Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1867-04-06

NAI'lt 10y on tei IN iNN NN'n
rosrt7 o. mo eli.grtaWy IN
Rev Yck
Irrp u.r 'vN.r Guuiel
Tho ynu'ts or tie United Slu'cs
Sub Treasury arc said 10 exceed IN
strength those of the bank uf Fang.
land The strong aud thoroughly
fire ard luranrp proof manner in
which they hayc been constructed
rNcilrs tho admiration orull behold.
crs. Thcrpurc two Of these immense
vaults, ono at each corner Of the
Pine street end olthc rotunla. The
rooms nro perhaps twenty feet long
by fifteen feet wide, and ten or
twelve feet high. They contain no
window there is but one door opm.
ing into each, and gaslighls are kept
burning inside. The internal APP
ucuraucc OF those vaults has strik-
ing resemblance 10 n fashionable
tomb in Greenwood cemetery, row
ufca7cs being arranged around the
sides OF the room, each about two
feet square, with iron doors attached,
There is one door for each case,
and when Tho apartment has been
filed with bags of gold or Handles
Of grccnbacl:s the doors aye closed.
Each case will contain half II mil
Hen OF dollars, put in bags of five
thousand dollars eH.cn. when the
ease is thus filled tho door is closed,
and Il seal is affixed in the presence
Of the naval officer and the survey
or of the port. IL takes one hun
drod bags 10 hold halfa million Of
dollars. In the first vault entered
there scycntY-two compartments
arranged around the room, which
formed tier somewhat higher than
II mans bead.
Running OYER the top Of these
,vgs II balcony with an iron railing
in front rhcrc was piled up in this
balcony in one heap, 100000 in
s. and SO bills; 100000 in inter
nalrcvcnuo stamps $4,000 in frac-
tional currency, put up in large
paper boxes, and $500, 900 in Uni
ted States bonds.
The door of this vault rests on
thirty feet Of solid masonry, from
tho ground up; on the top Of this
granite there arc two feet of
wrought iron, and between the iron
plates a space flied up with bullets.
fla rogue should succeed in bor-
ing through inc granite ana IRON,
the moment ms drill touched Dui-
Let that would commence 10 re"ciYe,
ana by the time nc haa penetrated
1t, smother ball would soon find he
lad an endless Job before him, and
tho attempt to get into the vault
would have to be abandoned.
The sides and top Of the room are
composed Of eight feet of granite
and two Of iron, arranged in the
same manner as for the floor. This
safe, as it is called, was invented by
llr. George Il. jackson, ofthe Excel
tIor Iron Works. MI Rogers once
remarked that II the people at the
treasury building should happen to
get locked out OF the safe, 1T would
take him a moAth to break into 1t
A night watch is kept to look
atter these strong boxes, but they
are considered perfectly safe with
out him,
There are four doors to be open
cd, one after the other, before we
can enter the safe. Each one Of
these doors Weighs two tons, and
contains two locks Of different pat
crns. A lever is so arranged that
after the doors are closed four large
iron bolts are thrown across the
doorway. resting in sockets,
which have been made in a pillar Of
wrought iron. fla thief should sue
coed in cutting the hinges of one of
the doors, usually considered to be
the most vulnerable point, the door
would not drop down from its place,
and nothing would be gained. But, |
like the deaeoHs celebrated one
horse shay, these do us are made as
strong in ono part rs in another,
and the hinges show no signs off
weakness. 1t will take a fearful
earthoualie to shake tlom down.
No GOOD idea can DO given TO the
reader of the locks and their opera
tons, but Il few general remarks
may be of interest The first door
has one Of Dodd's Eureka locks;
there is a licy-holc for this. and the
outside combination wheel is divid-
ed into the letters of the alphabet.
the nine units and fractions CT fie-
ures. The combinations which
NAV be made by this arrangement
are endless and no one can open
the lock, showing back the bolts,
unless he knows The words figures
and f,.octions Which have hcen rsed