The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1912-11-08
A BIG BANK VAULT
How Its Doors Were Opened by
a Message From the Sea.
THE MAGIC OF AN AERoGRAM.
A Dilemma From Which a Great FL
nanoial institution Extrieated Itself
In Double Quick Time by Rapid
Exchange of Wireless Dispatches.

nanciai 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
is somewhat of mystery. In gen
eral way he knows that by it messages
are flashed through the air 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 an 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 combina-
ton of the locks of the vaults. As Il
rule, the combination is single word,
and the secret is known only to two or
three. In this case, by an oversight,
there was no one left ashore who knew
the key. The money and securities of
the bank We're very safely locked away,
and hours of work would be required
TO force the locks OF the safe deposit
vaults.
Tho bank presidents steamer had
~ a
ing to catch favorable tide, and
when the banks officials tried to open
tho vaults Mt about 8 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 TO open the vaults, short
OF breaking into them, and that was
by getting the code from the presi-
dent. serenely unconscious OF the trou.
bles ashore, To delay opening the
vaults would of course, be u very seri-
Gus matter. If the piles of money We're
not ready behind the barred windows
promptly at 10. the fact would be
known within few minutes through
out the financial section. A serious run
on bank has been started for less
cause.
I'm the old days. before the cable, the
secret could not have been gained In
less than two or three weeks at best,
or until 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 n conference, had
acted quickly. The wireless stations
had been notified, and a message ex
planning the situation was flashed from
the top OF 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 to
lock up these millions IN gold, currency
and securities Is, of course, not piece
OF information to be flashed broadcast
along the Atlantic coast. 1t would be
known to scores of people, even II 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
its important cables. AS the hour for
opening tho bank approached the ofli
cials waited with an Impotence which
may be imagined.
The wireless message was handed
to the bank president as he sat at
breakfast well out to sea. II was now
exactly 0;16. There was a sudden VA
cancy ut that particular table. After
one glance at tho aerogram the presi-
dent. realizing the situation to the last
detail, rushed mndly for his stateroom
to search for his code book. A few mo
ments later II dignifled elderly gentle
man rushed into tho wireless booth, de
manding Mt any cost that bis message
be given the right Of way, He got It,
IAN aerogram 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 to expedite the mes
sage In every way and were waiting
anxiously for II. 1t was read by two
stations on the Long Island coast and
repeated hurrledly to New York. few
minutes later the clerk at the telephone
In the bank was carefully writing out
the strange tumble Of letters and trans
lating them into Ineligible English
The clock pointed to twenty minutes
~ 10, the banks opening hour, when
the great steel door swung noiselessly
Npen on It's hinges and the day was
saved"