Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-27
WEIGHING GOLD GUN.
SECRET WONDERS OF THE BANK OF
ENGLAND LAID BARE.

Wonderful and Best Known Bank
Vaults in the World
What visions of untold wealth are con-
Jured up by the very name of the Bank of
England!
When | made up my mind to visit the
bank and its celebrated vaults I found that
the matter was not S easy as some may
imagine.
since the dynamite scares in London it is
exceedingly difficult to enter the portals of
the bank. But, accompanied by my banker
friend, whose name is world famous and
whose dolngs and sayings influence the ex-
changes OF two continents, the locked up
treasures were opened to my wondering
gaze.
Whenever the "open sesame" of the
bankers name is whispered the well bal
anced doors hungrily swing open, swallow
me and my guide and snap almost noise
lessly behind us. Memorable looking por-
tiers, cold eyed guardians and austere man
ayers bow rs they hear the name or catch
a glimpse of my doyen.
The doorway opens into the bullion Of
flee, where all the gold and silver that en-
tiers or leaves the bank passes through to
be checked. On the right is the gold; on
the left the silver The first impression is
that OF being in the order department of
Wholesale trading establishment.
But 4 figure il Il white apron quickly
dispeis the illusion. This parsonage in the
apron is attired IN q lilac vest, plum col
ored coat and buttons OF two shilling
pieces. His hat Is a peculiar black velvet
affair, and is a compromise between beef
caters and q smoking cap.
MARVELLOUS INSTRUMENT.
y suave gentleman approaches the
banker, and in n few hurried words the
latter informs the manager (for such he Isl
that be wishes to show me everything TO
| be seen. We are therefore first introduced
to the scales, or, as it is termed, the grand
balance"
This marvellous instrument is a ponder
Gus and peculiarly built weighing ma
| chine standing about seven feet high and
| weighing about two tons. The whole is
under huge glass case, access being
| gained thereto by sliding panel. The
scale Is worked by hydraulic power, and is
the most sensitive weighing machine in
| existence. The foundation, which is Of
| solid concrete, is sunk to a depth Of sixteen
| feet, so that not a jar can affect the clean
balance.
The manager sets the hydraulic power in
| motion by means Of n small wheel, and
| then touches an ivory button 1T the side
| Immediately the entire scale, weighing
| hundreds of pounds, sinks seven inches
| and is ready for weighing.
I'VE will first weigh a postage stamp"
| observes the suave gentleman. On each
| side the scales are fitted with weights
| amounting to 400 ounces. When gold is TO
| be weighed the smaller wei gifts on the bal
ance are withdrawn, and the gold placed
on one of the two lodges. The gold is
made up in 400 ounce bars, and the differ
ence of one-thOusandth part of an ounce
can be detected
The stamp being added to the 400 ounce
weights another ivory button is touched
and the index jumps a distance of six
inches. Think of it; six inches on the in
dex for postage stamp! But the most
wonderful incident was yet in store for me
ALMOST HUMAN MECHANISM
''SuppOsiug a bar contains more than
this scale is made TO weigh" explains the
manager, "any other scale would go to
this limit and give 10 sign Not this one.
however" To prove this he adds one quar-
ter of an ounce more than the maximum
weight, when, instead of the index moving
there is n pause of some few seconds and
then an electric bell commences ringing
There is something terribly human about
this mechanism which declines toeXecute a
task of which it is incapable. This is the
only balance of its kind in the world The
maker has never constructed duplicate
This triumph of mechanical art cost exact
~ 81, eco. The silver scale is of course not
so finely balanced, and the two are respec-
lively christened THE Lord Chief Justice
and ''The Lord High Chancellor"
The manager then moves away from the
scale, and turning handle in the wall
1y- M IpnCr at1lt
finely groined arches, which would other
wise pass unnoticed. Throwing the gate
open we pass in, followed by one of the
| body guards in a chocolate brown suit
We arrive at a door which admits us to
| an Enclosure almost entirely of glass, in
| which visitors stand and gaze upon the
wonders within. However, the bodyguard
| throws open the door, and stepping up to
the chief, whispers a word in his ear He
| approaches us with warm welcome, and
| bids me walk up to one of the gold weigh
| ing machines, of which there are some
thirty here. This is the room where SOW
ereigns and half sovereigns are weighed
| when sent in by bankers and others Here
again. hydraulic power is used
| A COMPLICATED MACHINE
a machine consisting of a complicated
| system of counter weights looks not I'M
| like n sewing machine as TO its lower half
This is completely inclosed in glass. A
long feeder, like tube cut in half, down
its length, and made of brass, is set at an
| angle of 45 dogs, and is filled with long
roll of sovereigns. These turn as they slip
down on to a circular, movable plate,
slightly larger than sovereign.
For a moment the plate seems to be de-
Gliding upon the merits of that particular
coin. Then, as if it has made up its mind
conclusively, it deity turns the coin to the
right, and it slips down metal tube into
till below.
But if the coin proves to be lighter than
the standard weight the delicate machine
turns it to the left and condemns it to the
guillotine. Again one is impressed with the
"human" idea of a hand weighing the SOY
ereigns. One can almost fancy that a hid
den person is feelinst the weight. There is
more than a mere mechanical look about
the momentary indecision of the scale