The Daytona gazette=news. (Daytona, Fla.) 1901-1922, 1907-12-14
LONDON GOLD TRAFFIC
The Wa, the Treasure Is Guard
ed In Transit.
BANK OF ENGLAND METHODS.

Thu Specie Room on Board Ship ard
the Responsibility of the Captain OF
the VssseI-The Bullion Truck and
the Journey by Rail.
The precautions which are taken 10
guard gold dispatched from the mines
Of Australia, America Or South Africa
to the Bank Of England, which FOR
years past has acted as the distrlbut-
Ing agency for all purchasers in Great
Britain, are quite simple, Yet thorough
~ safe, says the London Tid-Bits. EV-
erything is done quietly, although in
no way secretly, and without the slight
est fuss Detectives watch the ship
ment OF the gold and also the unload
ing at the docks, but the idea that two
or three Of them take 1t IN turns 10
watch the precious cargo during the
voyage is quite an erroneous one.
In rough bars, ranging usually be-
tween 200 ounces and 1000 ounces, the
gold is packed IN strong bullion boxes,
which have the appearance of solid
blocks of wood bound with iron, placed
in the strong room which every vessel
of Importance possesses and which Is
usually under the saloon, fully insured
and sent across the sea unattended.
/ The man who is responsible for the
gold while It is on the vessel is the
captain, who signs for the same and
holds the key Of the specie room. 1t Is
a stringent rule, however, that the cap
tain must not visit the room except
in the presence Of a witness.
There Is also another rule risidiy Ell
| forced When the vessel reaches the
! docks the gold must not be unloaded
unless it can be taken direct TO the
| Bank Of England Suppose, for in
| stance, q ship with bullion on board
arrives at Tnbury docks on Saturday
night The vessel would be considered
en- voyage until the Monday morning
| and no leave would be granted. The
! captain sleeps on board as long as the
specie is there, and the same strict
watch is kept as if on the ocean IL
! the Monday was a bank holiday il
would be just the same. the gold be-
ing landed on Tuesday morning.
The London office of the company TO
which the vessel belongs having been
duly informed Of the arrival Of the
! vessel at the docks, clerk is sent.
| whose duty it is to be present when
ever gold comes in. Two or three de-
tectives are also at hand, in all about
half a dozen officials. The boxes are
counted as they are brought from the
| strong room, packed on trolleys and
closely guarded, are hurried away to
the bullion truck in waiting TO be con,
veyed to the station.
a bullion truck is about fourteen feet
long, lined with iron, aud looks very
much like miniature barge Oh
wheels. 1t is about three feet high
has double locks and is always placed
between the engine and the guards
van SO that both the guardian Of the
train and the custodian of the engine
may keep an eye on it. Such 4 truck
costs anything between $3.50 and f20t
10 build
After the gold is entrained the clerk
sends a telegram to the head office III
forming the owners what time the
train left the station and the hour il
may be expected to arrive III London
| where q van is ready to receive it
The gates Of the I.othburg entrance Il
! ha MI oil ~
gold and silver, which enter only to X
hidden away for time in the won
derful vaults below. Several iron bar
ricadcS have 10 be passed and many
questions put by the gorgeously attiret
beadles Of the bank to lie answered lie
fore the van with its treasure come:
to standstiIl at the entrance to thu
vaults The gentleman who superin
tends the packing OF the gold III th'
vaults furnished the writer with sOm'
interesting particulars.
We have ail sorts and all sizes Q
boxes come H." he said. many Q
them holding 10000, While other
viii be hardly an inch square and con
TAIN Dul III cuuSS u SciN- liz Sn"A .
! for storage per packet Is just the same
be the parcel small or great. an ounc
or hundredwejsbt-t is, Is. 81
box or naked bar uf god and silVe
per month. and after the first month
Is reduced to L shilling We never sc
the contents Of the boxes unless PEI
haps when the customs Officer open
two or three out OF consignment an
runs his fingers through the solde
pieces TO see II there is anything col
traband hidden beneath"
The Youthful Disraeli.