The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-10-12

United Suites. but the very polite
"atchman with the revolver said that
might all be. but lie did not know the
treasurer and he would have to wait
until he called one OF the other guards
to identify him. He then save n
whistle. The other guards rushed up
and the treasurer was released 1t is
by no means safe thing for even
the treasurer to go around about the
vaults at midnight.
remember another scare in the
Treasury. IT was n good many years
ago whom Gilnllian had charge OF the
vaults. The trouble WAS as TO the cash
room. where the vault In which the
rendy money is kept refused to open.
Tho vault was set with a time lock
and tho usual hour was $50 a. NJ. On
TINS occasion something seemed TO DO
wrong with the mechanism. rhe steel
doors remained closed Nine o'clock
arrived ana still the money was locked
up. Men came to the tellers window
and there was no money to pay them
Then experts were hurrledly sent for.
Ihey got out their tools and prepared
to open the vault. but before they
could do 40 the door opened OF its
own accord BY accident the lock had
been set for $3.50 instead OF $50 as
usual.
But I am getting away from Uncle
SANS catacombs. | want to tell you
about this I'VE hundred million dollars
in bank notes which Uncle Sam has
ready In case OF panic II Is now
several years since they were stored
away. and when they were made
brano-new vault was mad. for them
This Is nothing like tn: big silver
'aalt which | have described 1t is
more like safety deposit establish
ment. IT Is two-story structure fur
nished with steel racks. The interior
walls arc OF liarreyized steel half an
inch Thick. and outside them are wallx
OF masonry and cement more than two
eeet in thickness. Between tho ma
scnry and the shell Of steel is n mat
Of closely woven steel wires each Of
which iH charged with electricity. so
that IL one OF them should be touched
with IN awl or a bit or dynamite
pump an alarm would 20 off Tn n part
OF tho building nearby where the
"atchmcn are always on guard. Con-
nected with this electrical apparatus
is a buzZcr which goes off every quar-
ter OF an hour inside the vault II
the buzzer does not work IL is known
outside and the Waterman would be
notified.
The door TO this vault weighs a ton
more than the ono which opens the ell
Yer vault. and IL has four com bina-
tons instead OF two. There are two
tons and two others who know tho
other two. SC TO open the vault nj any
| time at least two persons must DO
present Tho door has also n time
lock. ana according 10 schedule II must
not be opened before s;i5 every morn
Ing and must be closed at 5 every
night.
But how about the money in tho
vault. II IL all there can tell you.
and the whole S5o0O00.o 600 can be Is
sued upon n moments notice. When
the bill ma king IL was passed. think
IL was In lsos-it was required. that
the notes be ready for circulation
within thirty days 1t was therefore
rush job. Tho printing had TO be
carefully done. but they started IS
turning out rcmcthinY like s2.0UoOoa
| day. \ "eek later they were TURN
ing out fi,o01.00o a day. and the speed
increased up TO tho time that the ion
was completed. The cost OF making
the s50o,ooo.ooO was 1898 900. and ii
| required i5.00o.oco sheets. FOUR notes
TO the sheet to print the whole issue
Seven million sheets contained three
notes OF $40. and one note. OF 500 each
| and there were 100000 sheets de-
| voted to s. notes. There we're 100000
sheets. which contained notes OF $50
and 800. and altogether they have
made up the $500. 100000.
/! have shown you how our Sill. 000-
| 900 In silver In the big vault weighs
less than 5000 tons. am told that
the whole amount Of this S5Oo.00o.oou
| In paper weighs Just about 100 tons n
| thousand sheets on which the four
| bills are printed Weighing exactly
| II pounds. The value OF the weight is
! OF course. n matter OF the denomina-
! ton. A $4,000 bill weighs no more
| than 81 bill. and the receipt which
Treasurer Burke gave for almost a bill
4 In nd ha1f iu haax
G Copyright. 1913. BY Frank G.
e Carpenter.)