The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-09
FIFTY MILLIONS OF MONEY.
Where Tons of Silver Are Stored and
Guarded by yigil.snt Oficers.

Guarded by vigilnnt OfRcers.
washington Special.
What to do with the constantly increasing
supply of silver that is being coined at the rate
| Of 100000 standard dollars a month has long
been perplexing problem to the Treasury
officials. The vaults at the different sub treas
uries and minis throughout the country are
| filed to Overlooking and the over-crowded con-
dition of the Treasury precludes the possibility
of any relief at this point, Twelve months ago
it was decided 10 provide fresh accommoda-
tons for this purpose, and the work was inn
mediately begun.
The new silver vault of the Treasury, be-
1ieved to be the largest of the kind in the world,
is located in the sub basement of the Treasury
Department directly under the magnificent mar
BILE cash room, and is of the same grand dimen-
sions. During the warmest days Of the summer
months the temperature of this floor sell
dom rises above forty degrees An at
mosphere of refreshing GOODNESS pervades
the place that is very grateful to one
coming In from the heated Streets where the
sun, blazing hot, sends the mercury dancing up
into the nineties. Shut in by walls of solid
masonry five feet in thickness, the treasures it
will contain are as free from the touch of the
s'enterprising burglar" as if buried in the bottom
feet four inches in length by thirty-one feet
four inches in width, and nine feet one inch in
height Its cubic capacity is Is, $40 feet, and it
will hold, when closely packed, $00.O0O,O00 in
standard silver dollars. and a proportionately,
large amount of fractional silver coin. A mar
row passage way Of four feet in width divides
the fourteen compartments or cells into seven on
each side Each of these compartments will
hold from three to three and half millions Of
silver dollars. Thepartitions Of the compart
ments are composed of substantial iron lattice
work, so securely bound as to resist the pres
sure of the heavy bags Of dollars within. The
general aspect of thejnterior is that of gigan-
tic dungeon divided into iron cells.
The vault is protected by two massive steel
doors Of enormous thickness Of the finest work
manship, and provided with every modern device
against burglarious assaults, whether made by
the Jimmy or dynamite Each door is furn-
ished with two beautiful combination locks of
the latest design. Each door Is locked on a diff
ferent combination, under the charge of separate
officers, so that entrance to the vault can be
gained only by their joint action. In addition,
the outer door has upon it chronometer lock,
provided with device to prevent its being blown
off or run down by dynamite, and an electric at
tachment by which it may DO run down from the
outside in case the movements should break or
stop from any cause. One Of the treasury guard,
of whom there are sixty, sits at the entrance
constantly There is not moment of the TWEEN
ty-four hours that it is left unguarded. In adj
dition to the guard is the regular patrol whose
beat leads him within easy speaking dis
tance Of the vault every five min
utes Over these in turn are
the captain and the two lieutenants of the watch
who relieve each other at intervals Of eight
hours. and whose active vigilance keeps each
member of the force under the strictest sur
veillance.
The government now holds more than $I09, :
O0O, 900 IN silver coin and bullion. OF this
amount $135, $50 900 is in silver dollars. $4O55,
900 In silver bullion and 500 600 900 in fractional
nrs4a 10 forno nj