The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1910-07-07
A GLIMPSE OF
LONDON TOWER
Interesting Description OF Old
English City By Miller
Girl

lTiefluS III IOHuOn. MISS GhrlSt
writes that she leaves there this
week for Switzerland and will also
go to Oberammergau to witness the
Passion Play.
TO make the City of London the
topic of my letter to YOU, would be
to eDtangle myself in a subject, the
scope of which is far beyond my
feeble pen. In this great metropolis,
however, are so many cathedrals,
palaces, art galleries, etc. Of won
derful historical interest to every
one, that | am going to choose one
from among them and endeavor to
give you at least a glimpse of it
through my eyes.
Fresh in my memory is nv visit
to the Tower. that ancient fortress
and gloomy state prison, historically
the most interesting spot in England.
1t stands on the bank OF the Thames
and consists of an irregular mass of
buildings erected at various periods,
surrounded by a battlemented wall
and d deep moat which is now
drained.
We entered the tower through
Lions Gates, so called from the roy
al menagerie formerly kept there,
and walked across the moat on a
stone bridge where we we're met
between Middle Tower and Byward
Tower by a quantity attired Beef
eater or Warder. Beef-eater, ! de-
cided at once, was a fitting name
as his well-fed appearance gave
ample proof. NV companion was
fortunate in having a special ward
er's pass and so the Beef eater was
at our service and we we're admitted
to parts of the Tower which are not
usually open to visitors.
Passing into the anterior court,
we found the Bell Tower at our left.
Here Princess Elizabeth was confin-
ed by her sister, Queen Mary. 1t is
said that when the barge came to
Traitors Gate, Elizabeth refused at
first to land, then feeling that she
was powerless to resist. she sprang
out INTO the rain and was conducted
to her cell. Poor unfortunate Ara
bella Stuart was also confined in
Bell Tower, where she lost her rea-
son and died after an Imprisonment
of four years.
A little futher up to our right
stood the Traitors Gate. Though
the wall between it and the Thames
is now filled in, it once formed a
double gateway by which state pris-
oners were conducted to the Tower.
During high tide the water rose
above the steps leading up to the
iron gates and even flooded the court.
Above Traitors Gate is st. Thomas
Tower and a gateway opposite leads
under the Bloody Tower to the
Inner Bail. Bloody Tower once bore
a disfiguring coat of ~stucco, and 1T
Is in this tower that the sons of
Edward w are said to have been
murdered by order of Richard Ill.
To the right of Inner Bail, we
passed the round Wakefield Tower,
where the unhappy Queen Margaret
when she was taken prisoner entered
to find her husband, the mad King
Henry vi, dead, murdered, no one
doubted, by Gloucester. Wakefield
Tower, is also called Record Tower,
from the fact that the public records
we're kept here until 1856. The
Crown Jewels or regalia are now
preserved here, hut because of some
alterations that are being made we
were not allowed to see these won
derful gems.
Close to Wakefield Tower is the
new Guard House, al incongruous
mass of red brick buildings built
within the last ten years. In the
center Of the Inner Bail Court, rises
White Tower, or Keep, the most
ancient part of the fortress. begun
about 1887. It's walls are from 13
to Is feet thick and are surmounted
with turrets at the angles. Modern
windows have in most instances re-
placed the barrow Sits that once
served as loop-hOles through w63rb
the guns were fired. You must
remember that though William the
Conquerer was king. he was very I'M
popular and for this reason he began