Show THE BANK OF ENGLAND Some of the Distinguished Features of This Famous Institution Insttuton One of the first objects of interest upon entering the building Is the bullion office where all the gold and silver that enters or leaves the bank passes through to be checked On the right is the gold Ion thp left the silver The prominent I feature of the room is the grand balance i bal-ance or scales constructed by the J Messrs Napier This marvelous instru i i 1 ment is a ponderous and peculiarly built weighing machine standing nearly seven feet high and weighing about two tons The whole is under a huge glass case access being gained thereto by a sliding panel The scale is worked by hydraulic power and is the most sensitive sensi-tive weighing machine in existence On each side the scales are fitted with weights amounting to 400 ounces The I gold is made up in 400ounco bars and I the difference of onethousandth part of i an ounce can be detected By a manipn t latlon of the machine so tiny I thing asa as-a postage stamp can be weighed for on the same being placed upon the scale the i index will jump a distance of no less than I six inches It is the only balance of its kind in the world and cost exactly 2000 The silver pcale is not so finely balanced and the two are respectively christened The Lord Chief Justice and i the Lord High Chancellor In another room are several machines I for weighing sovereigns and half sovereigns sove-reigns Each machine consists of a complicated com-plicated system of counter weights and I I is not unlike a sewing machine as to its lower half thE whole being completely I enclosed in glass A long feeder like a tube cut l half down its length and made of brass is set at an angle of forty five degrees and is filled with a long roll of sovereigns These turn as they slip down on to 0 circular movable plate slightly larger than n sovereign I the coin is of the right weight it slips down a metal tube into a till below Should however it prove to be lighter than the standard the delicate machine turns to the lelt and condems it to the guillotine These machines weigh coins at the rate of twentysix per minute and a days weighing at the bank amounts to about 100000 Another interesting feature is to be found in the vaults containing the defunct de-funct paper circulation of the bank Some idea can be gained of the quantity when we say tbat they are over 77000000 in number and that they fill 1400 boxes which i placed side by side would reach two and a half miles I the notes were placed in a pile they would reach a height of five and a half miles or i joined end t end would form a ribbon 1245 miles long Their superficial extent ex-tent is little less than Hyde park their original value was over 1750000000 pounds and their weight exceeds ninety and a half tons Amongst them is a note for 1000000 also the first bank note ever issued one for o and another for 250 left at the bank for eleven years whose accumulated interest raised its value to 60000 The printing of the existing paper currency cur-rency is an interesting process The notes are struck off two at a time on handmade hand-made paper which on being cut gives three rough edges and one smooth one to each piece of papera distinguishing feature of a Bank of England note The paper is manufactured at the banks own mill and the production of it is entrusted entirely to the members of one family The ink used in printing the notes is made from the charred stem of the Ehen ish vine which is believed to produce the richest black of any ink in the world Each strip of paper has to be strictly accounted ac-counted for the whole process being under effective supervision The bank can boast of possessing the wealthiest room in the world in the shane of a vault surrounded from floor to ceiling by iron safes containing rows upon rows of gold coin in bags of 2000 each and pile upon pile of bank notes The amount of specie contained in this room alone is not less than 80000000 Not the least interesting feature in connection i con-nection with the bank is the fact that the I whole system from beginning to end is under police espionage in addition to military protection and the electric arrangements ar-rangements are so complete that communication commu-nication with all parts of the building can be effected at a moments notice Ex |