The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-09
nent, being weighed on pier.

war. times are 90 cents per $1,000, or
$500 per $1,000. 900. on a shipment Of
100000 the sum of $4,000 insurance
is paid.
Freight charges are one-eighth OF 1
per cent. for anything under $500. 900
| any seven siXty-fourths for amounts
over this. on a shipment of 81 900. 900
the freight comes 10 s1.075. The COOP
erage and carriage to dock side amount
to another $50. During transit the
bankers lose interest on the money,
the average interest loss on a million
| dollars during the passage coming TO
| about $500.
Cold on arrival upon ship Is
| placed In strong room. or steel vault,
| situated amidshlp. forward The usual
dimensions Of a ships treasure vault
are 12 feet by u. In the vault is
usually burglar proof safe in which
the kegs are placed during the voyag e.
The loss of gold IN transit IL rare
happening. few years ago the steam
| ship Schiller went down off the Scilly
Isles with 100000 on board. All the
treasure was later recovered by divers.
A key Of gold containing $4,000 was
| accidentally dropped overheard from
one of the French line ships ar Cher
bourg not long ago. This was also
found by a diver
The trucking OF gold from the Sub
| Treasury TO the ship is a business ex-
clusively IN the hands Of one or two
| firms in New York They are men in
whom absolute reliance can be placed,
who have been in the business Of gold
shipping for years.
Before gold is made into the bullion
bars for shipment to Europe 1t under
goes a number Of processes at the As
say ONCE. on the second floor OF the old
building in Wall street is a white tiled
room in which are a number OF small
| furnaces. Bunsen burners and other
chemical and metalurgical appliances
Two samples are taken of each lot of
gold TO he assayed. The samples are
given to different sssSyers, whose esti-
| mates must exactly tally before they
are finally accepted. The samples are
frst weighed with minute care in
| balances sensitive 10 the thousandth
part Of a grain
The sample is placed IN = small dish
| about the size of a peppermint lozenge
| This is 2 bone ash crucihlo. tech
nicaly termed a cupel. The tiny gold
sample is placed in ths cup and put in
"A furnace. whore n ~ subjected 10 eX-
IRENE heat The gold contains AT this
stage certain impurities or alloys, such
as silver copper and lead ON applying
heat the absorbent cup takes M the
lead and other impurities, leaving a
tiny bead If mixed gold and silver
This gold and silver sample Is then
boiled I'm ntric acid which dissolves
the silver, leaving pure gold IN a solid
| state. The residue of gold is then
carefully weighed and comparison
made between the first weight while il
contained It's impurities and tho weight
| Of the sample after extraction Of the
| alloys The Assay once now knows
! just whar the lot Of gold brought 10 the
office Is worth and offers price for II
in accordance with a fixed standard
! when the large lots Of gold have
| been weighed and assayed in tho same
manner they are treated in bulk so
that All the gold may be obtained I'm a
pure condition, tho impurities being
driven Of
In a building back OF the Assay Office
| Is a great reduction plant. Here the
metal Is first mixed in large quantities
and then melted The liquid metal IL
poured into cold water. the effect Of
which Is to hreak I, up i-:- go beads
or particles When the gold comes our
of its cold bath it resembles so much
mush or gritty yellow sand.
This mass is turned into watts Of sui
phuric acid. The acid does not act on
gold. but has an affinity for copper.
silvC$ and other metals. The gold falls
into the bottom Of the vat, the copper
and other metals being held In solution.
When gold comes OUT OF tho scid Nat
II looks like ordinary reddish sand It
Is practically pure in this state This
golden sand IS thoroughly washed go as
10 eliminate any remaining acid
| The acid solution containing silver,