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Clerkenwell Prison explosion
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Clerkenwell Prison explosion
Effects of the explosion at the house of detention, Clerkenwell, seen from within the prison yard: police officers and firemen searching the ruins. The gunpowder explosion on the outer wall of Clerkenwell Prison was an attempt to free two Fenian prisoners, Richard Burke and Joseph Theobald Casey, who were imprisoned there. The explosion destroyed several houses in the neighbourhood, killed several people, including as the Illustrated London News says, " two little children", and injured many more. Date: 1867
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Media ID 7249709
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1867 Burke Casey Clerkenwell Destroyed Detention Effects Escape Explosion Fenian Fire Men Gun Powder Prison Prisoners Prisons Searching Theobald 1860s Officers
EDITORS COMMENTS
This haunting image captures the aftermath of the devastating explosion that rocked Clerkenwell Prison in London on a fateful day in 1867. The photograph, taken from within the prison yard, shows the destruction caused by the blast as firemen and police officers search through the rubble for survivors and victims. The explosion was an audacious attempt by the Fenian Brotherhood, an Irish nationalist organization, to free two of its members, Richard Burke and Joseph Theobald Casey, who were imprisoned in the house of detention at Clerkenwell. The Fenians had planned to smuggle gunpowder into the prison and use it to blow a hole in the outer wall, allowing their comrades to escape. However, the explosion was premature, detonating before the prisoners could be freed, and the resulting blast destroyed several houses in the surrounding neighborhood. Tragically, the explosion claimed the lives of several people, including two young children, and injured many more. The Fenian Brotherhood was a militant Irish nationalist organization that sought to end British rule in Ireland through violent means. The group had been responsible for several bombings and attacks on British targets in the preceding years, and this explosion at Clerkenwell Prison was one of their most high-profile actions. The incident caused widespread panic and fear among the British public, and the authorities responded with increased security measures and a crackdown on Irish nationalist organizations. This powerful image serves as a poignant reminder of the destructive consequences of violence and the human cost of political conflict. The ruins of the prison and the determined efforts of the emergency services personnel to find those affected by the blast underscore the devastating impact of the explosion on the Clerkenwell community in 1867.
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