Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-07-29
GOLD ON A BIG SHIP
How Bullion In Transit Is Guard
ed on an Ocean Liner.

Inc naIural assumption would De
that in the safeguarding of the treas
ure which the various countries are
constantly sending one another by the
big ocean liners there would be re-
Quired the vigilance of many men.
This. however, is not generally the
case, since. once the gold is stored
away In the rooms set apart for that
purpose on the big ships and the YES
sci is well out at sea. no armed guards
are necessary.
Taking the specific case OF one liner
sailing under the British flag. we find
that 1t has two strong rooms, the
smaller OF the two being in close prox-
unity to the captains office This one
compartment has no doubt sheltered
gold enough to pay the cost Of the liner
many times over. The walls, the roof
and the ceiling are lined with two inch
steel plate. and the room contains moth
ing in the way Of fixtures save shelv
ing. The locks. which are Of the dou
Bile variety, are rendered still more Sc
cure by steel hasps covering the key
holes, and they are provided with mas
sive padlocks. The strong rooms, be-
ing in the most frequented portion Of
the vessel. where persons are passing
them at all hours of the day and night,
thus receive the best protection. after
all. There are two sets of keys, one
Of which is retained by the agent In
charge of the consignment of gold and
the other of which remains with the
captain.
In the case of the British vessel men
toned there is another and larger spe-
Gle room. situated next to the provi-
sion department This is about twelve
feet in length by four in width. 1t
frequently happens that both strong
rooms are filed to their utmost capaci-
". and on one occasion this liner car.
ried some $50.O00.O00 in gold bullion
packed in small kegs bound with steel
hoops.
Gold usually is brought to the vessel
on which it is to be shipped the day
before the date of sailing. and it is
stored away carefully before passen-
gers embark. 1t arrives at the pier in
ordinary trucks under the guard OF
armed men. The customary method
| of getting the gold on board is to haul
/ the kegs up an inclined chute to the
deck by means OF a hosting engine.
/ but this method is not followed in
variably. Sometimes each keg is
! placed in a sling and carried on board
! by men detailed for this service.
/ The receipt given by the steamship
company sets forth that so many kegs
| have been received for shipment, not
! for any stated amount of gold to the
4 value of so much The kegs bear the
| government seal in many instances.
and in such cases. when they have
been safely put in the strong room, the
iron doors thereof are sealed with gov
| eminent wax. the impression being
broken only when the official on the
other side comes to receive the gold.
The kegs are checked thrice-wheH
they are taken from the trucks, when
they reach the Gangway and when
they are placed in the strong room.
Although no armed guard stands by
the strong room. two men watch the
room constantly so long as the ship is
in sight OF land. AS a matter of fact.
there is little danger Of any one steal
ing gold in transit on ship. 1t would
be necessary that he should shoulder
key weighing some 200 pounds and
vanish with ii without being seen.
Masters of vessels declare gold is the
safest cargo Of any 10 handle.
The total weight of one consignment
of gold shipped by the British vessel
in question amounted to something
like 10000 pounds. or sixteen tons. and
the freight charges amounted to Sl2.'
600. or. roughly speaking. oue-eighth
OF per cent Specie thus shipped is
insured at its full value.-New York
Press.