The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-15

work. the bars OF which are made OF
wrought iron and which were riveted to-
gefher with red-hot rivets TO fasten the
iron work Of this vault together, and the
lattice had to be very strong, as the silver
is very heavy. The amount Of silver now
in the vault weighs over 5000 tons, and
you could put these $50, 0O0, 900 on one side
Of the scales and s., 0O0 men weighing each
$50 pounds on the other side, and the sil-
yer would outweigh them. It would
this silver to the sea-coast if Amer
lea should be conquered by England,
and this treasury vault looted. The silver
dollars in this vault would carpet an area
Of more than thirty acres, and If they were
piled one upon another they would make
solid column Of silver more than $50
miles high. A million dollars of silver is
no small quantity, and when you have co.
600, 900 your vault has to be as strong as
stone and iron can make it. And still this
is only a small part of the coin in this
treasury, and there is another vault which
contains IS, OO0, 900 more Of silver dollars
and Is. 0O0, 600 of dollars in gold. In addi-
ton to this there are millions in green
backs, in silver certificates and in bonds,
would indeed possess wealth beyond the
dreams of avarice.
THE TREASURY VAULTS INSECURE.
could be robbed has often been discussed,
and it has been question which has agi-
tated the secret committee rooms Of the
House and Senate during the present ses-
sion. There is no doubt but that many OF
the vaults are far behind the time in their
safety appliances. and there are hundreds
of cracksmen in the country who could
open them. This may not be so of all the
1rxlk h,xS = xusv rI~~~ - -<xS
them. Mr.. Huston became alarmed about
their condition some time ago and he went
to New York, am told, to geta competent
man to examine them. He visited the big
banks, the loan and safe deposit companies
and they all recommended him to go
to the same man. He brought this
man to Washington and he went
he had examined them, he wrote
out his report and then came to Mr.. Hus-
ton and said: Il have prepared my re-
port and you can have it now. The vaults
IN the treasury are not safe, and before
you read the report want to give you a
practical demonstration to this effect. I
will take you into one Of the vaults and
Will leave my workmen on the outside.
The vaults may then be locked and / am
sure that my man can open the doors and
let us out inside of an hour" Mr.. Huston
and the man then went down into the
basement. They picked out vault that
had 100000 III it and this mans
workman, who was an ordinary safe
repairer, had his tools on the outside.
The doors were locked, but l think the
time lock was left off. In twelve minutes
from the time at which the treasury en-
pioyes had locked the doors with locks
that were supposed to be secure this man
had opened them and let Treasurer Hus-
ton and the expert out. He did it without
the use of explosives of any sort and
merely by driving three wedges between
the door and the safe. In company with
this man Treasurer Huston went to the
committees of congress and they prom
lsed to attend to the matter at once. They
did try to attend to it, but squabble came
up between the House and the Senate,
and understand that this vault is in the
same condition that it was before.
TUNNEL UNDER THE TREASURY.
It would, however, be very brave man
who would attempt to rob the treasury. A
tunnel might be dug from somewhere near
the Potomac river, under the treasury
building, but the robbers would have to
drill through a floor of cement and chilled
steel and they would have to have a rail-
road to carry away the silver in order to
make it pay. After they had taken a few
thousand dollars the bags and boxes con-
tanning the remainder would tumble about
with such noise as to apprise the treasury
guards of their action, and as these
guards are on hand day and night. it
would be almost impossible to Get any.
thing to speak of without discovery. There
might be combination with the guards,
and fortune in greenbacks or silver GER
tificates taken; but these are all numbered
and the thieves would be sure to be identi-
fed. There are sixty guards in the treas
ury department, and these are divided into
different watches. They have to salute each
other from time to time, and a whistle
would bring an army of guards to any
part OF the treasury at any moment. Not
long ago, the treasurer attempted to go
down into the vaults to see whether the
men were on duty. He suddenly found a
barrel of cold steel at his head and the
guard who held the other end of the re-
voiver made him stand still and throw up
his hands. He said that he was the treas
urer of the United States, but the very po-
lite Waterman with the revolver said that
might ali be but he did not know the treas
urer and he would have to wait until he
called one of the other guards to identify
him. He then gave whistle. The other
guards rushed up and the treasurer was
released. 1t is by no means a safe thing
for even the treasurer to go around about
the vaults at midnight.
OUR MONEY IN GREEsBAcKs.
It would seem to be an easy thing to get
away with some of the greenbacKs of the
treasury. Still with millions on hand and
no apparent guards to speak of, Uncle
Sam seldom has loss. 1t is almost in
credible that year after year these one
and two thousand dollar clerks go on
handling millions, and still there is no
leaking and no stealing. / visited the
cash vault of the treasury the other day
and saw pile upon pile of greenbacks, all
practically IN charge of one man, and
there was millions of dollars represented
by them. | was shown a half dozen
small packages of bills which could have
been crowded into cigar box, and which
were worth a half million dollars. AS
held them in my hand the amount was so
great and the pile SO small that could
not realize its immensely, and I handed it
back without thinking OF my pockets or
the possibility of my getting it.
was shown single notes that represented
s1o,oOo, and l stopped in the cash room and
talked with the thin-faced young man who
acts as the receiving teller. He told me
that he took in millions of dollars dav
In checks and cash, and that all the money
In the country, IN one shape or another.
came TO him. l spent some time in the
cash vault and took look at the reserve
vault, which has something over million
dollars In greenbacks, and then went on
into the vault where the national hank
securities were kept, and watched a Young
tourist caressingiy handle 81 100000 in
bonds, which the keeper of this vault
showed me. The young man kept the
sheets of securities in his hand lust
as long, as he could, and he