The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-08-16
LOCKING THE TOWER OF LONDON.


IL sounds like sacrilege at the yer,
least. Yet It has been done. Masoni
and carpenters have been lately a
work within the grim old walls. Th,
alterations are To the guard house
hard by the Bloody Tower. The old
main guard served It's purpose for a
long time. but IL was small and incon.
venfsnt. and in the end the authorities
determined to pull it down and build q
larger one in it's place, says the Lon
don Mail.
But the alteration implies something
more serious than Encouragement Of
bricks and mortar. 1t has led 10 a
change in the ancienl ceremony OF the
Keys. Time out Of mind the main
guard has turned out every night be-
side the Bloody Tower To salute her
majestys keys. Now that the guard
house has gone. the main guard has re-
moved to the spur guard, and the cere-
mony OF the Keyes has gone with it,
the first variation II has known Tor
hundreds of years.
Nobody knows when The ceremony
began. .. is certainly 6O0 years oin.
and probably great deal older The
first reference 10 IL in the archives is
dated 1870
"ln King. Edward HIS time" runs
the entry, there was one John Of Lon
don. an handycraft's man and armorar
that had the custody OF the KEYS port
cullses and drawbridges Of N .ower.
with the wages OF liza per dem and I'D
for valet 10 carry The keys for him.
lie had the same clothes. and a rug
gown and halbert allowed him as The
rest of the yeomsn had"
From the time OF that forgotten John
of London there has always been a yeo-
man that had the custody of rho
gates He has always had his clothes
and his "fugg gown" and his nightly
ceremony OF locking the gates has not
varied or been omitted for a single
night The present change OF back
ground is probably the worst violence
ii has ever suffered.
At few minutes before II the chief
warder takss his keys and accompan-
led by his assistant, marches To tho
guard house. There he applies 10 the
sergeant for the escort for the KEYS
The sergeant acqauints TIE officer. and
the officer placing the guard under
arms, furnishes sergeant and four
men. Two of the men ere unarmed.
Their duty is to assist i'm closing the
gates. and TO carry The ancfnt lam
tern. which has a tallow candle
A procession is formed The yeoman
porter. carrying the keys in his hand
places himself in the midst OF the es-
cort, and goes the round OF thu gates
The sentries present arms EverybndN
must salute the queens keys. even
the constable himSaIf
ON dark night with the lanthorn
casting dim light on the scarlet coats
the saluting wardsrs. and the yeomai
porter locking the gates the sight in
quaint and impressive One forgets
that he is i'm the midst OF a moderr
CITY. with tram cars. and nervous COM
plants. and electric lights The mind
goes back TO the days Of barons and
night alarms, when fortresses meant
something and the keeping of gates
was matter Of some importance.
When all the gates are locked the
warder returns with his keys to the
main guard-or. at present. 10 the spur
guard. The sentry challenges.
Halt Who goes there"
The keys" replies the warder.
Whose keys?"
Queen Victoria : KEYS"
Advance. Queen Nict1ria's keys.F
says the sentry and the yeoman porter
and his escort face the guard. who are
drawn up In line
AT the command of the officer tn,
guard presents arms. The officer sa
lutes the keys. Then says the yeOmaI
porter, lin an audible voice God
preserve Queen Victoria," and tn
guard. from the officer to the drummer
reply Amen The keys are returned
To the Queens House, where they re
main until 3 o'clock in the morning
when the gates are unlocked. There j;
again an escort, but no ceremony.
The wickets remain open until mid
night After this hour nobody can en-
er the precincts OF the tower unless
ne has the countersign This. after tn
manner of fortresses. lis selected daily
md may be changed at any moment. II
IS generally the name o IA river, or
or a town.