The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-09
Gold in casks ready fer shipment being weighed pier
How the Bullion Bars Are Moulded
and Carried Through the Streets
on Truck Almost Unguarded

centres in the world The Assay Office
in Wall street treats more gold in a
year than any other similar institution.
not excepting Washington or san
Francisco.
/ Gold bullion is shipped to Europe in
/ bars. each being worth about $4,000.
| The precious metal comes to the Assay
/ Office in every conceivable shape. 1t
l is received in the form of family plate.
/ siftngs from jewellers shops. old coins.
watches. trinkets and even human
| teeth. After undergoing various proc
| esses Of refinement II IL cast into bars.
, All gold is shipped abroad in n GER
tain kind Of keg. The kegs are OF stou.
oak and have heigts OF Il inches and
are 10 inches around the waist. Each
keg Will hold ten bars, or $4,000. In
manufacturing the kegs n strip of red
tape, by way Of seal. is stretched across
the bottom, and, in a measure. actually
made inro tho key.
When a gold shipment Is to be made
the necessary number OF kegs are taken
in truck 10 the Assay Office, where
they are received az a door in the rear.
The gold bars are then piled upon Il
hand truck and rolled TO the kegs. In
tho presence Of agents OF the shippers
and Of Off 'ers Of the Assay Office the
bars are packed in the kegs and saw
dust is placed ground them TO prevent
abrasion. When the heads of the kegs
have been placed over the packed bars
another piece of red tape Is stretched
across and fastened between the chime
and tho edge OF the head. The seal
of the shipping house is then placed on
the head and bottom OF each key.
After sealing, the kegs are rolled to
the wagon and lifted on. II takes
two men 70 handle each key, as there
are ten bars TO a keg with a total gold
weight Of 80 pounds. II may be men
TONED that 100000 weighs in gold $50
pounds ard p million dollars weighs
$500 pounds. Some time ago one OF
the officials OF the Assay Office COM
piled figures showing how much gold
a man could readily handle II is a
singular thing that great difficulty is
experienced in carrying gold any dis
lance, The weight seems 10 be- more
dead than that Of other metals: thoutN
his may t~~an illusion.
For instance. the average man could
carry 100 pounds of gold one mile with
out much discomfort. Its value would
be about $4,000. \ strong man could
carry. say $50 pounds a mile, reaching
tho end Of his Journey with lust under
100000. A powerful man might trans
port zoo pounds. or $4,000, his mile
without exhaustion Naturally. IL each
carrier knew that az the end Of the
mile the bullion would be his own
great excrtions would he put forward r.
achieve tho reward Tho CARRYING Of
gold, however. is almost a. dffcult ns
tho making ~ =.
Cold. sold, solid and cold
Hard 10 get and harder 10 hold &c.
The usual shipment Of gold. until the
recent enormous European demand, was
! fr m $4,000 10 81 600 900 A million
/ dollars is the average wagon load.
one might expect thst the trucks con-
veying such quantities of gold would he
heavily guarded, but such Is not the
case. The conveyance is a very un-
prctentious one, and tho average /tizen
would scarcely notice its passage
through the streets. The little barrels
are not always concealed beneath
tarpaulins.
Though millions 81 dollars have been
shipped i'm the manner described, there
has never Yet been an attempt made
TO capture any Of the precious metal
In transit on shpboard only one theft
has occurred for years This was on
the Kaiser Wilhelm; but even then the
thief was not successful, Though $50,
900 in bullion was stolen, the thief could
not get the metal off the ship, but de-
posted II above the cornices Of the
staterooms whore Il was subsequently
found.
When tho gold laden kegs are placed
beside the steamer and recciptei fol
by the purser Of the vessel tho re.
sponslbility OF the shippers ends. From
this time onward until the gold reache:
the hands Of the consignees the insur,
ance companies assume the risk. In
surance rates for gold st ordinary. moi