. Inventory and survey of the armouries of the Tower of London . s the Council Chamberto admit more light to the lower room, and these were protected by railings,which were formed of brass-hilted swords of the Land Transport Corps ofthe Crimean period, and beneath them a border of horse-pistols. Thesewere, no doubt, very suitable when the contents of this room consisted solelyof modern Service weapons ; but since the rooms are now used for exhibitingarms and armour of a much earlier date, the incongruous decorations have beenremoved with great advantage to the general appearance of the Armoury
. Inventory and survey of the armouries of the Tower of London . s the Council Chamberto admit more light to the lower room, and these were protected by railings,which were formed of brass-hilted swords of the Land Transport Corps ofthe Crimean period, and beneath them a border of horse-pistols. Thesewere, no doubt, very suitable when the contents of this room consisted solelyof modern Service weapons ; but since the rooms are now used for exhibitingarms and armour of a much earlier date, the incongruous decorations have beenremoved with great advantage to the general appearance of the Armoury. On January 24, 1885, at 2 , a bomb exploded in the BanquetingHall, or first floor, of the White Tower. The day was Saturday, and theTower full of visitors. The perpetrator of the outrage had endeavouredto place his machine in the office on the floor above, where its effect in aconfined space would probably have been disastrous to the Tower , the door was locked, and he left the bomb in a more exposed The openings were filled up in •QUEEN ELIZABETHS AHMOUKY 1831-1883 in the Crypt of St. Johns Chapel. (From a Lithograph) INTRODUCTION—HISTORY AND BUILDINGS. 33 place. As it happened, no seriousdamage was done, and few peoplewere in the immediate vicinity of theexplosion. Mr. Barber, the ArmouryKeeper, sent down to the front gateand, in spite of the objections of thepolice, had the gates closed. Thecriminal was arrested, and was even-tually condemned to fourteen yearspenal servitude. About the year 1895 the smallarms were removed from the secondfloor, or Banqueting Hall, and thecontents of the upper floor, whichhad been inconveniently crowdedtogether, were spread over the twofloors and arranged by ViscountDillon, the first Curator of theArmouries. There was still a storeof Service arms on the first or gun-floor of the White Tower, and thesecould only be viewed by specialpermission of the Governor. In theyear 1914 the War Office agreed totransfer th
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Keywords: ., bookauthorpa, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectweapons
