Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-01-15
NATIONS NEW MONEY VAULT.


NATIONS NEW MONEY VAULT.
Holds Millions and Thieves Could
Not Break In.
In the panic Of 1893 there was sud.
den call for bank notes from banks ir
all parts of the country. The demand
beginning in moderate terms. presently
increased to eronmous proportions. II
wiped out the $5,UO0,OOO supply Of bank
notes in the treasury vaults in no time
and still the call continued.
The issue division Of the treasury de-
partment was set to work double time
in the effort to keep up the supply. II
fell behind hopelessly from the first
and at one time there were requests
for some $50, 1000 more than could be
supplied.
Naturally this increased the panic
and aided in bringing about disaster
and the authorities at Washington
came in for severe criticism. Their an.
swer was that the $5,000,00O in bank
notes on hand took up all the space
available for such storage.
Provide more space, then" said the
banking interests; and the government
set about doing so.
The result Of that complication is g
wonderful new vault, just now COM
pleted, which will store s90,000,000 ir
money. With this enormous sum on
hand 1t Is not probable that any de-
mand will be able to exhaust the i'm
mediate resources.
The new vault Is II feet square and
its walls rise to a height Of u feet
The lining Is composed of Bessemel
steel plates three eight,.s of an inch ir
thickness, and these are securely fas-
tened by means of huge screws and
bolts to frame work Of steel, which is
built into the masonry. All the pigeon
holes, nearly $500 in number, are OF
steel and there is not an inch of inflam.
mable material in the furnishings OF
the vault.
This receptacle Of the nations wealth
Is doubtless an object Of deep longing
to some thousands Of gentlemen who
make living by helping themselves tc
other peoples money In ways not sane
toned by the law, but it would be
very remarkable cracksman, or array
of cracksmen. for that matter, who
should get anywhere near the $90.00O.-
600 securely nested in the new vault.
This new vault can be entered only
through the old vault, and its location
is impossible to determine from the
outside Of the building. The govern
ment has even gone so far as to put In
false windows, heavily curtained, to
deceive any one who might try to de-
termine the resting place Of the treas
ure from outside.
Two special guards who have fol
years done sentry duty over the bank
notes, guard the new vault as they
guarded the old. But even If these
guards could be overcome the bank
robber who had reached the entrance
to the vault-which he could never do
by the way-would De able to get nc
further, for the doors are practically
impregnable.
It was not so always. There was q
time when a committee Of investigation
invited a delegation Of bank burglars
to experiment on the doors. The COM
mittee believed that the place was pref
ty secure.
The gentlemen Of the jimmy exam
ined the situation carefully, smiled. did
few minutes work with their tools
and said to the investigating commit
tee: After you. gentlemen" as they
bowed before the opened entrance
Now there are duplicate locks on those
doors, and the whole construction Is sc
compact that nothing but dynamite
would have much effect upon it.
Aside from this passive protection ir
all its various forms, the gigantic
storehouse of wealth opposite the
White house has the benefit Of one OF
the most complete systems Of guards
ever divised. About seventy watchmer
are employed and they work in three
re'iefs, patrolling the entire building
at all hours of the day and night.
In the office of the captain of the
watch are recording instruments tc
which each watchman must send ar
automatic report once every half hour
while on duty. The captains office Is
continually in communication with the
chief Of police of Washington. the
commandant at Fort Meyer and the
commandant of the Washington ar
senal, so that in the event Of emergen-
cy the police or cavalry or artillery
force could instantly be summoned.
Stacked in the various parts of the
building where money Is stored, are
sufficient weapons to arm over a thou
sand men and quantities Of ammuni-
ton. The interior of the building is
also lined with wires to facilitate quick
communication and should any fool
hardy robber attempt to intimidate the
treasurer, assistant treasurer or cash
ier, the official would only have to press
a button under his hand to bring an
armed force to his assistance in less
than 80 seconds.
At o'clock each day all the doors OF
the treasury building are closed, save
those at the main entrance, and by
o'clock every person save the watch
men must have left the building and
the keys to all the various doors been