Year: 1873

labyrinth OF apartments your correspondent was
within the bright and cleanly room OF the Chief OF
the Division OF Engraving, where Is done all the
fine work which Uncle Sans purse and machinery
dehes outside attempts to initiate At table
facing a large plate glass window the light from
which was soltened 10y white tissue paper, sat Mr.
Casilear and the finest engraver in the Treasury
Department, If not in the United States, carefully
comparing the counterfeit with the genuine. The
messenger announced that the correspondent or


the HERALD had been sent by Superintendent


Macartee to get the result OF the examination, that
all concerned in New York might have the earliest
! information.


| The experts had been at work two hours closely
! scruinizing the counterfeit


Take a seat" said Mr.. Casilear, land see what


you can make out OF the counteriet my eyes are


tired in detec ing the prominent points Of differ


ence."


From previous descriptions it was easy to dis
! tinguish between the counterfeit and genu-


inc note more so because there were only
two the table. The counterfeit mad
been handled, while the genuine had never been
in circulation. The same difference that a printer


would recognize between the sharp, welldeined
lines of leading newspaper, compared with the
issue OF O small country paper, was observable in
the impressions OF the two notes. Apart from the
colorng OF the ink, however, everything was per-
feet to unframed eye. The vignette Of John
Quincy Adams at the right end, and the vgnette OF
the figure OF Justice at the left end Of the note had
all the striking outlines sought for by experienced
handlers of notes. The autopsy, so to speak, was
over The powerful glass used in the examination
was handed me and the notes placed parallel so
that the striking irregularities could be readily
discerned Beginning with the vlgnette OF Justice,
the upright that holds the balance shows
white line running over the palm
a
it is black. The number of toes on the projecting
loot or this vignette in the genuine will apparently
show SIX, while in the counterfeit anatomy
has been more closely followed and only
shows five. The vignette OF John


QUINCY Adams in the right end Of


the note has the most conspicuous imperfections.


which may readily be perceived with the naked


eye The bottom part of the left lapel of the coat


forms an angle in the counterfeit, while in the


genuine 1t is curved line. The right


lapel also shows nick in the genuine and


straight line in the counterfeit. In the


counterfeit the coat OF Adams Is light, OF grayish
tinge, while in the genuine 1t Is dark, and the


shadows more strlkingy defined. The buttons on
the genuine vignette are round, well defined and
deeply shaded, while in the counterfeit they are
angular, and especially on the one which buttons
the coat, which is angular rather than round, and
quite light On the neck of the vignette OF Justice
u
genuine is well defined and can be easily seen,
while the counterfeit is blurred and only half
finished In the rule shade under the last
stroke of the "W." over the letters "a.
S." in Washington there are four lines
on the counterfeit, and only three in the genuine
Under the letters "A, S." in the same word, there
are five lines in the counterfeit and four ruled
lines in the genuine. Under the letter "W " in the
same word there are four lines in the counterfeit
and three in the genuine. AT the bottom of the


letter "F,n In the denomination of "Five Hun
dred," there are Ave ruled in the counterfeit and
| six in the genuine.


When the Treasury experts are compelled to


point out such defects as can only be ascertained
| with good glass, the public can judge Of the ac-
| curacy OF the imitation. The General appearance


of the paper on which the counterfeit is printed


is not equal to the engraving of the note. The
| blue tnge characteristic OF the genuine


legal tender does not appear the surface OF the


counterfeit. The seal, too, in the genuine is i'm


printed In light, delicate vermilliOn while in the
| counterfeit 1t Is a brckdust color. The genuine


note has the tone OF healthy existence, while the
imitation looks as though 1t was recovering


from long spell Of fever and had not bit Of life


color in it. Yet so carefully Is all the lathe work


finished and the contour OF the whole note pres


ented, that 1t Is no wonder the officials pronounce
it most dangerous counterfeit.


Assistant Treasurer Hillhouse will tomorrow be
informed of the result OF the examination and q


corner in five hundred dollar legal tender notes


will not be likely to alarm new York for time
to come.


Frauds in the Medical Examinations
Of Pensioners.


The Commissioner OF Pensions announces he is
| in receipt OF Information showing that examining


surgeons in various localities have been guilty OF


the unprolessional and manestly unfair act !of


issuing circulars to pensioners requesting them to
appear before them for the biennial examination.
| These circulars are couched in language which
| tends to misead pensioners, impresSng them with


the idea that they must appear before that paricu
| lar surgeon or board OF examining surgeons and
| no other for examination Invalid pensioners will
| apply IN all cases to the most convenient eXamin-
ing surgeon which win be the nearest or most


accessible to their homes regardless OF any circular.
Circulars OF this kind issued wholly without


authority and are regarded by the Commissioner


OF Pensions as in every respect unprofessiona and
unwarrantable.


Report of the Board OF inspectors on the
Wawaset Disaster.


| The Official report OF the Wawaset investigation
| has been published to-day by the Secretary OF the
Treasury. The essential points OF the report to-
! gether with the recommendations OF the Board
| have already been covered by the HERALD Wash.
| ington despatch OF Goth ultimo After giving a


resume OF the testimony the report says:-
We are constrained to believe that the fire


ragged with fearful rapldity, and that from the po-
siton OF the passengers they were exposed to im-
mnenJ peril but We do not believe the statement


OF the onicers that they did all that could possibly


have been done under the circumstances to save


tine lives OF the passengers, which opinion is fully


and clearly borne out by the evidence taken in the
case.


In conclusion the inspectors remark in submit
ting the report


We can truthlully say that we have endeavored
| to discharge the responsible duty imposed on us
| with entire impartialty, always Keeping In mind
the principal object OF the law under which the In
| vestigaton was conducted-viz., the preservation
OF human life on steam ve5ses-and we are led TO
| beheve that hereafter steamboat owners VIII


make themselves fully and thoroughly acquainted


with the acts OF Congress relating TO steam vessels


and then yield ready and full compliance thereto
| equippng them with all liie-saving appliances re-
quired by law and in command OF men who know
and who possess the courage TO perform their