The Portland daily press., 1885-01-26
LONDON'S ANCIENT TOWER
AND OTHER STRUCTURES
ALSO INJURED.
Many Men, Women and Children
Badly Hurt.
NO CLUE TO THE PERPETRATORS
OF THE FOUL DEED.
Latest News From the Scene Of the
Explosions.

LoND'N, Jan. PA Westminster Pal
lace Is wholly given over to sgh.ssers on Sat-
urdays, and a lord or comm oasr within its
coDiiGes on that day is rare sight indeed.
The visitors are admitted by tickets, which are
obtained at the office of the Lord Great Cham
berlain. Nearly 500 Of these tickets had been
issued up to 9 o'clock this afternoon, and at
that hour not less than 200 persons were stroll
ing through the halls and corridors AS a
couatry woman unattended, was ascending the
few steps which lead from the crypt, situated
under the House of Commons, up into the
great, bare hall of Westminster, she saw a
small package lying upon one of the steps. II
was the location, and not tn commonplace
appearing package which attracted her atten-
tion. When she reached the head of the stair
way she told the policeman, Mark Cole, who
has long been detailed on guard at the entry
of the crypt of the package. Cole, thinking
no doubt, that it was simply one OF the many
articles which are carelessly left behind by Wis
itors, stepped down, and. taking it up under
his arm, came out into Westminster Hall. He
had not gone many yards from the steps of the
crypt when the passage burst open and into a
hundred pieces, making a terrific report. Cole
was hurled nearly to the centre of the hall,
and the woman who had called attention to
the package, and who was OF the time of the
explosion near the great door leading out into
the palace yard was, together with the police
man who stands guard at the entrance, thrown
violently against the door. The officer station
ed at the foot of the stairway leading up to St.
Stephens hall was struck with greater force
than all others, except Cole, being lifted a
few feet from the floor and dropped by the
steps, where he lay motionless until carried
away to the ambulance. A Frenchman Of
gentlemanly appearance, and woman of the
same nationality, were a number of yards re-
moved from the explosion, but were thrown
over against the wall, and had several bones
broken. A man and boy, who was standing
near the entry to the crypt, were reeled about
and dropped to the floor with such violence as
to render their injuries serious. The large
window over the main entrance was shattered
as in fact we're all the side windows. The
great clock in the northwest tower was stopped
hour and minute of the explosion.
Its stoppage was accompanied by
a loud stroke Of its immense bell. Everybody
in the building of course rushed towards the
hall, and the crowds in Bridge street, going to
and coming from Westminster bridge, turned
into the palace yard and poured through the
main floor into Westminster Hall. Three or
four minutes later loud report came from the
vicinity of St. Stephens Hall The first re-
port was mild compared with the last, which
was like the roar of dozen cannons and ac-
compsnied by general smashing. Instantly
the 800 or 1000 excited men who had crowd
ed into the hall, ran for the door through
which they had come, trampling upon and
crushing each other in their haste to escape
from the palace. This second report created
great consternation among the visitors in
Westminster Abbey, $50 or 400 yards away,
causing them to lose all signs of reverence, and
to scamper through the old tomb and out into
the old palace yard. It was five minutes be-
fore the search for the scene of the second ex-
plosion was begun by the panic-stricken Off
GERS who had come to the palace.
The horses hitched to the cabs and hsnsoms
standing in the new palace yard took fright
and mixed things up very much by running
out into Bridge street and causing blockade
A section of metropolitan police of Division q
was despatched to Westminster, and after an
indescribable struggle with the interlocked We
bicles and maddened horses the way was
cleared and chains of guards were thrown
across Bridge street at the bridge. and at tbs
point where Parliament street crosses Bridge
kHeet. Another section arrived soon afterward
and vas placed to guard the approaches to the
Great Tower. at the opposite end of the pal
ace