Show SAFEST OF VAULTS BEING constructed london 1 I want the new bank of england made so impregnable that no one could even steal so much as halt a sovereign from its vaults even the theft of that small sum would ruin our prestige that statement made by norman governor of the bank of england Is responsible for the mighty barricade of steel and cement being built CO feet below the streets of london normans instructions are being carried out to the letter and the new vaults will withstand assault fire bombardment dynamite and flood for the next years if any intruder even gets inside he must face the danger of being drowned shot or captured the new safes are costing and will be the main feature of the new bank of england building now half finished all work has been carried out behind high barricades the outer doors of the safes are described as artillery proof the outer shells are bronze while the cores are solid blocks of 3 inch steel all the strong room system rests on a threefoot three foot bed of concrete reinforced with hardened steel rods and covered with a layer of steel the sides of the vaults and safes are protected in the same way architects are certain that no amount of tunneling would ever permit access from below or from the sides the only feasible access to the safes and vaults will be from above through massive grille gates and steel doors guarded it necessary by machine gunners inside these gates and doors Is a deep shaft with elevators leading down to the level of the vaults in emergencies this shaft can be flooded drowning intruders with no danger of the water penetrating the strong rooms there are more strong gralla at the bottom of the shaft and the huge sate door weighs 25 tons not even the governor of the bank can open the safe door the combination code of the lock Is divided up no one person knowing all of it even inside the safe door there are innumerable steel doors to be opened before a single bar of gold could be removed from the rack on which it lies |