Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-08-14
HISTORIC WAR TREASURE
Germany Has $so,ooo,ooo in the Tower
at Spandau.

The German government has 800,
900, 900 marks (about $30,000,O00O stor-
ed away in its war chest" in the ia
nous julius Tower at Spandau, an is
land at the confluence of the Spree
and Havel rivers, says the New York
Sun. 1t is a secret hoard, known in
Baedeker as the imperial military re-
serve fund of $4,000, 900" Early last
year it was reported from Berlin which
is only eight miles from Spandau, that
the German war programme contem
plated tripling the treasure, but If
such a move was made it has not been
announced.
The julius Tower has been shrouded
in mystery. 1t was first used by Fred
erick the Great as the Prussian war
chest" and then turned over to the
empire for the storage Of the 30,0O0 O0O
which was a part of the S1,0OO,O 100000
indemnity paid by France, after the
Franco German war. Although it has
been estimated that the money would
be exhausted in a day and a half in
case of actual war, the fund has been
reserved for the expenses Of a quick
mobilization of the German army, to
pay for horses and supplies already
contracted for an emergency.
The tower of Spandau stands in the
midst Of a citadel surrounded by bar
racks and officers quarters, not far
from the great German arsenals and
manufactures of war implements. II
is cylindrical, built of heavy, massive
masonry, about 40 feet high and almost
as thick. The tower is guarded by
three steel doors at its only entrance
each opened by a system Of simultane-
Gus keys held by different persons. The
chancellor Of the empire holds one set
and the president of the committee OF
debts of the empire another. The treas.
ure is protected by constantly chang
ing sentries, under a guardian, who
was made curator by decree in 1874
The treasure itself, made up Of 20
franc gold pieces, the same that was
paid by the French, is stored in bags in
a dozen small cabinets built in the
walls in various levels reached by a
spiral stairway. The guard is usual
ly made up of twenty-four men, eight
Of them on duty constantly, changing
every two hours. A patrol is made
about the base of the tower, inside
and top. Once year the gold is
weighed in bulk for an official count
The amount of the treasure never
changes.
There was one attempt at robbery
on the part Of a drunken cobbler, who
got into the tower in some mysterious
fashion, but fell when he was half
way up the staircase and broke his
neck. Only one American has been
known to have had a glimpse OF the
interior of the julius tower. He was
Robert w. PoindeXter, according to
the story, asked the sentinel to see
the commander, and then slipped into
the tower when the sentry turned his
back. He got into serious trouble
with the Spandau authorities for going
too near the treasure, but finally con-
vinced them Of the innocence of his
purpose. The tower has excited great
curiosity on the part Of German tour
ists but sightseers are not welcomed
on the Island of Spandau.
Other nations have considered it a
waste of money for Germany to keep
the treasure stored at Spandau, be-
cause it was known that it could last
only about a day and half if used in
case of war. 1t was often said that If
Germany had invested the money at
s per cent she could have increased the
principal so that the aggregate fund
might last as long as a week in time
Of war.