was behind a rack of these that
the deadly compound was placed The dyn-
amite played its maddest freaks with the ri
fies. Many of them were twisted into the
oldest shapes imaginable, and their distorted
forms were scattered about the apartment in
a marvel of confusion. large hole was
crushed through the floor at the spot where
the dynamite lay, and directly overhead a
similar hole was blown through the roof.
The police, the moment they realized the
nature of the explosion, effectually barred all
egress from the tower and grounds, and all
persons inside were detained for examination;
but after four hours all we're released save an
Irish. American named Cunningham, but who
has also been known as Dalton and Gilbert.
He had recently come from America, and,
being unable to give a satisfactory explana-
ton of his object in visiting the tower, he
was taken into custody and conveyed to the
police cells at Whitechapel. An excited
crowd remained about the tower during the
night, and cries for vengeance were heard on
every side.
Since the Explosions.
The prisoner Cunningham was examined
and held Monday. He is a man of about 2S
years. Beyond him and another unknown
individual who is said to have been arrested,
the authorities are beating every bush, and
mysterious announcements are constantly
made that end in nothing. The official esti-
mates OF the government inspectors place the
loss by the explosions in Westminster hall the
House of Commons and the Tower at $40 900.
which shows that the FIRST reports of the dam
age done were greatly exaggerated. West
minister hall and the Tower are closed TO ey-
cry one except government officials, and the
approaches TO all public buildings are riRidly
guarded, nobody being allowed to enter With
out the closest scrutiny. Tho Tower and
Parliament houses are surrounded by sentries
and extra policemen. Persons carrying par.
cells on the streets are stopped by the police
and the parcels examined and special detec-
tives serutnize all travellers arriving in Eng.
land or departing by the Dover Calais route.
Socialists Rejoicing.
A meeting of socialists was held in Chieapo
Sunday afternoon, at which those who spoke
advocated the free use of dynamite and the
NaNM Ill 4 NH