The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1905-04-13
How Uncle Sam Guards the Millions
in the United States Treasury.


Despite all tho electrical devi.
ces, warnings, combinations, time /
clocks and other protection sur
rounding the millions of dollars i'll
the big vaults of the United States
Treasury, expert cracksmen and
safe men would have an easy time !
getting to the money but for the |
watchmen that guard the immense |
treasure through the long hours of
the night. Iii the day time the |
watchfulness is exercised by reg
ular clerks of the big financial es-
Enlistment.
The treasury watch force con-
sists of seventy-nine men, includ-
ing two lleutenants. Capt. II. A
Cobaugh, captain of the force, be-
ing eighty. The force is divided
into two reliefs; the day force,
from s u. m. to 4 p. m, is COM
posed of fifteen men besides the
captain. Their duties ure chiefly
as doorkeepers. They are in no
wise responsible for the billion
and more of dollars within the
vaults. At all the doors and ell
frances they are stationed to keep
watch over the hundreds of visitors
and preserve order and to keep out
peddlers, sharpers, swindlers and
ticket sellers. The rules of the
treasury prevent ticket selling and
any form of canvassing or other
molestation that will take up the
time of employees.
At 4 o'clock in the afternoon,
half an hour before the busy
thousands leave their desks for
their homes, another relief comes
on duty and remains until mid
night. This relief consists of
thirty-two men, including one
lieutenant. The midnight relief
consists of exactly the same mum.
Der Of men, headed by lieuten-
ant, while at any hour of the
night Captain Cobaugh is liable
to drop in to ascertain how things
are going, and to receive reports.
Shortly after 4 30 o'clock every
door in the big department. is
closed except the main one, front
ing on Fifteenth street. The
doors are fastened with the inn
mense locks that have been upon
them for so many years, and be-
tween these doors and the outside
10 heavy iron grating that is Sc
curely locked. There is not much
attempt made to fasten the win
dows, as there would be some
difficulty in getting to them be-
sides by climbing over the iron
fences surrounding the treasury
grounds. Such performance
would attract attention on the
streets.
With all the doors closed except
one, doorkeepers are not needed,
and the entire force of each relief,
with the exception of four or five
men on duty near the main door,
is stationed in the north part Of
the building where all the money
vaults are situated. Armed with
the latest pattern 3S-caliber army
pistol and within easy reach of
Krag-J orgensen rifles, the watch
force keeps silent vigil. There is
no chance to go to sleep, as each
man must signal his presence at
his post every fifteen minutes and
the lieutenant on duty keeps u
record of the signals. If man
should go as long as five minutes
beyond the time for turning in his
signal, some of the reserve men
would start at once for his post to
make an investigation. 1t is sell
dom that this occurs.
ELECTRIC ALARM SYSTEM.
Before the several hundred
clerks and responsible officials
connected with the office Of
Treasurer Roberts leave their
posts at 4:30 o'clock, they re-
port to the captain of the watch
that all the vaults-sixteen in
mber-have been securely
locked and that the responsibility
is with him until the next morn
ing at 8 o'clock. The last thing
these employees do is to set the
time locks, which prevent any
human being getting INTO the
vaults until the hour fixed fol
opening next morning, Treas
urer Roberts himself, the man
who is responsible for the mil.
lions of securities and money,
J could not get in. AS a further
protection what is called the
electric protection" is set upon
each door. This is nothing but
a wooden door that is attached tc