Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1912-11-23
A BIC BANK Vault
How Its Doors Were Opened by
a Message From the Sea.
THE MAGIC OF AN AER0GRAM.
A Dilemma From Which a Great FL
nancial Institution Extrieated Itself
In Double Quick Time by a Rapid
Exchange Of Wireless Dispatches.

nancial Institution Extricated itself
In Double Quick Time by a Rapid
Exchange Of Wireless Dispatches.
To the ordinary layman. too busy or
too Indifferent to bother his head with
scientific matters, wireless telegraphy
IL somewhat of mystery. In n gen.
eral way he knows that by II messages
are flashed through the mir over oceans
and mountains. but he does not realize
TO what an extent and In what varied
roles the aerial magic plays Its parts
| In daily life In The Wireless Man
the author. Francis A. Collins. mar
rates mn instance In which aerograms
averted possible financial mishap.
| He writes:
"a secret. even very big one. may
| be intrusted to the wireless man and
flung halfway across the Atlantic
with complete safety. There was the
case. for instance. OF the president OF
| n great New York bank who sailed for
Europe without leaving the comblna-
| ton Of the locks Of the vaults. As
rule. the combination IL n single word.
and the secret Is known only to two or
three. In this case. by nm oversight
| there was no one left ashore who knew
| the key The money and securities OF
the bank were very safely locked away.
and hours OF work would he required
10 force the locks of the safe deposit
| vaults.
The bank presidents steamer had
sailed at o'clock OF n summers morn
Ing 10 catch fave sble tide. and
when the banks officials tried TO open
the vaults at about q o'clock the
steamer carrying the secret was up
ward Of two hours at sea. A hasty
examination showed that there was
but one way 10 open the vaults short
Of breaking into them. and that was
by getting the code from the prcsl-
dent. serenely unconscious OF the trou
bles ashore. To delay opening the
vaults would. OF course. be very seri-
Gus matter II the piles Of money were
not ready behind the barred windows
| promptly at 10. the fact would be
known within few minutes through
on n bank has been started for less
cause.
.Tn the old days. before the cable, the
secret could not have been gained In
less than two or three weeks at best.
or until n message had reached the
president by mail and returned across
the Atlantic. The cable alone would
have cut the delay In two by catching
| the traveller on his arrival on the other
side. Meanwhile the bank officials,
hastily summoned TO Il conference. had
acted quickly. The wireless stations
| had been notified. and q message ex-
planning the situation was flashed from
the top OF a high building In New York
and from the Sea Gate and Nantucket
stations. All this was the work OF less
than ten minutes.
"Now the combination word used 10
lock up these millions In gold. currency
and securities Is. Of course. not piece
OF information to be flashed broadcast
along the Atlantic coast IL would be
known 20 scores Of people. even IL the
stations receiving guarded the secret
with the utmost care. The officials
| therefore impressed upon the president
| the Importance of sending his message
| in the private code used by the bank In
It's important cables. AS the hour for
opening the bank approached the OIL
cials waited with an impotence which
may be imagined.
"rhe wireless message was handed
to the bank president ms he sat nj
breakfast well ont to sea. II was now
exactly GIG. There was sudden VA
cancy at that particular table. After
one glance at the nerogram the presi-
dent, realizing the situation 10 the last
detail. rushed madly for his staterocm
| 20 search for his code book. 4 few mo
ments later digniilcd elderly gentle
man rushed into the wireless booth. de-
manding NJ any cost that his message
be given the right OF way. He got H.
AN nerogram expressed In an unin-
telligible cipher was soon being flashed
with the full power Of the apparatus.
The wireless stations along the coast
had been ordered 10 expedite the mes
sage IN every way and were waiting
nnxiously for II. II was read by two
stations on the Long Island coast and
repeated hurrIcdly to New York. A few
minutes later the clerk Mt the telephone
In the bank was carefully writing out
the strange tumble Of letters and trans
lating them into intelllglhle English.
The clock pointed 20 twenty minutes
| h.. Iua -
tie great steel door swung noisclessiy
open ON It's hinges and the day was
saved"