The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-03

only thus can it be explained that the
electric current lost itself in the ground
| instead Of giving the alarm. 1t is less
remarkable that the sixty-eight night
watehmen did not hear anything. or did
not want to hear anything, for these fine
officials knew only one care, to draw
their salaries on the first of the month.
4" However, it may also be the fact that
their attention was not called to anything
remarkable, for the machines used by
the criminals were perfectly noiseless.
Now, after the treasury vaults have been
! robbed of their entire contents. they are
shown during the usual hours to the pub
lie without any visitor suspeeting any
thing amss.
" The abominable deed was carried out
in the following diabolically refined man.
ner:
:" IT has been prepared for years The
criminals who, as it is believed. acted at
the instance of certain American million
aires and had millions and millions at
their disposal had built an electrical
technical factory I'm the year 1902 on the
left bank of the Potomac. opposite Fiji
teenth street. on which the treasury is
situated. This factory, which showed
the firm name of Smith, Jones e. Co.
seemingly was nothing but a plant for
electrical apparatus and machines. In
truth, 1t was the main purpose of the
whole building. which today is entirely
abandoned, to hide the subterranean tun-
mel which was to be dug from there to
the scene of the burglary.
From this factory a tunnel was dug
almost an English mile long. 30 feet be-
low the river bed, and ending directly
under the treasury in a large caisson.
From here 10 shafts were dug upward,
each ending directly under one of the 10
treasury vaults.
THUS it was possible to cut out the
fundations simultaneously in all the cham
bers and to remove their contents within
short time into the tunnel where the
gold and silver were transferred to cleo
trio cars and in this manner carried to the
factory. From here transportation was
effected by means of fleet of at least
twenty submarine boats to the large ships
waiting in the open sea.
The submarine boats were probably
built i'm Europe for this specific purpose
Evidently they were fitted up in the same
manner as the ships which are used for
the purpose of lifting lost treasures from
the bottom of the sea- Certainly there
were contrvances by means of which
the cargoes of the electric cars were
transmitted very quickly by means Of
compressed air to the submarine boats
whereupon these ships with their cargo
Immediately proceeded with full speed
1T has been positively ascertained that
these ships went through Chesapeake bay
to the ocean, where no fewer than three,
and probably five, large steamers were
lying under steam These vessels took
on board the precious freight as well as
the transport boats with all their crews.
The whole North Atlantic squadron
has been ordered to search for the bur
glars on every route which the criminals
could have taken. All the cruisers in the
Gulf of Mexico, as well as in the Carib-
bean sea. will join in the chase. In addi-
ton to this, the fastest ships stationed in
the Pacific ports have been sent south
with orders to awaith further instructions
in Chilean ports. ;"
Germans who have read this remarkable
story say that without doubt 1t was writ
ten in this country and not in Berlin.