The Washington times., 1904-03-27
TOWER OF LONDON OLDEST
BUILDING OF EUROPE
Famous Structure Antedates Any Pal
ace on the Continent.

Possibly few persons are aware that
in comparison with the Tower the pal
aces and prisons throughout Europe are
modern creations Hepworth Dixon es-
tablishes this fact clearly in his admit
rable history.
The oldest bit of palace in Europe
that OF the west front of the Burg in
Nienna-is the time OF Henry VIII The
Kremlin in Moscow and the Doge's pal
ace in Venice. are Of the fourteenth cen
tury The seragliO in STEAMBOAT was
built by Mohammed II. The Oldest part Of
the Vatican was commenced by Borgia.
whose name IL bears. The old Louvre
was begun in the reign Of Henry VIII:
the Tuileries in that OF Elizabeth In
the time Of our civil war Versailles was
get a swamp.
The sixteenth century claims the Es-
curial; the eighteenth, Sans Souci, Jeru-
salems Serial is a Turkish edifice. the
palaces CT Athens. Cairo Teheran are
all OF modern date. So II is. too. with
the prisons With the sole exception OF
81 Angelo in Rome. all are OF modern
date as compared with that one from
which Ralph E1ambard escaped in the
year HOO. the date OF the hnst crusade
me crown jewels in the Tower are
worth, II may be supposed, some $500
Vv9. Everything or state regalia is there
with one notable exception. The koh-
l-NOr Is represented By crystal Queen
Alexandra wears the original. on great
occasions, as part of her personal Jewels.
The Tower has been the sovereign
strong room FOR the storing OF treasure
ever since tower dwelling monarchs
We're The old jewel house itself was
built simultaneously with the roxnI
mint, when that establishment was
within the Tower walls
The only attempt 10 steal the treasure
Is historic 10 was the feat OF that pic
turesQue villain. Colonel Blood He had
lngratiateu himself with the deputy
keeper OF the jewels, had gone so far as
10 propose match between his ward
ana the daughter OF the official All
went smoothly. The bogus swain turned
UP 10 be Inspected; with him three
others and the colonel. They beat and
gagged the old man, secured the crown
orb and scepter, and were Just making
on, when, by the strangest coincidence
the son OF the Jewel keeper arrived from
The scene which followed would do
credit 10 the dramatist. The colonel
disguised as clergyman, had the crown
added his voice TO the hue and cry.
I stop the villain, - he rOared He had
reached his horse before the imposture
was discovered. When they made for-
him he turned and fired in the face OF
the men nearest him. The pistol missed
IRE. and the crown was saved; but not
uninJured- Trampled in the mud. its
Jewels were all knocked out, and many
Of them lost. An apprentice found the
great pearl a scavenger the biggest
diamond. Well, II was a gallant deed
II was 10 gain o crown" was all Blood
had to say they carried him a prison
er to the dungeons.
But no III befeH him for this ana
other treason. He had played for high
stakes before. had attempted 20 sur
prise Dublin Castle and capture the
Duke Of OrmOnde, and. that failing had
coolly laid his plans TO seize and hang
him when he returned TO London. The
outcome Of all was that. cOnfessing Il
having plotted TO take his sovereign 8
life, he was granted a pension. and lived
and died IN the OdOr OF sanctity AT court.
All this took place in the Martin
! tower. which is haunted TO this day
you are desired to believe. The ghost is
/ that of Harry Percy. ninth Earl of
years OF his life a prisoner there. The
! wizard earl, they called him. For his
companions he had Raleigh, working on
/ his mystic preparations which he hoped
would produce an elixir OF life. and
I Heriot Allen. TOrperley. his Magi as
/ they We're known. This little coterie
discovered sun spots before tie alert eye
Of Calico had detected their existence
and was the first to detect the satel-
! Iites of Jupiter When, at the end OF
his long Imprisonment the earl re-
[ turned TO his home. he founded a
| library. from which half the learning
of following years had It's inspiration
only a sun dial fixed by HeriOts own
hands remains to commemorate thai
] remarkable fellowship which did 81
much for the glory Of English science
| st James Gazette.