Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1885-08-29
THE FAMOUS TOWER OF LONDON.
Tie II storic Pile whi' h was Shocked on Aaiur-
day-Reminisceuces "f Past Ages.


rilic explosions which startled the
great metropolis. The Tower is the
most celebrated fortress in Great Brit
ain. ard stands just without the an
,.ient city walls on the MIddlcScN bank
of the Thames ard between the tuS-
tom House and -. katheriGe's Docks,
about two and Il quarter miles from
the palace at which the other cNplo-
sion occurred. The scene of the cN-
ploSon in this structure was in that
portion known rs the White Tower
and shown in the Iiior'dS diagram to-
dav. The Tower of London is suppos-
ed to have been commenced by julius
Caesar, although some writers are of
the opinion that the venerable pile was
first begun by William the Conqueror
in 1913. No less an authority, how
ever, than Shakespeare declares il to
have been commenced by the Roman
Emperor.
The Tower of London narrowly es-
capped destruction 10y fire in 1879. Ow-
ing to the eAcrtions of the Fire Brigade,
the flames, which severely damaged
the officers quarters, were subducd
before further mischief was done.
The Tower had enjoyed L long iIn-
munity from danger Of that deScrip-
ton. On October 80, 1871, the great
armory or storehousc to the east of 50.
Peters Chapel was burned to the
ground by fire caused by the over
heating of the fluc of il stove in tho
Round OIL Bowyer Tower Immediately
adjoining On this occasion 100000
stand of small arms were destroyed
and the Great or White Tower, as well
as the Jewel Tower, narrow " escaped.
The Regalia were saved mainly by the
agility and courage Of Il snperintend-
ent of the Metropolitan Police, Mr..
Pierse. who squeezing himself through
n small aperture hastily made by
crowbars in the iron grating of the
room in which the jewels were kept,
handed out the various articles of the
Regalia, remaining at his post at the
risk of his life until they were all
rescued.
The site of the structure covers
about twelve acres of ground and Is
uurroundcd by Il moat, which for the
past forty years has been occupied as
a garden. On the river side is an en-
trance called the TRAITORS Gate. y
through which distinguished person.
ages were conveyed in boats after theil
trial
Not Gate. misnamed, through which before
Went Sydney. Russell. Raj igh, Cranmer, More
Within the famous structure are nu
mcrous buildings, including the Bar
racks, ArmOry, Jewel.hOuse. White
rower, St. Peters Tower, Bloody
;ower, where Richard III. murdered
his nephews: the Bowycr Tower, where
The Duke of Clarence was drowned in {;
butt of MalmScy; the Brick Tower. il
which Lady Jane Grey was confined
,he Beauchamp Tower. the prison q
Anne Boleyn, and numerous other
buildings. In addition to the Tower
original use Us Il fortress. it was the
residence of the monarchs Of England
down to the time of Elizabeth, and ;
prison for state criminals. aud numer
Dps are the kings, queens, warrior!
md statesmen who have not only beer
imprisoned but murdered within it.
walls. The histories of Lady Jane
GREY, Catherine Howard, Annie
Bole, n, Sir Walter Raleigh, Lord vii
liam Russell, the Protector Somerset
Sir Thomas Moe, William Wallace
aud King John of France live in iht
remembrance of every historical read
or. Queen Elizabeth's Armory, iilleC
with arms and relics, is located within
me walls of the White Tower, whicf
are fourteen feet thick. The room "
which Sir Walter Raleigh was immureC
is here shown; he was confined three
| different times in the Tower. and here
his son Carew was born. Lion Tower
on the right. was for 600 years th'
royal menageric: the few animals re
mainin" were removed TO the IoOlogi
cal Gardens in the reign of William Nv
The icwel-house known as The Wake
field Tower, which has apparently es
caped injury, contains all the crown
Jewels of England; they are enclosed
in an immense case. Prominent among
them i the crown made for the coro
nation of Queen Victoria, at an cx
pepse Of about 100000. Among tn
profusion Of diamonds is the larS
ruby worn by the Black Prince; th
crown made fDr the coronation q
Charles L.: the crown of the Prince
Wales and that of the late Prince Con
sort; crown made for the corOnatlo
of the Queen of James H., also he
ivory sceptrc. The coronation spoor
and bracelets, royal spurs, swords {
Mercy and Justice, are among tl
other Jewels. Here, too. is the silver
pilt baptismal font, in which Is dcpos
ted the christening water for the roy;
children, and the celebrated Koh-
moor diamond, the present property
Queen Victoria, and the object
great interest at the great exhibitio
in HYDE Park in 1851. 1t formerly bt
Iopged to Runjeet Singh, chief Labor
and was called the Mountain
Light"
The oldest portion of the Tower
the isolated square, keep or donJon
the centre, called the White Towe
built by William the Conqucror
IO7s. the architect being Bishop Gu
dolpb. of Rochester. This, as state
was the scene of the explosion al
wreck. The structure was refaced al
the windows modernized by Wren, b
its interior remains pretty much
originally constructed. a wlndil
stairway at the corner. at the foot
which the murdered princes we
found, leads to the Chapel Of St. job
long used, as well as other chambel
as a place of deposit for records, b
now removed. 1t is one of the b'
! preserved of and oldest specimens
, Of early Norman style in Britain, pla
and massive piers supporting rou