The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-04-05
HALF BILLION IN GOLD
IN UNCLE SANS VAULT
UNUSUAL PRECAUTIONS TAKEN
TO PROTECT sUB.TREAs-
URY IN NEW YORK.

Elaborate precautions have been
taken to protect the subtreasury
building at Wall and Nassau streets
New York, and the hundreds Of mil
lions of dollars in money and bullion
it's vaults contain. Fearing that some
misguided foreign patriot may at
tempt a bomb outrage, the city and
government are cooperating to pro-
tect what is probably the largest store
of currency and specie in any one
place in the world.
More than six months ago the
vaults contained $152,000000 in gold
coin and 1921, 100000 in gold bars.
Since then it is believed that accumu-
lation has been greatly increased by
shipments of gold from Europe. A
large banker in Wall street expressed
the belief a few days ago that the
sub treasury vaults contained not less
than $5OOOO0,00O in gold coin and
bars.
Other Big "War Chests"
AT one time Russia was known to
have had war chest of $400,000,000
in gold and for years there had been
unofficial reports that the great in
demnity mulcted from France by Ger
many in 1871 had been kept intact in
war chest, but so far as officially
reported, the store of gold at Wall
and Nassau streets at this moment
exceeds any other accumulation.
| Between the narrow sidewalk in
Nassau street and the gray granite
SUBJ treasury building is deep area
way only three feet wide, but run
ming from IL to IS feet in depth. This
areaway extends down along the ex-
terror of the gold vaults. 1t has been
suggested that it would be easy for a
person to drop a bomb down into that
chasm and open way to the yellow
contents of the vault.
Flood Of Light.
That has been only one Of the many
apprehensions which caused the I'M
usual precautions. Workmen toiled
until dark Saturday afternoon INSTALL
ing four electric arc lamps along the
Nassau street side of the building. A
little after dark those lights were
turned on and they flooded the hith-
erto dark and deep areaway with
light.
Other lights were placed at the
front of the building, in Wall street;
LAT h. ;n ctr nd oil
the eastern side, facing the assay Of
fice Saturday night and last night the
sub treasury was one of the most
thoroughly lighted buildings in New
York, and while not as gaudy and
colorful as Broadway cabaret res
taurant, the lighting was much more
thorough.
Thoroughly Guarded.
Added to the lights was an increas,
ed force of guards attached to the
treasury department, cooperating will
more policemen than ever before were
assigned to that place, either day o.
night. At each corner of the building
an armed guard not in uniform wal
placed, while another walked up ant
down in Nassau street, another II
Wall street, third in Pine street ant
> another in the lot to the east wher
t the addition to the assay Office is t,
be erected.
In addition to these guards two ex
! ira policemen in uniform were as
signed to that street intersection, on
standing at the corner, while the 9th
J. er patrolled. In cooperating with tn
government the police department ha
arranged code Of signals to summo
e a large body of policemen. always O
reserve IN the old slip station.