The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-07-24
Fortifying the Treasury

lEtOm the new 1Ork Herald.
About six months ago the Herald an
nounced the fact that the secretary of the
treasury, on representations made to him
by Assistant Treasurer Hillhouse, decided
TO have the sub-treasury on Wall, Nassau
and Pine streets fortified in such manner
as to be impregnable to any force a mob
might bring for the purpose of making a
raid on the governments cash box. The
utter insecurity of the building against a
determined attack by crowd of rioters
was fully demonstrated during the iucip-
lent labor riots in 1877, when the assistant
treasurer was compelled to keep all his
force on duty night and day, armed to the
teeth, besides having a reserve of Calling
guns, Since then the ponderous vaults
for the safe keeping of the money have
been erected, and strong force OF work
men are now engaged 10 making the out
side and inside of the building veritable
fortifcation.
The windows of the basement and first
floor are being protected by steel bar
gratiOgs one and halt inches ia diameter.
Oine feet long at the lower and eleven feet
long at the first floor windows, completely
covering the same from casing to casing.
Each upright bar is pointed at the top;
seventeen uprights are fastened to each of
the basement windows and held 10 place
by four crossbars. Five crossbars hold 10
position twenty-one uprights on each first
floor window. The crossbars measure
three inches and are one inch thick. Fifty.
two windows III the building are thus pro-
tected. Each OF the crossbars weighs 100
pounds, aggregallng $4,000 pounds. and
the uprights average fifteen pounds to the
foot, making a total weight -! over one
hundred thousand pounds OF highly-ten-
pered steel strong enough To- resist any a :
tempt at removal. This grating, when
complete, will not only give protection
from without but allow the windows to
reuaiu open for ventilation An additional
Auarter-iDch steel plate is to be affixed to
the present iron shutters, which are TO be
pierced for rifles. The loophoes are to be
protected by coverings of steel The
rhemen, thus protected by the shutters,
can sweep the streets from the north, west
aud south sides Of the edifce, they being
concealed 10 a bullet proof tortifcation.
Besides the loophool for rifles, arrange.
menls have been perfected for throwing
hand'grenades at mob from the windows
under the caves Of the roof, without ex.
posing the throwers to any danger from
the house-tops opposite.
The architect of the treasury depart
uent, in his drawings of Notifications,
added another novel feature of defence
To repel an attack which might be made
on the treasury building from the roofs
of the assay Office or the adjoining build
ings owned by the government on Pine
street there will be three steel turrets bull
on the roof OF the treasury, 10 which viii
be mounted Calling guns, which will have
clear sweep OF every housetop within
range. The contract for the work has beer
given to Boston firm, aud is being rapid
~ pushed to completion, Its expected t
have the new fertilization finished by th
18th Of September. 1t must be remem
bered that from $l50.000,000 to $500,
100000 are constantly in the vaults Of th