The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-06-06
GUARDING TIE TREASURES i.
Everything in the National Museum
Connected With a Burglar Alarm.

connected With q Burglar Alarm.
From the Washington Star.
Few people who gaze upon the treasures
inclosed within the fragile glass cases near
the main entrances of the National museum
dream that any material protection guards
them from ourglarious and predatory paws,
save that watch Is kept, as matter of
course, by persons in charge. Gold and
silver by the hundredweight are there ex-
posed to view, while the intrinsic aud his
torlcal value Of the exhibits mounts up into
the millions. Yet all is open, with only
tnln sheets or crystal between the avari>
clous visitor and this precious properly Of
the American people.
Let the would-be robber try it then: let
him wait, and, when he is perfectly certain
the guard Is not looking, lay hands on SO
much as one small copper penny OF historic
cate exposed behind the glass. Loi an
aiarm rings through the building, and from
al sizes the attendants flock to the rescue
The thief learns too late for profitable in
formation, that each copper, silver, or gold
piece In every case has a separate attach
nent to the burglar alarm in the building.
The accessibility of the costly objects is only
apparent; the entire police Of Washington
Is guarding them by day and night.
IL Is ths sams way with the major as we'll
as with the minor treasures In the Smith
sonlans museum. Gold and silver articles
and ornaments, jewels and vases, every
thing of value. in fact, are guarded in the
same way. 1t is practically an inpossibility
Tor anybody to get away with them. A
Few OF them were stolen from the patent
Office when they were there, but they are
beyond tho reach of robbers now.
| The United States cannot afford to
have these things stolen. Among
the treasures the museum con-
tains of great intrinsic value are
the presents made to Gen. Grant while he
was aoroad. Among them are three large
Baskets of solid gold, each as big as an ordi-
nary four-pound confectionery box, and
very massive, which were given by London,
Ayr and Glasgow, containing the freedom
Of those cities. Besides these there are
other boxes of solid silver, very massive.
One of the most valuable of these gifts was
a set OF jade Ornamental material much
priced in China-which, being carved from
such large pieces, are worth many thousands
OF dollars. They were presented by Prince
KunP. Gold cigar cases and knives are
merely Incidental, but most interesting
and precious relic is gold card of invita-
| ton sent to Gen. Grant by friends in San
Francisco in a silver envelope with his ad-
dress on the outside, an ordinary Scent
stamp affixed, and request engraved upon
the envelope that the missive should be re-
turned TO the sender if not not delivered in
ten days. The invitation was to the most
supurb ball ever given on the Pacific coast,
and Gen. Grant attended.
But in addition to the Grant presents,
these glass cases at the museum hold ever Sc
many other treasures of value. There are
great number of gold-hilted swords, with
solid gold scabbards. Two of them were
given to Gen. Shields by the states of South
Carolina and Illinois respectively, for serv-
ices in the Mexican war. Others are
mounted with diamonds and studded with
rubtes and other precious stones. Con grssc
| bought the two swords from Gen. Shields
family for &c. 900. A golden scimitar given
by tno Emperor Of Morocco TO Thomas
Jefferson is one of the most precious relics
| Another is a gold box set with initials
in diamonds, presented to Francis, the 40
yentor Of the life-saving car. by Napoleon
Ill. One car after his model, which saved
200 men, women and children from a single
wreck, is on exhibition at the museum.
With the box is displayed gold medal
worth s., 900, presented to Francis by the
congress of the United States Also, there
is reproduction in fac-simile Of the cele-
braed plate of solid gold, weighing nearly
four pounds, which was dug up In Rome II
the year 2l0 A. D., with sixteen golden
coins set around its margin OF different
emperors. The original Of this plate wa
stolen from the Louvre in Paris. and wal
subsequently fished out of the Seine, into
which the thieves had thrown it. collec
ton of Japanese gold coins included in the
same assemblage OF curiosities has value
of many thousand dollars. There are In
addition numerous gold medals granted tc
the Smithsonian Institution and to the fish
commission. Besides, there are ever sc
many presents of great value given by
foreign powers and potentates to Presidents
of the United States and other officials OF
this country, which by law they were not
permitted to accept. Among these lasts
were bottle Of diamonds and bottle OF
pearls, which are not displayed in the col
lection of gems at the museum.
Once in two or three years the treas ure
Of the museum in the shape of gold, silver
and jewels are cleaned. The gold objects
| inclosed IS they are in cases almost all
tight, need very little touching up. In the
collection Of rarescoirs are some extraer-
binary curioslties. Among them is an
original silver piece with the head of Cleo
patra on one side aud that Of Marc Anthony
on the other. There are also specimens Of
all the moneys mentioned in the Bible. In
Guiding the widows mite" worth half a
| farthing Of Judea the silver Roman ''trib-
ute penny" valued at 10 cents, the shskel
Of Jerusalem, and the tetradrachm Of Sidon
and Tyre.