The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1898-10-13
GUARDING THE MINT.
HOW THE PHILADELPHIA lNsTITU-
TON IS PROTECTED.

Quickly by Helping Himself to Uncle
Sans Treasure-PatrOls. Revolvers and
Wiucheaeers In Plenty.
Probably not one person out of hun
dred who pass by the Philadelphia mint
that grim looking edifice at Chestnut
and Juniper streets. after nightfall real
ICES what is going on inside. There is
nothing mean about Uncle Sam, but he
is determined that any one who gets
his money shall get it honestly and by
process duly laid down. Therefore he
has taken all kinds of precautions to
properly protect, especially at night,
the millions upon millions piled up in
the vaults.
The doors Of the mint are closed ev-
cry weekday promptly at 4 o'clock in
the afternoon After that hour no one
but mint employees have any business
within the walls which inclose so much
money, and no one can either stay in
or get in without special permit from
the superintendent. Needless to say.
this is difficult to obtain.
Simultaneously with the closing of
the night guard goes on duty The shift
is composed of the captain of the guard
and II stalwart men. AS the men file
out to begin their round each one is
handed big Colts revolver of the most
approved pattern and loaded with big
cartridges.
From then on till midnight seven of
the ii guards patrol without cessation
every floor of the inside Of the mint, from
the corridors of the gloomy vaults
where, away down in the earth, are
slowed eighty odd million dollars in
silver and almost as much gold, to the
top floor, where there is nothing more
valuable than machinery. Placed at fire.
quent intervals throughout the corridors
are electrical devices for enabling the
captain Of the guard to keep tabs on mis-
men. Each of these little machines COM
municates with the rotunda opposite
the Chestnut street entrance to the
mint Here it is that the captain is sta
toned all through the long hours of
his shift. Every two minutes and
half the central machine in the rotunda
denotes the presence of some one Of the
guard at some particular station in the
building IL it doesn't, then the cap
tain knows that something is wrong.
and he Immediately proceeds to discov
or what it is.
But it has been a long time since the
little machine failed to send forth its
announcement at the proper time, for
the mint guards are patrolling up and
down outside the big building, careful
ly watching that no suspicious charac-
ters approach too near the vast treasure
left in their care.
Promptly at midnight the second
shift of the night guard puts in an ap.
pearance to relieve the early shift. 1t
is also composed of a captain and l
men, and they are split up, as the other
squad, into inside and outside details
From midnight on until o'clock in
the morning they follow in the foot
steps of the first shift, with every fac
ulty alert to catch an intruder
The big revolvers are not the only
weapons upon which the guards have
TO rely. On each side of the main cor
ridor leading from the Chestnut street
entrance stands walnut case. Through
the polished glass front of one frown
90 Winchester rifles The other CON
tains as many ugly looking carbines.
To grab these dispensers Of death would
be but the work of an instant for the
guards, and then woe be unto any man
or men upon whom it might be found
necessary to turn them
For the revolvers there is kept con-
stantly on hand in the mint 500 rounds
a sAs i E.. -, a 4
oarbines 1850 rounds. Each of the
guards is an expert in the use of both
the pistol and the gun, and each is en-
dowed with a plentiful stock of cour-
age; hence a combination capable of
successfully resisting almost anything
less than a regiment.
The superintendent and assistant Gus
todian both talked to the reporter about
the methods in use to protect the mint
and it's contents. Both smiled signifi-
cantly when the possibility of one get
ting away with portion of the vast
treasure was suggested
ut would be folly for any one to try
it, was the superintendent only com
ment. To it the assistant custodian nod
ded emphatic assent
II have been here for good many
years. the latter said, land no such
attempt has ever been made. 1t is prac-
tically impossible for any one to break
into the mint from the outside, and no
one could secrete himself in the huild-
ing during the hours when tits open to
visitors and hope to avoid discovery
We search every nook and corner of the
structure carefully as soon as the doors
are closed for the day, and you may
rest assured if any one who had no
business within these walls was found
he would regret the day he was born. =
In addition to the two shifts Of night
guards, the superintendent and assistant
custodian have a habit of dropping in
at the mint at odd hours of the night to
see that everything is going on all tight
The mint is connected with the cen
trail telephone station, and should there
be trouble the captain of the guard
could communicate with police head
quarters in brief space of time.
IF you come across anybody who
thinks he can get rich quickly by help
ing himself to our coin, = remarked the
superintendent in parting ''just advise
him to think it over carefully first. y
In compliance with the superintend-
ents suggestion the advice is hereby
given.
And it is pretty good advice to follow
too.-Philadelphia INQUIRER
The Screw of Archimedes.
Archimedes of Syracuse, when he was
in Egypt, invented "a machine for pump.
ing bilge water out of the holds of ships
This instrument was also used in the
delta for purposes of irrigation Diodo-
rus Siculus twice refers to it H., "a. .
", 81, 81. A curious model of such an
instrument, probably of the late Ftolo-