Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-07-01
LOCAL NEWS.
hamble Through the Treasury Vaults.

OHcie sam stores his greenbacks, gold, and
other vaiuables, but to the subterranean pas
sages and yaulted rooms under the Treasury
Dullding, where the mach!nists, blacksmiths !,
modei. makers, paper makers, and other en-
pioyees OF the Currency Bureau have their
Wcrk-roons; where the bellows, the forge, the
anvil, tho lathe, and many other means and
appliances OF labor are brought into requisi-
tion daily to AID directly or indirectly in the
manufacture OF the national currency; and
Where eight or nine steam engines are en-.
p,oS cd day and night t9tas hs sssaa sna visitors
to the general public, in passing through the
marble corridors OF the first, second, and third
principal floors, and observing the clerks at
Work Ia their comfortably furnished rooms.
without any sight or sound suggest ng manual
iaoor, and the clash and CHATTER of machinery,
vlsible or audible. will not readily credit the
statement that above and below these quiet
rooms. where the rustling of piece of paper
or the scratching of pen attracts attention,
there are immense manufacturing processes
steaoiIy going on, requiring greater
larger number of hands than most OF the
private establls nments In this country OF large
factories. Yet this is the case. All OF the op.
erations we have mentioned, and more which
are necessary for making the paper and print
ing, cutting, stamping, counting and packing
Treasury notes. U. s. bonds, fractional cur
of Mr.. s. NJ. CLARK. CHIEF OF the Currency Bu-
reau. and his assistant, Mr.. Doughsrty, and
yet so quietly do they conduct their work that
we seldom hear through the newspapers any
thing relating to the BRreau, except when
some correspondent in a dearth OF news sends
off from here sensational dispatch based on
the negligence OF some one of the many en-
ployees who may have mislaid a package Of
unsiEned bonds or notes, with the startling
heading "Another fraud In the Treasury" or
course when the missing package turns up, as
II generally does. (the ninety nine .tone tnou.
sand dollar bonds," recently missed were
found in package of abeer stamps,'') ir is
hardly worth willie to telegraph the news and
spoil the original paragraph, unless there is
scarcity OF Washington items at the time
On Saturday evening last we left the gay
assembaee at the open air concert in the Pres.
changed the beautiful evening light, the green
sward and trees, the glitter OF jewelry and
Elcss ct silk. for dimly lighted hall ia the
basement Of the Treasury; the pleasant sum.
mpr air for the sitting heat Of the furnaces: and
the sweet strains OF the Marine Band for the
.ciinkn and clanking" OF steam engines,
force pumps wheels, cranks, and levers. The
con rast was almost startling. Under the
guidance OF Mr.. John q Larmon, (the recently
elected Alderman from the First Ward who
ing. we visited, in the vaults below the base.
msnt, the blacksmith shop, and the SIX steam
engines on this floor, one Of which is a beauti-
fuI little "cradle engine" quite a curiosity in
its way, {wbat becomes Of all the smoke from
The torges and furnaces here is a wonder >
next he machine shop. where all necessary
repairs 10 machinery are made, and great
deal manufactnred-(a stamping machine,
mach hne for cancelling National bank notes,
&c, were undergoing repairs at the time of our
NlSlti) next the mOdeI rooms: then the power
ful pumps which force the water to the fifth
story for running the heavy printing ma
chinery, &c. and many other objects of inter-
est, OF which we will iorego any attempt ST
description IN this article, our object at present
being only to notice the mill for man factur-
ing paper for fractional currency, envelopes
&c, recently established in connection with
the Currency Bureau.
The paper mill has only been in operation a
few months. and the machinery IS run by Il
handsome horizontal steam engine, somethIn
= - fnan hnrS n1yor h,,f1f hx,N
Gray 81 Moves. of this sitv. The stock used in
.ce IL ranuIac'ure OF the paper here is, one half
carcellPd bank and Treasury notes, mutilated
currency. &c, and ONE half scrap paper, acca-
n niatrd In the Treasury Department and its
bureaus. This stock is first put in a sfeam
chest, containing strong alkali.l on the floor
are put In by three commissioners, each OF
whom has separate lock, so that all three
nust be present when this valuable stock is
placed IN its wrought.iron receptacle To up.
dergo the process of recon rue ction Tue
steam hest is horizontal cylinder, about l6
teet long and feet in diameter Steam is then
let on until the stock is reduced to pulp The
three commissioners open i. when they think
the process is complete, and II, after examina.
ton. any fragment OF note is found. even the
smallest, the process is repeated. When com
plete. the pulp is dropped into vats below the
cylinder, and is At this stage Of the process
thick fibrous mass, very dark In color because
OF the ink. from which it has not yet been
freed. 1t next undergoes a washing process
TO cleanse 1t from ink and such Impurities
d. ueCOiOI lis VI WHICH WOQlQ OeStrOy the
evenness OF the paper, and Is carried by dumb
waiteIs to the upper floor, where in the lime.
bleach yats 1t Is steamed in q solution of lime
LOT some hours, until it is tree from stains and
yeliowness;z after this process the pulp is in
fbrous masses of pure white. 1t next under
goes another washing and beating process. in
large tubs. In which cylinder armed with
KNIVES constantly revOlves, and in which the
wafer is continually renewed Every particle
passes under the knives and through the run.
ming water This removes the last impurities,
ia ,ayrnr Ana
mase, OF equal consisience throughout 1t is
then let of into great vat on the floor below.
twelve teet In diameter. and nine feet high. In
this vat, called the stuff chest, it is mixed with
more pure water, and kept constantly aelta.
ted to insure an eqnal distribution of the paper
material in the liquid mass. The coiorlng
matter is now put In. If yellow en- velope paper
is heing made From the st0f. chest ir is
pumped up into reservoir diluted with a
considerable addition OF water, and fed TO that
wonderful piece OF mechanism, the Fourdri-
risr machine. which receives The milky fluid
at one end, and piles up the finished paper in
sheets at the other. The machines we have
cesses We're made in the Treasury. The Four.
drinier machine. which we propose to give a
| bret description OF now, was built by Mr. j.
l.. Severns. Worcester, Mass. The stuff of the
consistency Of rich milk is first received nto
the screen box, where it spreads Itself over q
frame set with horizontal Stats, close together,
wire seiye, through which it also disappears,
TIE whole rna nacbine being kept in agitation TO
facilitate the process. The stats and sci We
catch any sand, metaiic particles, &c, which
might remain IN the pulp after the oeattngs
AID washipgs, we have already referred to-
From the box beneath tns seivo the stuff faiis
I III q sheet or rather shower OF the proper
width upon an endless belt Of wire gauze, over
which II is distributed of the proper thickness
/ for The quality OF paper TO be made, by q gauge
for the purpose. The wire belt reyoI YES upon
small metal rollers, placed very close together
and continues tore vol We in The same direction
csrrying the paper forward al long as the
machinery Is in motion 1t has not only q
CONSTANT motion for ward, bnt from side to side
thus weaving toe fioroas msterIai into sort OF
. felt. which makes the paper much stronger than
/ By the old cy hinder machine, which had wire
cloth cylinder revolving In the pulp, which
lookup thin coat OF hbrous material on its
{ outside, the water draining through iuto the
/ interior of the drum. Havicg no lateral mo-
I ton the II bre OF tn paper made upon it Iaio
/ all III one direction. To return: The stuff is
kept OF the r'ghttwidt At fret on the wireuslt
/ by strips OF wccl q. eni In paseing along the
water Is precipisatsd from 1t In q 8 srnartshower
Heneafh The mscbtne. ana II coon gets rrfler
h This drying process il hastened by the tnree
suction bax,s, which are OF metal, about six
inches wide. and perforated with small noles
on Top Ihe air being exhausted from these.
I passing over ihen has the water forced from it
intoitbe hoxesf The pressure OF the Amos
phere. Betwe~n tbe first and second suction
boxes owiy Ievoives . hollow cylinder,
called the .oandy r0l."s covered vain inter-
seeing lines tLrmtnE fb0mhoide, in oAcn of
which ts ! q capifsi r The .sdHndy ROTH" prints
this Tor whatev er II = pattern IT bearsj upon
he semi-nOid par er, forming what ID called
the water mark, Any sort OF water mark may