The log cabin Democrat., 1921-08-11
GREAT STEAMERS HANDLE TONS OF PRECIOUS GOLD Held in Ships Strong Room, ship ments Pass Unnoticed-Ocean
 Hides Vast Store.
t3y the Associated Press)

New York, Aug. 11.-Gold, tons ot
 it, coming here on every passenger | liner that plies the Atlantic, is hand l led by seamen and longshoremen as nonchalantly as if 1t were scrap iron,
 On such ships as the Olympic arrive
 million of dollars worth of the prec- | ious metal-shipments such as would
 have swamped an old galleon sailing
 the Spanish main. But the heavy, steel-bound boxes of ingots or coin
 stored away in the holds of the giant l liners aroIse among passengers and
 crew far less interest than the pres ence of an internationally known act
 ress or winning Pomeranian.
 It was recently announced that the subtreasury vaults here already hold S1 300 1000 900 in gold, onefifth of the
 worlds entire supply.
 Gold is classified as freight and certain rate per ton is paid for trans porting 1t, although due to it's value special consideration is given to its safety. On each of these big ships Is vault-known in ship language as the strong room. It is a big box or chamber, heavily lined with armor plate steel located i'll one of the lower holds in such position that it can be approached from but one direction, by a passage opening from but one door or hatch. There is no space around the strong room for a would-be thief to work with a drill, and indeed, if he should get in he would probably find himself prisoner.
 Delivered to the ship in European port the purser carefully checks the number of boxes, notes the stated val ue of the contents, sees to it that pro- per customs permits for shipment have | been issued and in the name of the ship signs the bills of lading. Under his personal eye it is slowed in the strong room where it is again check ed. The room is locked and the keys | and combination of the door are re- tained in the pursers own care. Oa several of the ships electric alarm de- vices add to the protection.
 On arrival in New York the gold shipments receive first attention after the passengers have been discharged. A special force of longshoremen under the eye of a trusted boss Is led to the strong room in company with rep resentative of the bank or banks tc which the gold is assigned. The box as are checked out, loaded on trucks, a certain weight to each man, and rundled away to waiting vans near the ship sides.
 The longshoremen who handle the treasure make no fuss amout it-it z s all in work day of eight hours ' md gold or pigiron, it is the same to $ them. However, once in the vans, ( when the ship is released of respon- 'ibility, there is a show of guards.
 What would happen to the gold if he ship should meet with an accident , md go down? It would have to go with the ship, unless conditions were ;uch that it could be removed after , he lives of all on board had been ;aved.' is the answer of the lines. : like other freight it is insured, and ' rot even treasure must be taken into |. consideration when lives are at stake.
 Gold shipments which have gone ! town are occupying the attention of ' 'eares of marine experts today. Num- ! srous devices have teen patented and many lives have been lost in attempts -o salvage sunken treasure. Among : hundreds of others a rich reward awaits the man who can salvage the treasure lost with the Lusitania.
 coal Blanks for Sala q +btc off;oa