The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-05
IN THE sUB-TREAsURY VAULTS.
The Many Millions of Gold and Silver that
Are Held In Reserve.

New York Herald.
Come this way and I'll show you how much
cold cash Uncle Sam has got stored here, said
Cashier Floyd, as he led a Herald reporter
through a labyrinth of desks on the first floor of
the Sub-trcasury Building to a heavily-barred
and studded iron door that opened into a pas
sage leading to the gold vaults. AT the other
end of the passage an attendant unfastened a
second door. AS the reporter followed his guide
into a d~imly.lightcd room. about fifteen feet
square, the door was closed behind them and
they were made prisoners with over $40, 900, 900
of gold coin. The four sides OF the vault, from
floor to ceiling, were covered with iron doors
opening into compartments containing the coin.
These boxes that are sealed. " said the cashier.
pointing to Il door whore Il slip of paper was
stuck 10 the lock with red wax, 'are full. They
contain 81, 900, 900 each. Here"-throwing wide
open a door that was standing aiar and reveal
ing Il compartment partially filled with plump
white canvas bags carefully p~acked-'is IA box
we are using from. There are $3.50. 900 in there, ="
lie continued, after elancing at the tags.
How much gold do the bags c%ontainR' the re-
porter, as his eyes rested w~istfully on the out
lines of the coins shown through the canvas.
Five thousand dollars each, always. Silver
is put up in thousand-dollar bags. This lower
tier is the double eagle row. In the second are
stored eagles, and so on to quarter eagles, the
smallest gold coin we have on hand"
How heavy is thisF' asked the reporter, as he
took up a bag.
.Oh. that is easily handled; it weighs only
eighteen pounds. 1t wonld be adiiferent matter
to carry 4 bag of silver. though; they weigh sixty
pounds each. But come and | will take you
down to the silver vaults"
There is still another gold vault on the second
floor Of the building. opposite the one the re
porter had already visited and exactly like it in
the interior arrangement. Tn two vaults to-
gether contained ST., 400, 900.
After descending to the floor below in a slow
ly-moving elevator, and passing by doors with
complicated time locks %clinging to their backs,
"A long passage was reached, with white painted
iron ~gratings on each side. Behind the gratings
were bags of silver. filling every available inch
from floor to ceiling.
You see we have more silver here than there
is accommodations for. so we were Obliged to fill
up this end OF tho passage with it. There are
$50, 900. 600 before you. Twenty five millions are
in standard dollars. The denominations are sepa
rated by those cross gratings."
What does it all weight
''Over |, 900 tons. That would be eighty rail
road carloads, There are 14O tons of gold up
stairs. Allowing a ton to lie a cart-load, 1t would
take l 140 carts to carry away the coin in this
building"
rs not this an unusually large amount to have
on hand?'
TO be sure it is. We are sending away very
little coin now, and taking it in at the rate Of
very popular now, especially in the South and
Southwest. New York merchants seem to be
preiudiced against them. Since March i, 1888.
we have sent ont $33. 600, 900 in certificates. and
we will probably send out $50, 000,O 900 more before
the cotton crop is in"
What is the tota. amount of cash on hand
now2'
'AIlittle over one hundred and forty millions
Of dollars. There are SO, 900. 900 each in gold
and silver certificates and legal-tender notes"
The largest shipment that has recently been
made occurred last spring, when S32, 900, 600 were