The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-07-15
THE BANK OF ENGLAND.
Down in the Money Vaults Amid Almost
Countless Wealth.

The automatic bodyguard now shows
some animation, says the London edi-
ton of the n. Y. Herald Producing
hand lantern from another mysteri-
Gus recess he bids us follow. We walk
in narrow alleys formed of piles of
boxes, where not ray of light pene-
trates, and find ourselves making
rapid descent, with the lantern ahead,
like some guardian angel. We de-
scend a sleeper incline than the others,
with the defunct bank notes in their
sarcophagi all around us, when chill
air striking us proves that we are well
underground.
Then the figure in front turns and
announces to US in tone calculated to
are now in the labyrinth.n l begin to
feel like another Guy Fawkes going to
blow up the whole place. But the
ways in that bewildering maze of piled
up cases are becoming most trying to
the banker, who is not accustomed to
dodging a will-o'-the-wisp in a cata-
comb.
begin to entertain fears that he is
leading US to some dungeon tastness
when he turns again and solemnly re-
marks, with wave of his hand, "All
bank notes." Some idea can be gained
of the quantity when it is said that they
are u, 745, 900 in number, and that they
fill Is, 400 boxes. which, if placed side
by side, would reach two and half
miles. If the notes were placed in a
pile they would reach height of five
and half miles, or if joined end to end
would form ribbon II, 455 miles long.
Their superficial extent is a little less
than that of Hyde park; their original
value was over FL, $50, 10000 and their
weight over 80 IL tons.
Along another passage we euter a
large room-really a vault-which is
surrounded from floor to ceiling by
iron doors of safes which at their open
ing might he five feet high by five feet
wide. One of these is opened and
shows rows upon rows of gold coins in
bags of $4,000 each.
One is handed to me to hold, and
after doing so for moment 1 decide 1
will not carry it home. The dead
weight is enormous. Yet these officials
handle the slipping, sliding mass as
though it were book. Another door
is opened and we observe a stack of
bank notes. l remark that have seen
lot already. For answer the manager
takes out parcel of 1000 FL, 900 notes
and says:
Take hold" do so, and am told 1
am holding 91,O0O,000. should have
wished to hold it longer, but they want
it, so put it back.
This small safe contains ES,000,-
000' continued the polite manager,
land you are in the richest vault of the
Bank of England and of the world.
This small room at present holds ESQ.,
600, O0O."
By this time my appetite for wealth
is nearly gone. am nauseated with
the atmosphere of bank notes. My
senses are dulled with the expressing
spectacle and hail with delight the
merry FLASHING fountain in the court
yard. Here are the quarters of the
thirty four guardsmen who nightly
patrol the establishment A double
sentry is posted at each gate, and as
they load with ball cartridges it is not
a safe place for an enterprising burglar
to tackle. The officer of the guard has
a bedroom in the bank, and is provided
with dinner and bottle of the finest
old port, and l understand that the
guards are also literally treated.