Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-01-08
LONDON GOLD TRAFFIC
The Way the Treasure Is Guard
ed In Transit.
BANK OF ENGLAND METHODS.

BANK OF ENGLAND METHODS.
The Specie Room on Board Ship and
the Responsibility of the Captain of
the Vessel-The Bullion Truck and
the Journey by Rail.
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-
Eng agency for all purchasers in Great
Britain, are quite simple, yet thorough.
H safe, says the London It'd Bits. Ev-
eEything 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 it in turns to
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
q stringent rule, however, that the cap
tain must not visit the room except
In the presence Of witness.
There is also another rule rigidly en-
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, 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. II
the Monday was a bank holiday 1t
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 a 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 dozen officials. The boxes are
counted as they are brought from thu
strong room, packed On trolieys and
closely guarded, are hurried away Il
the bullion truck IN Whiting to be con
veyed to the station.
A bullion truck Is about fourteen fee
bong, lined with iron, and looks very
much like miniature barge or
wheels. 1t is about three feet high
has double locks and is always placed
Between the engine and the guard.
van go that both the guardian Of tn,
train and the custodian of the engin.
may keep an eye on it. Such trucl
costs anything between f150 and E2Ol
TO build
After the gold is entrained the clerl
sends telegram to the head Office in
forming the owners what time tn
train left the station and the hour /
may be expected to arrive in London
where van is ready to receive il
The gates of the Lothburg entrance t
ahe bank welcome all such deposits o
gold and silver. which enter only to b
hidden away for time in the won
derful vaults below. Several iron bar
ricades have to be passed and man,
questions put by the gorgeously attire,
beadles of the bank to be answered be
fore the van with its treasure come
to standstill at the entrance to tn
vaults. The gentleman who superin
aerds the packing of the gold in tn
vaults furnished the writer with som
interesting particulars.
I'VE have all sorts and all sizes o
Boxes come in,' he said, many o
them holding 100000. while other
will be hardly an inch square and cor
tain but an ounce of gold. The charg
for storage per packet is just the same
be the parcel small or great. an ounc
or MISUNDERSTANDING is. Is. sc
a box or naked bar of gold and silve
per month, and after the first month
is reduced to shilling. We never Sc
ghe contents of the boxes unless pei
aaps when the customs officer open
two or three out Of consignment an
runs his fingers through the golde
pieces to see If there is anything COZ
araband hidden beneath"
The Youthful Disraeli.
Those of you who have ever read til
wonderful pictures of Dizzy in h
youth might well go back to the Buci
Herald or the extracts from it | ha,
been able to get It'll is one Of the mo-
wgnderfuI pictures ever drawn of