Evening star., 1902-01-04
NINETY MILLIONS
Uncle Sam Has That Tidy Sum in
Ready Money,
new TREASURY VAULT COMPLETED
Location Cannot Be Told From
the Outside.
FROM PAPER TO THE BANKS


Written for The Evening Star by waldon Fawcett
In the panic of 1898 there was a sudden
call for bank notes from banks in all parts
of the country. The demand, beginning in
moderate terms, presently increased 10
enormous proportions. 1t wiped out the
S5,o00O0O supply of bank notes in the treas
ury vaults in no time and still the call con-
tinued. The issue division of the Treasury
Department was set to work double tides
in the effort to keep up the supply. 1t fell
behind hopelessly from the first, and at
one time there We're frenzied requests for
some thirty million dollars 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 answer was that
the $5,000O00 in bank notes on hand took up
all the space available for such storage.
Provide more space them said the bank
ing interests, and the government set about
1t.
The result of that complication is a Won
derful new vault. Just now completed,
which will store $90,o00,000 in money. With
this enormous sum on hand IT is not prob
able that any demand will be able to eX
haust the immediate resources. The new
rise to a height of twelve feet. The lining
of Uncle Sans new money chest is COM
posed Of BeSSemer steel plates three-efghths
of an inch in thickness, and these are Sc
curely fastened by means of huge screws
and bolts to a framework Of steel, which
is built into the masonry. All the pigeon
holes, nearly six thousand in number, are
of steel, and there is not an inch of IN
f1ammable material in the furnishings OF
the vault.
Absolute Security.
This receptacle Of the nations wealth is
doubtless an object Of deep longing to some
thousands Of gentlemen who make a living
by helping themselves to other peoples
money In ways not sanctioned by the law,
but it would be very remarkable cracks
nan, or array Of cracksmen, for that mat
ter, who should get anywhere near the
500, 600 900 securely nested in the new vault.
This new vault can be entered only through
the old vault. and it's location is impossible
to determine from the outside of the build
ing. The government has even gone so far
as to put in false windows, heavily cur
tanned, to deceive any one who might try
to determine the resting place Of the treas
ure from the outside. Two special guards
who have for 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 be
able to get no further, for the doors are
practically impregnable. 1t was not so al
ways. There was a time when committee
of investigation invited a delegation Of bank
burglars to experiment on the doors. The
committee believed that the place was
pretty secure. The gentlemen of the Jimmy
examined the situation carefully, smiled,
did a few minutes work with their tools,
and said to the investigating committee,
After you, gentlemen" as they bowed be-
fore the opened entrance. Now there are
locks these doors
whole construction is so compact that
nothing but dynamite would have much ef
feet upon 1t.
Aside from this passive protection in all
It's various forms the gigantic storehouse
of wealth opposite the White House has
the benefit of one Of the most complete sys
TENS of guards ever devised. About seventy
watchmen are employed, and they work in
three reliefs, patrolling the entire building
al all hours Of the day and night. In the
Office of the captain Of the watch are re-
cording instruments. to which each watch
man must send an automatic report once
every half hour while on duty. The cap
tains office Is continually IN communication
with the chief of police of Washington, the
commandant at Fort Myer and the COM
mandant of the Washington arsenal, 50
that in the event of an emergency the
police or a cavalry or artillery force could
instantly be>summoned.
A Regular Armory.
Stacked in the various parts of the build
ing where money is stored are sufficient
weapons to arm over 1000 men, and guam
titles of ammunition. The interior of the
building is also honeycombed with wires to
facilitate quick communication. and should
any foolhardy robber attempt to intimidate
the treasurer, assistant treasurer or cashier
the official would only have to press but
ton under his hand to bring an armed
force to his assistance in less than thirty
seconds. At o'clock each day adj the
doors of the treasury building are closed.
save those at the main entrance and by G
o'clock every person, save the watchmen,
must have left the building and the keys
to all the various doors been delivered to
guards on the inside are a number of out
side watchmen stationed in sheltered posts
or watch houses, SO disposed as to COM
n,and every foot of the exterior of the
building and its approaches.
The transfer of the newly printed cur
rency from the bureau of engraving and
printing to the Treasury Department and
from the national treasure house to the
railroad stations are characterized by
watchfulness equally thorough. Some of
the wagons employed are virtually great
iron safes on wheels. Two guards occupy
the seat with the, driver, two others have
places on top Of the van and a trio of
employees stand upon a broad step at the
rear. All are, of course. fully armed. For
the delivery of express shipments of coin
and currency there are employed wagons
with heavy iron. screens, and these. like
the vans just mentioned, are protected by
armed guards on the inside and outside.
No ATTEMPT has ever been made to hold up
one of these wagons. Nothing less than an
artillery company would have much chance