The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-05-14
A FORT ON WHEELS.
An Express Car That Is a Perfect
Arsenal
One Train That Is Safe from the At
tncks of Road Agents A
Snfe Carrier of MIL
lions of Dollars.

The best guarded treasure train in
the world is made up of eight express
cars and an arsenal, which is a roll
ing fortress. This train is run as a spc-
cial between Chicago and New York.
over the Michigan Central and New
York Central railroads.
No attempt has ever been made to
modest this train, which pulls out OF
Chicago every night at 9:25, carrying
cargoes of currency, gold, silver and
valuablcs that generally exceed $1,000
OOO in value.
The arsenal car has been feature
of this express train for sin years, and
was build hy the Michigan Central to
the order of the American Express
company. The arsenal" is hooked on
behind the messenger local car. which
is next to the engine of the train. The
crew of the arScHa! iS composed of four
men, who carry strapped tn their Ter
sons siN-shut 4S-c;lihcr rcyolvcrs, and a
belt with 80 extra cartridges.
In addition to these. each guard ear
ricS what is known as a riot gun EciUC
a siN-shot repcatin" gun. dischargin@
cartridges made mp of II buck~h"t-
The car docs not differ materially
from an ordinary express car in ap-
pcarance. but 1t IS of special conatruc-
ton The idea is to carry in this car
a guard for the entire train. The car
is bullet proof. lined with steel plates
half an inch thick. There are doors at
either end of the car There Is ia each
of these a peek. hole" through
which a gun can %, ranged and fired.
On either Sidc~of ia" ear = a steel PRO-
lection a foot wide. and extending from
the level Of The wiHdow-s!II 20 the roof.
At each end at the side of this arrange
mcnt a port hole is provided. 80 tha' "a
rifle may Ic used To sweep the side of
the train, front or rear. or to- shoot from
the side hole in any direction. There is
again within the car homb-prN0l
chamber. to which the guards could re
treat in the event of determined and
organized attack.
This bomb-prOof room extends above
the roof of the car. and in the cupuIH
formed there is room for two men
armed with riot guns, who. through ap-
crturcs made for the purpose. keep "a
constant watch upon the top Of the
train.
On racks built in the bomb-proof car
are six extra riot guns, a small caiss"u
continuing ammunition and a rap5d-fir-
ing IIotchkiss gun. which would. when
brought into action, annihilate a brig
ade of train robbers.
The engineer, fireman, brallcmcn
and conductor az this train and their
crews are men selected for their known
bravery, and they carry heavy rcvolvers
and cart ridge belts.
There is but one manager on the
train. All the cars are sealed except
the local car. which contains two safes
that weigh 5000 pounds each. One OF
these safes can he unlocked only at one
Place between Chirlgo ard New York.
The other. which is called the local. Is
opened at some siN or eight important
cities en- route.
The vaiuables are placed in the safes
at Chicago by an agent, who locks the
safe and then rcmo~cS the combination
dial. At the points where the safe i
to be opened the local agent appears
with a duplicate of the dial, and works
half of the combination. The meSscu-
ger knows the other haIf.-N. y. Jour
nal.