The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-12

u
~ the highest classes of criminals
nowadays. the British govern
ment has considered 1t necessary to
inauSurate an altogether new scheme
for the safety and protection OF the
crown jewels OF England. which since
the addition thereto of the superb
stones known as the Cullinan dia-
fnonds. have enormously Increased In
value. Some three months ago they
We're removed from the Wakefield
rover of the Tower of London, where
where they have been seen by many
| thousands OF American visitors to the
British metropolis They were cou-
veyed with the utmost secrecy to the
street, all information concerning their
removal. however. being refused. Their
removal was effected for the pur-.
pose of making certain strnctura!
nature 10 render well-nigh icnpossi-
| Bile any repetition OF the wonderful
Ieat OF Colonel Thomas Blood. who. in
the reign Of Charles H.. very nearly
! the regalia from the Wakefield Tower.
II may be remembered that King
| SharleS was so struck by the mans
DARING that instead OF consIgning him
10 the scauold, no pardoned him and
| bestowed upon him an annuity OF 49,
| 600 year.
The alterations of the Wakefield
Tower have now been completed. 4
new stone floor has now been given
70 the crown jewel room: stone ad-
dltlons have been made TO the walls,
ana a new steel cage has been built
| TO tnclose the huge plateglass showcase.
in which the crowns. the sceptres. the
| orbs. the state swords. and. in one
word, all the crown jewels. are dis
| played. The bars of this cage are
made OF the finest tempered steel,
placed closer together than was the
case with the old iron cage. The ends
OF the bars are embedded in the solid
masonry OF the roof and flooring. and
hidden electric alarms OF the latest
| type have been connected with the
cage. SO that IL bar be wrenched
ever so slightly. q gong sounds It's
there is always u strong, military
guard on duty. Every lock throughout
the room has been improved and made
more complicated, SO that various keys
iron-11ned doors have been strength
enea. and additional electric lights
have been installed. Moreover, at the
touch Of spring al the levels i'm
| ing, automatically closing steel cases
or safes, absolutely burglar proof.
1t had been proposed AZ hrst TO ar
necessary, be suddenly lowered into
the dungeons below tho jewel room in
(! the Wakefield rover. But this was
| found to be impracticable, owing TO
the condition OF the dungeons. which
| being beneath the river level, are
frightfully damp. 50 much so that 1t
has been found impossible to use them
for anything, since prisoners of state
were left to rot there in the fifteenth.
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries
| l have frequently been asked by
| Jewels displayed in the Wakefield
Tower Are the real gems, or AR are
is question. indeed, that. is asked
| by every American tourist visiting the
tower. 1t may be. therefore. we'll to
repeat here the fact that the jewels
on exhibition in the Wakefield Tower
are the actual regalia, and that when
ever Queen Alexandra has had occa-
sion to wear that portion of the Guilt
nan diamond which Is not set into the
lcrown: and which she will now have
| to surrender to her daughter-in-law.
| Queen Mary, 1t has always been spe-
cally fetched for the purpose from
the Tower Of London.
The Hon. Helen Scott Montagu, the
twenty-year- old daughter Of Eord and
Lady Montagu of Beaulcu Is the lates,