Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-12-10
astistsllaneuus Readins.
HOW GOLD Is GUARDED.
Precautions Taken by the Bank OF
En-land.

The precautions which are taken 10
guard gold dispatched from the mines
of Australia, America or South Africa
IN the Bank of England-which for
wears past has acted as the distrlout-
ing agency for all purchasers IN this
Icountry-are quite simple, yet thor-
ouehly safe, says Tid-Bits. Every
thing is done quietly, although IN no
wayEecretly, and without the slightest
fuss Detectives watch the shipment
Of the gold, and also the unloaoins a'
tho docks here; but the idea that TWO
or three of them take it in turns 10
watch the precious cargo during the
VOYAGE is quite an erroneous one.
In rough bars, ranging usually pe-
tween 200 ounces and 1000 ounces the
gold is packed in strong bullion ooXes,
which have the appearance or soho
blocks of wood bound with iron' placed
=, the strong room which every Vessei
of importance possesses, and WHICH -
usually under the saloon, fully insurer
and sent across the sea unattenueu
The man who Is responsible FOR the
cold while It is on the vessel is the
captain, who signs for the same anu
holds the key to the specie room ~
,s a stringent rule, however. that lhe
captain must not visit the room except
IN the presence of witness.
Tbere Is also another rule rigloiS
enforced. When the vessel reaches the
docks the gold must not be unloaueu
unless II can be taken direct TO the
rank Of England. Suppose, Tor IN
stance. a ship with bullion on ooaru
arrives at Tilbury Docks on SATURDAY
night. The vessel would be consloereu
en- voyage until Monday mornlns'
ond no leave would be granted The
cantain sleeps on board as long as the
snec,e Is there, and the same strict
watch is kept as IL on the ocean, l.
Monday was a bank hohaay
would be just the same, the goio pe-
ing landed on Tuesday morning.
The London office Of the company 10
uh,cb the vessel belongs having been
duly informed Of the arrival OF the
,osse, at the docks, a clerk Is sent'
whose duty it Is to be present "heh-
ever gold comes in. Two or three ue
tect,ves are also at hand-in all ABOUT
half a dozen officials. The boxes ate
counted as they are brought from tne
strong room, packed on trolleys' aiu'
CLOSELY guarded, are hurried away 10
ho h,,,,ion truck in waiting, to be con-
veyed to the station.
A bullion truck is about 1ourteeh
feet long, lined with iron, ana loohs
verv much like q miniature barge OH
wheels, It is about three feet high' mas
double locks, and is always placed De-
tween the engine and the guards Vah'
50 that both the guardian OF the Train
ond the custodian Of the engine may
keen an eve on it. Such a truck costs
ANYTHING between ESQ and s2oo TO
build.
After the gold is entrained the clerk
sends a telegram to the head office' IN
forming the owners what time the
train left the station, and the hour II
NAV he expected to arrive in LONDON
where a van is ready to receive It.
The gates of the Lothbury entrance 10
the hank welcome all such deposits OF
gold and silver which enter only 10
he hidden away for time in the won
derful vaults below. Several iron par
ricades nave to be passed ana many
questions put by the gorgeousiy attir-
cd beadles of the bank, to be answered
before the van with it's treasure comes
to q standstill at the entrance 10 the
vaults. The gentleman who superin-
tends the packing Of the gold IN the
vaults furnished the writer with some
interesting particulars.
"We have all sorts and all sizes OF
boxes to come in," he said, many Oh
them holding 10000, whilst others
will be hardly an inch square, ana con-
tain but an ounce Of gold. The charge
for storage per packet is just the
same. be the parcel small or great. an
ounce or a hundred 49,
Is. Cd. a box or naked bar OF gold
and silver per month, and after the
first month 1t is reduced to shllling'
We never see the contents Of the boxes
unless, perhaps, when the customers
officer opens two or three out OF
consignment and runs his fingers
through the golden pieces to see II
there is anything contraband hidden
beneath"
But there is another branch, and
very interesting and important one,
connected with the London gold traf-
| fc We refer to the conveying of the
precious metal to and from the Con-
tinental depots by the railway compa-
MES. How much is sent to and from
simply depends on the rate of ex-
change, and it is principally done as
speculation by large houses, such as
Rothschild and Barring Brothers. Sup
posing the Rothschilds wanted to send
$4,000 to Paris. This could be sent
either in bills of exchange or in gold.
II the rate Of exchange made 1t cheap
er to send in gold, gold would go, and
vice versa.
The Great Eastern Railway company
often brings as much as 100000 from
Harwich-their depot where the Con-
tinental boats discharge-whilst an
other day may see the arrival of only
6 1000. This company owns a num-
Der of bullion trucks, and their scale Of
charges will give one a very good idea
as to the cost of bringing gold to Lon
don by rail.
The rate varies from Is. Sd. to los.
sd. per e100, the latter sum being
charged for such small parcels at s40O,
and so the scale varies to Is. Sd. per
e1OO for sums of 10000 and upward.