The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-12
TNCTE SANS GOLD TRAIN.
,p7rvAL AT NEW YORK FROM
i40 SAN FRANCISCO.

.,ss the Continent by Special
-, n111 Hours and AZ Minutes.
o.lv one Scare During the Trip, and
NV. Was Caused by a Harmless
r.-,edo Placed on the Track as a
Signal.
EJovt the Nets York Herald.
p-;s,Iino with bayonets and belligerent
--;,b revolvers the great special train from
G1S francisco rolled into the Grand Central
sa,ot Yesterday morning on time to the
~ and within four hours thereafter the
last transfer of the coin Of this realm
ore7 known or attempted was safely and
eroeditiously accomplished.
rive thousand thousand yellow cart
.rbsals-eazles, double eagles aud half eagles
fresh from the eagle factory Twenty
millions in glittsring bullion, $4,000 pounds
- rsigbt Five hundred neat and tasteful
oo,rsts OF maple, pine and white wood,
9TH iron handles and United States registry
-,ork each the receptacle of a comfortable
it..ia nile of $4,000. Five great oars, one
~ them bomb proof, and all guarded by
o,ned men. veterans of the war, and not
afraid to shoot when necessary. Verify, it
was a great train, great sum, a great run,
agrand achievement.
Ia the fertile brain of Secretary Foster
of the treasury department., Is due the con-
cention of this big bullion train. To the
galway mail service is due the credit of
carving to a successful completion Mr..
Fos,er's idea. So far as the treasury de-
nsrtment is concerned it was a deadhead
rim. for the letters came back franked, like
ali the treasury mail. The pos office de-
partment paid the freight. 1t was its brave
division superintendents and postal clerks
who took their lives in their hands and kept
sleepless watch and ward against the de-
moniac train robber, who missed the oppor-
tanity Of his life. and who with few hand
fuls of dynamite might have sent these
courageous men to destruction.
STEADILY DIM NIsHINa.
1t is generally known that Uncle Sam Of
late has been spending his golden sinners at
a tremendous rate-so fast, indeed, that his
big trousers pocket in Wall street began to
Gel exceedingly fiat and hatulent. From
that great flood-time in the era Of Grover
Cleveland when the sub-treasury vaults
fairly groaned with deposit of 1925, 0OO,-
900 in gold and with 1928, 900, 900 all told,
down 10 the present, when it only had q
beggarly S42, 695, 900 in gold wish which to
meet the possible demand from cousins over
the way, the pile in the Wall street pocket
has steadily diminished
Now, see here" said Urcle Sam, ''this
won't do at all. I'll have to transfer q few
coins from my southwest pocket to my
northwest pocket, 80 as to be prepared for
sudden calls. 1t won't do to be caught nap
ping
But how was such huge sum to be got
safely across the continent? Secretary
Foster was puzzled.
At first he thought of sending secretly
$1,000, 900 per day for twenty days, as
money is usually sent. This would have
been all right if he could have kept the
secret, but he couldn't. The newspapers
got hold of it and then Mr.. Secretary said,
why not send it all in bunch and have a
grand hurrah about iii"
1t was In consequence Of this bright idea
that division superintendents aud trusted
postal clerks at forty different points re-
ceved q laeonic dispatch from the de-
partment to report for duty in San Fran
cisco on a certain date prepared for three
weeks service. No hint as to the nature
OF that service was given. No whisper of
the train crept out, for it was known shat
between ths Rocky mountains and the
great lakes were hundreds or desperate men
who would risk everything for a chance
to divide such treasure trove as this.
CAPT. WHITE IN CHARGE.
Capt. James E. White of Washington,
superintendent Of the railway mail service,
was one Of the very few in the secret. 1t
was he who chose the men to accompany
the train aud who arranged all the partlcu-
lars for the great run. He selected for bis
lieutenants four old soldiers, each Of whom
was put in charge of a treasure car and
given nine men to guard 1t. He himself,
with Supt. L. L. Gray Of Chicago as his ad-
Jutant, took command of the first car, a
private car of the Chicago, Burlington aud
Quincy railroad. The observation platform
was turned toward the engine, and for 3 200
miles there was not an instant, day or
night, when armed men did not have their
eyes on the engineer ready TO come to his
rescue with rifles in case an attempt was
made to hold up the train.
The second, third and fourth cars were
modern mail cars, respectively in charge Of
Norman Perkins OF st. Paul, Minn., super
intendent OF the tenth division; George W.
Pepper, Jr., Of Cleveland, O., and r. W.
Vail of Portland, Ore.
The tail car, which was also looked upon
as particularly ticklish one, was placed in
charge OF Maj. Samuel Flint OF the old
eansy IVsnla Volunteers, now superintend-
cut Of the eighth division, with head
quarters in San Francisco. This car was a
regular irouclad on wheels. It was lined
win boiler iron, and its double doors were
stout enough to resist safe burglar. The
windows were heavily barred.
1T WOULD DISCOURAGE ROBBERS.
It was bullet proof. certainly and claimed
%ee bomb proof. 1t was built especially
tU -Arrytng bullion over the Union and
central Pacific railways, and It was war
'anted to give train robbers the headache
=, ms was the sort OF train which was des-
1lued to bear the body Of King Mammon
eE.oSs the mountains and plains, and the
-I'y-ohe men who went to make up its COM
P'eleht OF passengers were all armed to the
S se'a ana sworn to protect the property uu-
Ne' thelr charge with life and limb.
NO GRUMBLERs.
All OF these brave fellows were used TO
Iolgnlng 1t on the railroads, and they did
nG' ohnk when they discovered the big job
SSlcA had been cut out for them. Not even
butgr van, who had left sick wife and
G JoDe' behind him in Portland and had come
ooNn IN his winter clothes and overcoat
eeApeGtng anything but trip to Ninety
1iA'HIe IN the shade, INDUCED in q grum-
NE; All bent cheerfully to the task.
from su5-treasury to. sub-treasury. This
H 4, me contract Of the postal depart ment.
Iue gold bad been shoveled into bags.
STT3,oN to bag. aud eight bags TO box.
~, GI ScreWS fastened u cover on each box
a'Vu, with Its contents, weighed 160pounds
H'u chunk Of prosperity which one
90 0 Nv not care to run with far. Over two
=. sueee screws, on each cover, were placed
49, ~ ulsks OF sealing wax bearing the seal of
'uo-EreasurY at SaE Francisco, while,
1S. SURF Oh name plate to the casket, was