Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-11-28
IT. PETERS CATHEDRAL.

10 Us 10 De feEIeLteu luat oo H"Nh
horror should have been manifested by
the press throughout the world oyer the
explosion of an anarchist bomb in the
Rasilica ofSt. Peter s At Rome last week
an outrage which has probably created
a far more profound impression than any
other anarchist attack upon lie ana
property in recent years. For 1t VIII
encourage the foes OF society to devote
heuceiortb g greater amonnt OF their
attention to ST. PEERS ant to the Nsii-
can than heretofore.
The anarchists have by the cOnster-
nation expressed over the explosion oil
bomb in St. Peters at Rome last week
acquired the conviction that the destruc-
ton of that world famed cathedral, by
means of their high explosive, will create
al even greater sensation than the naf'
der of Ia monarch.
ST. Peters, the greatest church 10
ChristeEdom, took hundreds OF years TO
build and has played so notable role
in the annals CT the world, has figured
so continuously in it's history, that It's
destruction by The anarchists would be
disaster altogether beyond repair--one
which would be regarded as catastrophe
not merely by the 200, 900, 600 who look
upon the basiica as the headquarters OF
their creed, but also by people OF every
other denomination, who consider il as
one of the grandest monuments of the
Old World.
Curiously enough, no one until lsst
week ever seems to have dreamed OF the
possibility of any anarchist attempt 10
blow up St. Peters That the adjoining
Vatican has, however, long been an OBJ
ject of alarming attentions and Interest to
the anarchists is well known to the lta'isn
and foreign governments. la fact, one
of the reasons why so large a garrison OF
picked troopsis always maintainedin the
Eternal City is to protect the Vatican
from the pillage sod destruction to which
it would be subjected il once a revolution
ary mob led by anarchists got beyond
control at Rome. Indeed, 10 recent
wears the government, at The instance OF
the pspacy, has repaired and placed in
order, ready for immediate use, the lo1g
bricked gallery or tunnel which connects
the Vatican with the old fortress OF San
Angelo. where 20 many POpes have been
compelled in ancient times TO seek rel
uge from the populace, and to which
the present Poutiff and his court would
withdraw in the event Of any revolution
ary invasion of the Vatican.
The latter is known TO be crowded as
no other palace in the world not merely
with priceless masterpieces Of art and
archaeology, but also with an enormous
amount OF treasure in precious metals,
gems aud bullion. 1t has sometimes
been asserted that there ia no building in
the world, not even the Bank of England,
which contains such a colossal amount
of wealth within 50 small an area. Ne
cessarily it constitutes temptation not
only to those anarchists who argue that
funds alone are needed to put their nj
hilistic projects into execution, but also
to those particularly dangerous and clever
criminals who affect political ideals as
means to felony, and who find rich pick
ings in every revolutionary insurrectioD.
The greedy eyes, then, OF all criminal
and anarchist Europe and America are
concentrated upon the Vatican and the
loot which it contains, and the destruc-
ton of St. Peters would probably i'm
mediately precede or accompany the in
vasion of the home Of the papacy