Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-06-14

UliIItE. II ~ lHe loss Oh Illt IlOHty ludJ
is the serious thing, and how they are
going TO replace it or account for its
disappearance | am sure ! don know.
The deficiency is something over 200,-
600 GOO forms. Was it not awful
"Was the building shattered TO such
an extent2' inquired Jennie, who did
not stop to think that such sum would
replace any edifce in Vienna, even if
it had been wiped off the face of the
earth.
"The treasury was damaged, Of
course, but the repairs will not cost
much No, my child it is much more
disturbing affair than the destruction
of any statehouse in the empire. What
has made the premier i'll and what is
worrying my poor husband into an un-
timely grave is nothing less than the
loss of the war chest'
"The war chestP' echoed Jennie
"What is thatF'
my dear every great nation has a
war chest England has one, France
Germany, Russia-no matter how poor
a nation may he. nor how difficult it is
to collect the taxes, that nation must
have a war chest If war were to break
out suddenly. even with the most pros
porous country, there would he instant
financial panic; ready money would be
difficult to obtain; loan would be
practically impossible, and what war
calls for the very instant it begins is
money-not promises of money, not pa
per money, not silver money even. but
gold therefore, every nation which Is
in danger of war has a store Of gold
coin. This store is not composed main
lv, or even largely, of the coins of the
nation which owns the store; it consists
of the sovereigns of England the louis
of France, the willems or of Holland,
the eight form pieces of Austria, the
double crowns of Germany, the half i'm
pcrals of Russia, the double frederics
of Denmark, and so on. All gold. gold,
gold | believe that in the war chest Of
Austria there We're deposited coins Of
different nations TO the value of some
thing like 200. 900. 600 forms NJ hua-
band never told me exactly how much
was there, but sometimes, when things
looked peaceable there was less money
in the war chest than when there was
imminent danger of the European out
break which we all fear. The war chest
of Austria was in a stone vaulted room.
one Of the strongest dungeons in the
treasury The public are admitted into
several rooms of the treasury, but no
stranger is allowed into that portion Of
~ l.
chest This room is kept under guard
night and day. For what happened my
husband feels that he is in no way to
blame, and don't think his superiors
are inclined 10 charge him with neglect
of duty.
1T is a singular thing that the day
before the disaster tool: place ne Of his
own accord doubled the Guard that
watched over the room and also the APP
proaches to it, The war chest was at
its fullest Never, so he tells me, was
there so much money in the war chest
a. at that particular time. Something
had occurred that in his opinion called
for extra watchfulne>s, and so he dou-
! bled the guard. But about midnight
there was tremendous explosion. The
strong door communicating with the
passage wa- wrenched from its hinges
/ and flung outward into the hallway. 1t
! is said that dynamite must have been
/ used, and that in very large quantity
/ Not a vestige of the chest remained but
few splintered pieces of iron. The
! four soldiers in the room We're blown
Il