The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-12
A BIG TREASURY VAULT.
Where Uncle Sam Will Hereafter Keep His
Surplus Dollars.
Washington Star.


A Star reporter, with a taste for burglary. OBJ
tanned the other day from Supervising Architect
Freret piece of paper giving him permission
10 inspect the new vault. and was placed III the
chief draughtsman of this bureau, who has
practically had the entire supervision of the
work of the construction of the vault. After
Dir. Miller had cautiously donned his overcoat
and overshoes the pair went downstairs into
the basement and passed into the northeast cor
ridor. where crowds of clerks were grouped
around little holes in the wall buying pies and
beans and sandwiches for lunch. A short flight
of winding steps led down into the sub-base-
ment, where the chill of the outside blizzard
was intensified by dampness that soon made
the two visitors turn up their collars and shiver
A couple more tn rms brought them to a very or
binary wooden door, near which number OF
men were sitting in front of a great safe. This
is one of the smaller repositories and contains
only few Millions" the reporter was told. One
of these men brought the only candle the place
afforded, bit of tallow an inch long and the
three went through the door, which was then
carefully closed, into a perfectly dark apart
ment. where the air, though very cold, was. in
contrast to that outside. being perfectly dry.
On the right rose the foundation wall of the
building, gray granite. and on the other was the
new brick wall of the vault. The man with the
bit of light went ahead and disclosed the door
which is to guard the millions.
1t is of iron, six inches in thickness and weighs
five thousand pounds. 1t slides into the wall on
the right, clearing half of the passageway. and
requires the aid of five men to move it without
the aid of the mechanical device which it is pro-
posed to put in place. The lock is circular
brass plate. about foot in diameter, set an
inch or so into the face of the door. The bolts
are on the left hand or east end of the floor,
and fit into slots in massive iron plate. and
when once shot cannot be turned back without
the use of a small key that fits into very ordl-
nary looking key-hole on the upper rim of the
plate This lock is said to be of the best in
use for strength and reliability.
Once inside the door the vault looks very
much like jail room. except that on this ocea-
sion it was impossible to see half a dozen feet
away, owing to the feeble light of the candle.
The walls are hollow, and are now entirely dry.
1t is intended to run steam-pipes through from
the main building, and to place incandescent
lamps around the room SO that it will be per-
fectly comfortable. The money is to be stored
in sixteen cells rooms arranged in two rows
of eight each, separated by passageway about
four feet wide, with door from each room
opening into it. The partitions are made of iron
lattice work. of strips about quarter of
inch thick. At the corners of each room is an
iron column formed by riveting together four
pieces of iron shaped like a letter l. and about
fifteen feet long These bear the entire weight
of the arches and directly support series of
iron cross-beams or Orders fifteen inches thick.
Not long ago a rumor found its way into circu-
lation that the weight of the roof had bulged
the lattice.work. thus indicating early col
lapse of this storehouse for the governments
treasure; but as matter of fact the lattice does
not quite reach the roof, and the ''bulging" was
the result of the work of riveting. which took
place after the strips were in position.
Mr. Miller thinks that the columns are capable
of bearing a weight eight times greater than
that which now exists. The. dimensions of the
vault. outside measurement are 60. 10 feet by
97.S This gives surface area of 5, 87778 square
feet According to the nearest calculations the
weight to be supported is about 15G pounds
to the square foot, and thus there is total
weight of 88l 667 pounds.
Each room is 20 feet by 10. and about Is feet
high. The silver dollars will be stored in boxes
and in such way that in the end of the room
furthest from the door they will be piled high,
and grading down to the entrance 1t is
pected that each room will cont ain g. DOC. 900 if
piled close to the top of the arches This will
make the total accommodations of the vaults
equal to 128 00O, 900. The doors of these rooms
are fitted with locks so contrived that the watch
Ran cannot take tie key out until the door has
been securely locked, in this way preventing the
door being left ajar. a three-foot passage runs
around the vault, outside the rooms, with
with them except in the front
through heavy pair or double doors.