DYNAMITE EXPLOSION IN MELBOURNE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1230, 25 September 1885, Page 3

DYNAMITE EXPLOSION IN MELBOURNE.

It is stated in the Melbourne ‘Daily Telegraph’ that a deliberate attempt to blow up the Rev. J. Dowie’s Tabernacle in Johnston street, Fitzroy, was made on Tuesday night, September 1. The iiev. J. A. D'-wie left the premises at a qua* ter 10 10 o’clock on the night in question, having first seen that the place was securely fastened An hour later a loud explosion was heard by several persons in the neighbourhood, but nothing was discovered as to its cause until next morning, when the pistor, returning to conduct his usual Wednesday service, found one of the rear rooms considerably shattered and disarranged. The first impression was that there had been a arts explosion, hut the meter having been turned off the night before, and there being an absence of fumes incidental to such an explosion, the conjecture was soon dispelled. The police having been so-t for, discoveied a small piece of fuse, and there being no discolouration of the chattered timber, t ie conclusion arrived at was that a dynamit * explnsio i had taken place. The subsequent finding ol r. piece of the envelope of a cartridge confirms the theory. The tnbnrnacl • which is a large weatherboard structure, is surrounded on nearly all sides by an iron fence, and the only parts exposed are the fa.th-healing and pastor’s rooms. The latter room ('.sft bj 81t) was where the explosion took place, the charge being inserted underneath the flooring. The ex dosive was evidently not sufficiently hemmed in to have wrought great mischief, and partly owing to this and to its light framework tie building escaped.with I but slight damage, the whole being

covered by L S. Nevertheless a very severe explosion resulted, several boards being started, part of the flooring shattered to pieces, a chair overj turned, the wiad >w-sa-ih fractured, j and a hole several inchesdeep ploughed in the ground. It is the opinion Of a police officer, who has had some ex peiie ce in handling dynamite, that had the building been composed of more solid substance, such as brick or stone, the room would have been utterly demolished. Mrs Williams, the caretaker, who resides in a house opposite, s;ates that she heard the explosion at a quarter to 11, which caused her to get up and go outside to know the reason But seeing nothing, she returned into the house. It was a common thing for larrikins to startle the congregation at services by creating explosions. The Rev. J. A. Dowie states that it was customary for him to sit nearly every night in the very chair that was overturned, engaged either in writing or in communion with members of his congregation. He left the Tabernacle at an earlier hour than usual on the night iu question, being somewhat tired. He is of opinion that the fuse was a long while burning, as the portion which was found escaped fusion in parts, being probably damp. He kn iws of nobody who would be likely to commit the deed, and thinks it hardly possible that a deliberate attempt on his life was made.