The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-10
THE PEoPLR,s OoFFE S.
A New and Gigantic Money Vault at
Washington.
From tAe PhNadelphia 3lmes

Washington.
From the Philadelphia Times,
WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 1t would not take
over forty-eight hours to solve the war
problem which is now worrying through
the mazes of diplomacy between the great
monarchieS of England, Germany and Rus
STA and the hermaphrodite republic of
France if any one of those divine right in
stitutons could put their hands on the avail
able cash which is piled and pllinG up in the
Golfers of the peoples government of the
United States. Every suitable place having
been crammed with the accommodations OF
gold and silver coin, the new one hundred
lulllion dollar silver vault under the northern
court of the Treasury Department was
commenced last summer aud is now finished
The surplus in the Treasury now reaches
upwards of $4,000, COO, and the sum Is in
creasing monthly at the rate Of $l0,00O,OO0
to Sl4, 600 600. Unless some relief is promptly
afforded the new vault will not accommo-
date the constant accommodations to the end
of the present year
The one hundred million vault is the
largest construction OF the kind in the
world. As it now appears it looks like a
modern Improvement ON 1he dungeons of
the old InquisitiOn i'll Spain, Italy and
Austria Descending into depths of the
massive foundations of the Treasury about
thirty feet below the surface of the public
thoroughfares outside and crossing dingy,
dlmly-llghted bare apartment, great
square OF steel, standing partly open in a
steel easement, suggests the entrance to the
new vault. This door, about feet high
and 8 feet wide, is inches thick
and weighs 5000 pounds, or two
and one-half net tons To move it
on its tracks into its steel casing
requires the desperate exertions of five men.
A mechanical device is now being con-
structed to lessen the demand for this
amount of muscle in handling tha ponder
Gus portal A lock one foot in diameter,
resembling the highly polished bottom of a
dishpan, and operated through combina-
tion of the most delicate and intricate me
chanical appliances, by means of key
about the size of an ordinary night latch
key, throws the powerful bolts into the
slots in the frame, and time lock holds
them there against anything short of blow
ing up the building by the roots, until the
hour fixed for the morning rounds of the
official custodian of the vaults
Passing through the jaws of this monster
| of human cOntriVance against burglariOuS
| attempts tine chill, damp air and inky dark
ness suggests the strength and isolation OF
| this vast treasure box. Ii is IS feet long, 30
feet wide and II feet high, surrounded by
massive walls of masonry and brick five
| feet thick In the dim light of a candle the
weird lattice work of interlacing bars OF
| steel which form the sixteen cells, each 10
| by 20 feet, may be vaguely seen. Around
| the inner cage leads a narrow corridor.
| where the custodian of the vault may make
| his rounds of inspection. Upon transverse
| central corridor the cells open. Each door
| is fitted with an ingenious device for fasten-
ing, which will not catch until the door is
enlrely shut and the key removed.
Each of these cells will hold six and half
million dollars, or two hundred tons of sill
yer dollars, or a grand total of $500 net
tons, equal to 100, 100000 silver dollars. Ii
the corridors were used for storage this ag-
gregate could be increased to 1928, 000, 900
Some practical idea of the extent of this
treasure may be formed when it is realized
that to transport it would require at least
1900 wagons, which would extend in a
continuous line from the new City Hall of
Philadelphia to NOrristown, or a train of
cars which would extend from the Broad
Street Station to Fitty-second street.
In addition TO this vault is the active cash
vault for the current transactions of the
cash room, which is an enormous chilled
steel box Is inches thick, % feet long, Ii
feet wide and Is feet high, which contains
about S26, 900, 600 of current funds.
Above this vault is the reserve cash vault,
the same size, containing $50, DOC, 900 more OF
cash. In the basement, under the cash
ROOM is the old silver vault constructed in
1884 to contain 100000 silver dollars, but
which, in the plethora of accommodating
treasure, contains $50 900, 900 in 80, 900 can
vas sacks of 81 900 each.
In the redemption division vault are IS,
900, 600 in silver. This vault originally de
signed for undestroyed notes, with its over
burdened weight of silver dollars to prevent
its sides, bloated with standards and al
ready bullying far out of plumb, from Civ
ing way, has been stayed by immense beams
temporarily placed against its yielding
sides
The note vaults are the national bank Sc
curity vault, a steel box about ton feet
square, containing $3.50, 900, 600 of the gov
eminent securities held for circulation of
national banks, and the redemption divis-
ion vault, for United States notes and silver
certificates and another vault for national
bank notes and the surplus.
This vast and almost uncomfortable
amount of cash wealth Is in the custody of
the Treasurer of the United States. The
present individual who fills that close rela-
ton to Uncle Sans money is James w.
Hyatt, of Connecticut. He does not exhibit
a physique which you'd be a match for Sui
livan or Kilrain on the issue of muscles, but
as a clean-cut, quick and courteous official
he is the peer of any man, and for integrity,
which is his fortress of strength he is
worthy Of the confidence of the 6O000,000
of people whose public money is in his care.
His representative in immediate charge of
all this treasure is James F. Meiine, a tai g,
erect, solemn looking, quiet individual, a
long tried and faithful public officer, who
makes his rounds at stated intervals each
day. the first man in the morning and the
last at night, among the vaults aud money
bags of the government. His eyes have
seen more money in actual cash during the
long period of his services than those of any
other man on the face of the globe, and
doubtless than any man who has ever lived
Notwithstanding the enormous quantity
of circulating medium in and out of the
hands of the government there are no less
than 60, 100000 of silver dollars in the Treas
ury upon which no silver certificates have
as yet been issued. 1t should be understood
by the general reader that for every silver
dollar held in the Treasury an equal amount
of silver certificates may be issued for the
convenience of circulation.
ENGLISH TURF STORIES.