The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-12
MORE STRONG BOXES NEEDED.
Present Treasury Vaults Not Sufficient
for Uncle Sans Gold.

WASHINGTON, Nov. u-Uncle Sans
treasure boxes are undergoing some impor-
tant alterations. They are not at all up-to-
date in the mode of their construction nor
burglar proof by any means. and it might
be a good thing If they were torn out alto
gether, and replaced with vaults of the
proper kind, such as safe-deposlt CON-
panies have nowadays. But that would
cost a great deal of money-perhaps as
much as s1.0OO0O0-and the governments
would prefer to avoid such an expenditure.
Away back IN 1892 this question was agl-
tated and Congress went so far as to APP
point special committee. with an appro-
priation of 5000, to make an examination
of the vaults in the treasury and report
on their condition. The report was decid-
eddy unfavorable, condemning the arrange
ments as practically obsolete, but nothing
was attempted in the way of substantial
improvements. 1t was in the same year
that an expert came on from New York.
and, at the request of the treasurer, with
only a few ordinary tools of the kind used
In safe repairing, opened one of the big
strongrooms In few minutes.
Seventy-five thousand dollars have been
appropriated for the present alterations,
which consist in part of a new vestibule
and strong doors for the great silver stor-
age vault. This vault cost $4,000 origin.
ally, and extends under the terrace at the
south end of the treasury building 1t
contains a mighty box of steel lattice
work, eighty-nine feet long, fifty-one feet
wide and twelve feet high, filed chock
full of silver dollars. Visitors are per-
mitted to walk around the mass of treas
ure, following narrow passage which
runs between the sides of the box and the
steel walls CT the vault.
This lattice-work receptacle holds sl0l,-
OOO 900 in silver, which is packed in wood
en- boxes, two bags of standard dollars 10
a box, and each box weighing 40 pounds.
Formerly the coin was simply stacked up
in bags, but. notwithstanding the walls of
steel, dampness rotted the bags and the
money ran out of them. This made extra
trouble, requiring fresh counts, and it is
no small job to reckon over such gigantic
sum in metal. Hence it was decided to
pack the stuff in boxes. Each sack contains
81 900, and, so long as the treasurer's seal
on it is intact, its contents do not have TO
be verified on occasions when recounts are
made.
The bond vault is TO be enlarged greatly,
doubling it's capacity-a change made nee
essary by the increasing number of nation
al banks which deposit bonds i'm the treas
ury. Many private and State banks, taking
advantage of the recent act of Congress.
are coming in as national banks. A new
and thoroughly modern strong room is to
be built for the registers office. to hold can
celed paper money that is awaiting destruc-
ton i'm the macerator. Meanwhile, the sub
treasury i'm New York Is putting in two
additional vaults, one for gold and the 9TH
er for silver, the latter measuring forty
seven feet in length by twepty-eight feet
I'm width and twelve feet In height. Gold
and silver is pouring in there by tons daily,
and there is no place to put all of it. At
the present time that sub-treasury has on
hand $40. 900 in gold coin and $3.50 900 in
silver coin.
There are now 152.000.000 silver dollars in
the treasury at Washington, but only So
0sO,0OO in gold coin. The treasury never
keeps much gold on hand here. the great
stock of the yellow metal being held in
New York and at the mint in PHILADELPHIA.
II one wants to see crude gold in masses
he should visit the mint in the Quaker City.
where ne will find Ii stacked up in heaps
OF bricks-tons on tons OF it-all ready for
conversion into coin. At the present mo-
ment there is s5S,Ooo.oOo worth OF gold bull
lion at this mint with SS7.O0000O i'm gold
coin-not TO mention s15O,oo00oo in silver
bullion and coin.
notwithstanding the fact that the treas
ury vaults compare SO poorly with the i'm
t,ie nrfvate Sfeet-rlad strt,et,ra. ,,<,xx-
used By great private concerns that have