The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-12-04
GonD FOR BANK or ENGLAND.
Precautions Which Are Taken to
 Guard Precious Metal in Transit.

q ASNAO0S ANANtAtA AAA AACAACAOe
 The precautions which are taken to 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 distribut- ing agency for all purchasers in Eng land-are simple, yet thoroughly safe Everything is done quietly, although in no way secretly, and without the slightest fuss. Detectives watch the shipment of the gold, and also the un- loading at the docks, but the idea that two or three of them take it in turns to watch the precious cargo during the. voyage is an erroneous one, says Tit bits.
 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 ev-' cry vessel of importance possesses, and which is usually under the saloon, fully insured, and sent across the sea unattended. The man who is responsi- ble for the gold while it is on the ves- sel is the captain, who signs for the same and holds the key of the specie room. It is a stringent rule, however, that the captain must not visit the room except in the presence of a wit ness.
 l There is also another rule rigidly enforced. 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, a ship with bullion on board arrives at Tilbury 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. If the Monday was a Bank Holiday it would be just the same, the gold being landed on Tuesday morning.
 The London office of the company to which the vessel belongs having been dUn' 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 tc the bullion truck in waiting, to be con Iveyed to the station.
 A bullion truck is about fourteen feet lon@ lined with iron, and looks very much like q miniature barge on wheels It Is about three feet high, has double locks, and is always placed be- tween 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 truck costs anything between 15O and 200 pounds to build.
 After the gold is entrained the clerk sends telegram to the head office informing the owners what time the train left the station, and the hour il may be expected to arrive in London where a van is ready to receive it. The gates of the Lothbury entrance to the bank welcome all such deposits oi gold and silver which enter only to be hidden away for a time in the wonder. full vaults below. Several iron barri. cades have to be passed and many lquestions put by the gorgeously attir. ed beadles of the bank to be answered before the van with its treasure comes Ito a standstill at the entrance to tho vaults. The gentleman who superin tends the packing of the gold in tn, vaults furnished the writer with som, interesting particulars.
 We have all sorts and all sizes O boxes come in," he said, many O them holding 10000 pounds, whil
 others will be hardly an inch square and contain but an ounce of gold. Tn
 charge for storage a packet is just tn
 same, be the parcel small or great, al
 ounce or hundredweight-t is, Is
 sd. box or naked bar of gold or sil yer a month, and after the first mont lit is reduced to a shilling We neve Isee the contents of the boxes unless perhaps, when the customs officer
 opens two or thre out of a oonsign lment and runs his fingers through tn lgolden pieces to see if there is any thing contraband hidden beneath" But there is another branch, and livery interesting and important ont