Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1889-05-11
UNCLE SANS SPECIE.
How Silver Coin Is Transported from
Philadelphia to Washington.

How Silver Coin Is Transported from
Philadelphia to Washington.
Through the Adams Express Compa-
ny the United States Government en-
gagged in transferring 81, 100000 in spe-
Gle from the $21, $50, 900 in the big vaults
in the post-office building to the United
States Treasury in Washington. One
million dollars worth of the precious
metal nodded into United States coins
is being daily carried out of the post
Office building, loaded on Adams ex-
press cars and shipped to Washington.
The removal of coin is made under the
supervision of Major James Mullane,
assistant cashier of the National Treas
ury. He is accompanied by two as
sistants from Washington. Twenty
laborers from the Philadelphia mint,
under the direction of Superintendent
Fox, complete the working force. The
workers are guarded by secret service
detectives attached to the Treasury
Department, who are unknown to all
but the officials from Washington, and
their chances never wander from the
mountain of silver dollars in the vaults
of the post-office.
The specie is tied up in heavy canvas
bags, each containing $1,000, which
weigh sixty pounds. These bags are
sealed with the Government seal, and
before passing from the vault they are
carefully scrutinized. After being
satisfied as to the correctness in weight
and the perfect state of the bag, the
express company's inspector seals it
with the company's seal. The slight
est imperfection is sufficient cause for
rejection by the express company's
officials. A thousand-dollar bag with
a small hole was recently rejected, and
had to be recounted and verified be-
fore it was allowed to pass the in
spectors.
Fifty bags, each containing 1000 sill
yer dollars, and weighing in the ag-
gregate 5000 pounds, are loaded upon
a carriage or truck. Guarded by two
uniformed officers and the eyes OF the
secret-service detectives, the carriages
are wheeled to the elevator and taken
downstairs and through the passage
way to Chant street. At the rear en-
trance stands heavy wagon of the
Adams Express Company. The con-
tents of the carriage are transferred to
the wagon, and, manned by four detec-
tives, the load is conveyed to the main
Office of the company at Sixteenth and
Market streets. These $4,000 INSTALL
ments are conveyed to the depot until
| the million dollars are stored at the
| depot. Each detective carries two
loaded pistols ready for instant action.
Two pairs of the finest automatic hand
cuffs and blackjack complete his de-
fensive outfit Any attempt to modest
the precious load would invite a volley
of pistol balls from every detective, as
! their orders are to shoot upon the
slightest attempt at robbery.
When the sixty-pound bags of silver
arrive at the main Office they disap-
pear as completely as if the earth had
opened and swallowed them up. The
money is never seen again until its ar
rival in Washington. Each bag of
silver is placed in a heavy oaken keg
bound with iron and sealed with the
Government and express company S
seals. These kegs are loaded upon an
express car built expressly for this
service and lined with wrought-iron.
Each car will carry $1,000, 900 in silver
or $1O,OOO,OOO in gold specie. About
the movement of the car the closest
secrecy is observed. But one person
! knows when it will start on its journey
or to what train it will be attached.
Awaiting his orders is a corps Of
armed detectives.
A few moments before the starting of
the train selected to bear the money
the car is attached. The detectives
are informed, and one detachment is
placed in the car. Other detectives
distributed through the train closely
watch the movements of the passen-
gers. This system of surveillance is
continued until the train reaches
Washington, when the same method of
transfer is employed as occurs at the
sub-treasury vaults in this city.-Phila-
| 1e1nhia Record