The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1881-08-06


Of the other Government buildings, but IL
came 10 stay. Located In different parts Of
the structure are various vaults Of such mas.
sive construction that they may safely be
said TO defy all attacks of those who would
break through and steal. The FIVE princi-
pal vaults are connected with the Treasur-
er's office, for the contents OF which he is re-
sponsible. They are known as the cash
vault, the reserve vault, the silver vault, the
redemption vault, and the National bank
vault. The cash vault is used more than all
the others combined in the daily transaction
of business, and presents more interesting
features II is constructed on the most ap-
proved modern principles, and Is, strictly
speaking, an iron-bound apartment lined
with gold and silver. The walls, floor and
ceiling are Of chilled iron, built in sections.
These walls are over foot thick, the space
between the inner and outer plates of iron
being filled with heavy iron balls, forming
compact mass the removal Of (which would
require much time, skill and labor. The
operation Of removal would also be attended
with much noise and danger TO the work.
men. There is only one entrance 10 the
vault: through an iron door, which is only
reached by passing through the cashiers
room, then through high iron railing al
ways kept locked, and afterwards through
the cash room with another iron railing.
After the outer door of the vault is passed
and secured by two combination locks on
each door. In addition TO this the outer
door has "time" lock, whichs preclude all
possibility of access until the hour set for
opening has arrived. Upon an examination
o: all these guards and surroundings one
must conclude that It is indeed easier for a
camel to 60 through the eye of needle than
for a wayfaring man to break in here and
steal from his Uncle Samuel.
Yet with all this the Government does
not rely upon mechanical appliances entire
ly for the safety of it's ready cash. There
are sixty watchmen provided by law for the
Treasury building, at a salary Of $720 per
apnum each. They are uniformed in blue
suits and have powers of arrest in case Of
necessity. The force is divided into three
reliefs, serving eight hours each, SO that
there are watchmen on duty every hour Of
the twenty four, all iullY armed and pre-
pared for any emergency. These men are
supposed to patrol the halls and each salute
his neighbor every half hour. At night the
corridors are lighted, not brightly, but suf.
ficienlIy TO enable the watcbmen to see each
other or to distinguish strange presence.
Many amusing stories are told of how the
watchmen get caught sleeping at their posts.
Not long ago one was taken in the midst Of
his direliction in this respect. He was a
German and slept rather loud. His snoring
could be heard a long distance in the silent
echoing halls, but he was always wide
awake when any one approached. 1t was
known he slept, but the trouble was to catch
him at it. Finally one of the lieutenants
laid in wait and removing his shoes, crept
up and caught him by the nose just as his
nap had begun. But the alert watchman
took in the situation at at once and forestall-
ed his superior by the tantalizing remark /:
"Well, thought l could fool you" The
man escaped this time, but was finally
caught and dismissed. He took his discharge
very good naturedly and argued that sleep
which cost him sixty dollars was very ex-
pensive and much above the regular hotel
rates.
There has never been raid upt n the
Treasury, except by the office seekers and
official rings, but the authorities were lit
here in 1877, when the notorious Cohen and
his gang were parading the streets, armed
and vocferating against everything that
represented money. The clerks in the diff
ferent Offices were armed with large revol-
vers and formed into squads, with the chiei
of each Bureau as the commanding officer
This army of clerks was 10 act in concert
with the force of watchmen who were urged
TO extra vigilance and precaution. The ar
rapgement was that If the mob should at
tack the building at night, certain sigma
would be struck on the fire alarm bells, up
on hearing which the squads Of clerks were
to assemble under arms in Lafayette Square
and march to the assistance Of the force OIL
the inside. There were five hundred Gov
ernment pistols distributed among the clerks
SO it will be seen that the authorities wer,
really alarmed. The uprising did mol
amont 10 much, however, and was soon sup
pressed by the local authorities. One or twt
battles with the police tuok all the courag
and desperation out of the mob. The Trea
sury remained unmolested, and the valian
department clerks did not have an oppor
tunity of distinguishing themselves on th
field of battle.
This romance will be CONTINUED in ou
next" The remaining chapters will com
prise the most interesting portion as the
will pertain to that which is inside the yaul
that over which all these safeguards ar
set.
On Spring Hill, Allegheny, on Sunday
Louis Meyer tried to shoot a dog and, sliI
I ping, shot himselfin the arm. One Of h
q brothers tried 10 take the revolver from hiI