The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-08-29


vaults of the Treasury Departmental Wash
ington. Indeed, a very small amount of
this large silver surplus is actually held
here, for the excellent reason that sufficient
accommodation has not heretofore existed.
The bulk of the silver is stored at New
York, the remainder being distributed
among the larger commercial cities of the
country, only about S., 600, 600 being ac-
tually held at the Treasury Department
at Washington.
5000 TONS OF SILVER.
Few persons, perhaps, have any concep-
ton of the vastness of the silver now held
by the United State in the form of stan
dard silver dollars The fiscal affairs of
the Government have been conducted ON
so magnificent a scale during and since
the war of the rebellion that the public
have come to regard the sum of fifty
millions or one hundred million dollars
as an ordinary matter of Governmental
administration, and we are SO familiar
with the more convenient forms of curren-
cy in our personal affairs that We do not
stop to contemplate the bulk and weight
of this steadily Increasing silver deposit
which finds Judgment III the Treasury.
As previously stated. there is now held
by the Treasury 1876, 900, 600 silver dollar
pieces This is large sum of money in
any form, but it only when reduced to
pounds and tons that an intelligent idea
is obtained as to its bulk and weight.
| When it is known that the weight of the
silver dollars now held by the Govern
ment is 9.73s. 960 pounds and that this
enormous weight is being increased at the
rate of /. 71S. $40 pounds per annum, the
public will better appreciate the folly of
continuing in force the Silver act of Feb
ruary, 1878. The vast quantity of silver
which is troubling Treasury officials to
properly take care of represents over 1863
tons of 1000 pounds each, and if placed in
the ordinary carts used for transporting
coal in large cities, would make process
ion fourteen miles long, assigning one ton
to each cart and allowing Is feet of space
! for the movement of each vehicle. When,
in addition to this, it is stated that the
Treasury is receiving each month seventy
one cart leads of silver discs, and that $50
tons are being annually added to the stock
of silver on hand the bulk and weight. as
we'll as the force and effect of the Silver
act of 1878 will be better understood and
appreciated.
| The above figures do not include the sill
yer bullion and fractional silver coins held
| by the Treasury. OF the latter there is
now on hand s3,000,000, and of the
former "a. 600, 900, the aggregate weight
of which is 1917 tons thus making the to-
tai weight of silver now in the Treasury
60SG tons.
| A VAULT TO HOLD FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS.
In order to provide proper storage for this
constantly accommodating stock ofsilverdol-
lars an additional vault has been canstruc-
ted in the basement of the Treasury Depart
ment building directly underneath the cash
room. This vault is 81 feet inches wide,
SIS feet long and 8 feet inches high. 1t
contains IS, so cubic feet of space, and will
hold sc, 600. 600 silver dollars; which repre-
SCENTS in bulk 1890 tons. The vault is con-
structed with special regard to strength
and safety. The walls, ceiling and fioor are
formedo of walls constructed of three chilled
iron and two steel plates riveted together
each of the iron plates being one-half inch
in thickness and each of the steel plates
five-sixteenths of one inch, TINS making
the metal ease which forms the defences of
the vault over two inches in thickness. The
foundation of the vault rests upon the earth,
and the iron and steel flooring is laid upon
twelve inches of hydraulic cement to guard
against entrance by means of tunnel.
The two doors by which entrance is OBJ
tanned are massive, all known materials
being used in their construction To make
them safe against felonious assault. Each
door is furnished with two locks, and
these locks are so constructed as to work
separately or together. The bolts of each
may be operated on the same or ON diff
ferent combinations, yet should any de
rangement occur Ia one, the door may be
released by the other 1t is also claimed
for these locks that their bolts cannot be
drawn by the use of dynamite or other ex-
plosive. The inner door is supplied also
with time lock of the latest and most
approved workmanship. Between the in
side and outside doors there is vestibuie
five feet in length. and midway across this