TWO EXPLOSIONS AT TUBE STATIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 29, 4 February 1939, Page 9

TWO EXPLOSIONS AT TUBE STATIONS.

MUCH DAMAGE

Outrages at Tottenham and

Leicester Square,

OFFICIAL SERIOUSLY HURT,

United Press Association.—Copyright.

(Received 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, February 3. Explosions, believed to have been caused by time bombs hidden in suitcases at the luggage offices of the Tottenham Court Road and Leicester Square tube stations, occurred at six o'clock-this morning and caused a sensation in London.. A ticket collector at Tottenham Court Road was seriously injured .by a door which was hurled from its hinges. Numerous travellers were treated for shock, aml the booking .and offices were wrecked.

Fortunately few people were travel - ling by train when this explosion occurred. Special squads of police were rushed up to both stations, but normal services were maintained. Passengers were permitted to leave, the stations'but others were prevented from entering. Thousands of business people were forced to join trains at other stations.

The explosions Hung woodwork in every direction. Shop windows 100 yards distant were shattered, and whole blocks of flats, in which .hundreds were sleeping, were shaken.

Telephone cabinets were wrecked, and doors were burst openl Glazed wall tiles in .the booking offices'were broken and luggage was strewn in wild confusion. . V V

Water pipes in Tottenham Court burst and flooded the station until the supply was cut off: Heavy columns of smoke poured out of both stations and mingled with the heavy fog, thus adding to the confusion. '

Police found among the .wreckage at Tottenham» Court Road small twisted pieces. of metal, probably the timing mechanism of an alarm clock.

The Passenger Board issued an official statement that the staff at Tottenham Court Road noticed a red glow behind the. cloakroom door, followed immediately by an explosion, wrecking the interior of the cloakroom, which threw the door across tlie ticket hall, breaking the ticket, collector's leg.

The statement describes the damage at Leicester Square as more serious, and adds that . orders., were immediately issued that, all other . cloakrooms be examined., No more deposits will be .accepted unless opened for'inspection.

Every London railway station and public service depot was under a strong guard throughout the night.

A flying squad,- in the course of raids, discovered seven bombs at Stoke 2fewington. ! It is believed that the bombs were brought to England by men who crossed the border secretly to North Ireland . and then came to England, escaping the Customs examination. COMMONS QUESTIONS. MINISTERIAL REPLY. British Official Wireless. (Received 12 noon.) RUGBY, February 3. The Home Secretary, Sir Samuel Hoare, replying to House .of Commons questions in reference to the tube station outrages, described the explosions" as serious, and. added: "I regret to say two persons were seriously injured and considerable damage was done. Apparently the. explosions were due to bombs •with time fuses left in cloakrooms overnight. Investigations. are being actively pursued." . • . .