IN SAFE DEPOSIT

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LX, Issue 88, 7 November 1939, Page 4

IN SAFE DEPOSIT

1 LONDONERS' VALUABLES SECURE FROM AIR RAID (From The Guardian's London. Correspondent) LONDON, October 7. Whatever happens, Londoners have made sure that their jewellery will not be destroyed in the event of air raids. Many of London's safe deposits are turning away would-be customers because their safes are crammed to capacity. Treble the normal business has been done since the war started. "We have 4,000 customers now. Barring a few of the largest safes we have nothing left," said the manager of a well-knoWn West End Deposit this week. "People are depositing all their valuables—their jewellry and securities. Many are foreigners. Our deposit is 40 feet underground. It is protected by 18-inch steel and has a 7J ton door. When closed it is hermetically sealed, so little harm could come to the articles left in it. People are leaving their jewellry, old masters, important documents and other articles in our bomb-proof vaults," said an offiU cial at a Chancery-lane Safe Deposit. "The value of goods left in our care during the week runs into millions of pounds. However badly London may be bombed, the safe deposits will carry on." Main articles deposited are jewellry. This is because it is easily packed into a small space and the smallest rentable safes will hold it.