Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-05-12


celebrated Big Ben clock were
stilled: both houses OF Parliament
were wrecked: and the 67ia-toot
open timber roof Of 742-year-old
Westminster Hall-one Of his
torys rare architectural marvels
was smashed under the torren-
tial blitz that rocked the heart
OF the capital Saturday night and
early yesterday.
MUSEUM DAMAGED
The British Museum. vacated
home of priceless cultural MASTER
nieces. was seriously damaged.
Charred hulks were all that re-
manned of the debate and lobby
chambers of the House of Com
mons. Mother of Parliament.
and the House OF Lords, too, lay
partly in ruins. -
Westminster Abbey-the Abbey
Of St Peter built by Edward the
Confessor in 1850 and site OF all
but one of Britain's royal corona
tions since William the Norman
achieved the last successful IN
vasion Of England in l066-sus-
tanned no irreparable damage, II
was revealed by the Dean OF
Westminster.
The lo2-foot high roof over the
lantern hanging in the center oil
the abbey fell in above the spot
where the platform and coronation
saat-with its famed Coronation
Stone"-are set for the browning
of Britain's sovereigns.
ROYAL TOMBS ESCAPE
The abbeys pulpit was partly
DESTROYED. but the fabric of the
lofty structure remained intact
and the majority of its historic
parts, including the eastern sec.
ton where the royal tombs OF
most of Britain's bygone kings and
queens are located, escaped injury.
Three houses in the Abbey s
little cloisters were burned out
and the cloister walks were flooded
with water poured by the ton
from firehoses.
The tomb where Britain's I'm
known Soldier lies emerged un-
harmed. So did the abbeys Henry
VII Chapel. where the standards
of the Knights of the Order OF the
Bath are kept, and the Poets
Corner" where Dickens and other
great English authors lie en-
ton1bed.
Big Ben's chimes-familiar as
the voice of British Empire soil
daritv TO millions of Americans
and other listeners who have often
heard them over the radio-were
silenced for the first time in gen.
erations.
But the great hands OF the faith
full old clock still moved across Its
massive fire-blackened face.
The luftwaffe seemed 10 have
centered its main fury upon Lon
don's magnificent city of West
minister. the core of the British
government and empire.
SEVERAL KILLED
Loads of bombs came tumbling
down upon the stately group oil
Westminster buildings, killing
several persons within them. IN
Guiding Capt. E. L. II. Elliott,
resident superintendent Of the
House of Lords, and three menu
bers of his staff.
The commons debate chamber
where only last Wednesday Prime
Minister Winston Churchill sue
cessfully defended his cabinets
conduct of the war-will have 10
be entirely rebuilt.
Bombs blasted jagged holes In
the roof of the Commons lobby
room which had already been
damaged in a previous raid.
Nearby Westminster Hall, for
centuries the seat of England
chief law court where such famous
prisoners as King Charles /, War
rem Hastings and Queen Caroline
were tried. suffered great damage
ROOF BOMBED
It's exquisite roof, built by d.
rection of King Richard II IN 1884
and universally considered the
finest architectural specimen Of us
kind in existence. was badly
burned by incendiaries and pierced
by demolition bombs.
Because Of moat that sur.
rounds the magnificent building
and because Of the incessan'
downpour of bombs of all descrip-
tons, air raid precaution workers
and firemen experienced tn
greatest difficulties in their efforts
TO save the edifce from tota
destruction.
big Ben" named after Sh
Benjamin Hall. had been hit II
previous raids, but its chimes wer,
never put out of action until las
night.