New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-01-18
MORE ABOUT FIRE-pRooF SAFES.

To the Editor Of The " Y Tri6aae
SIR: among the notices OF new inventions in a late
number of THE TRIBUNE, you have described my
Alum Patent Improvement in Fire-Proof Safes. adj
mire the zeal and fidelity with which your Journal con-
tnues to examine and report on this class OF subjects
Mr. Gwyme who now claims to have preceded all
others in the invention of "Waterholding' compost
tions for Fre-Proof Safes, is unfortunate in almost
every point His accurate knowledge of chemistry, be
says led him to discover the necessity Of such mate
rial in ls49. Now, January TO- si3 an Englishman,
Samuel Woods, jun., read before the Liverpool Poly
tecbnc Society paper gu the SUBJECT OF safes, IN
which this property was distinctly recognized az the
chief desirable feature As early as June 1896, Jamee
Mathews patented IN our country Sae-nllng con-
tanning alum; and have now before me copy Oh q
rejected application for the OF alum alone made
by another party early in ls4s, the reason assigned
for the rejection being it, prior use by Mathews Mr.
Gwynne II welcome to this information, and WILL per-
haps abandon in consequence his intended litigation.
am not the dscoverer Of the application OF crys-
tallne salts to the manufacture of Safes but COM
bine with those salts material which overcomes Gil
their former practical difficulties enabling me TO sup
ply an almost unlimited quantity of water and yet TO
produce safe solid when heated never losing degree
of it's re-proof quality and entirely free from rst and
dampness. "Safe-fllng,' If fluid when heated,
will escape through any eight fracture, and any solid
brick Safe, as recommended near the close Of Mr..
GYynnes letter, il very liable to crack in falling when
exposed in burning building. The carbonate Of soda
4 al soda) proposed material by Mr.. g., s better
entt tied TO attention. it contains tnHe more water
than alum but have rejected il account OF it, r
remediable fuidty and the low temperature at which
il fuses, which would make il liable to melt and avap-
crate in standing stove. Suiphate Of soda
gauber sats contains still more water, but both ma.
teras may be melted like fat in the palm of the hand,
by simply presenting the hand to the fire.
The points required in the freproof filling OF Safe
may be enumerated as follows
FIRST. II must be a good n0n-conductor Of heat.
This is attained by nearly all earthly materials.
Second 1t must hold large quantity Of water 10
vaporize when attacked by fire.
Third II must be Interchangeable until than
ordinary degree of heat lie applied. Ia this consists
the chief merit Of the Alum Safe.
neither escape through small leaks crack into ag
mens when exposed TO violent heat or TO severe con
cussions in falling. And
Fifth: point to which Mr. Gwynne h0s very
properly auded-t should not rust otherwise effect
the iron Of the shell. Alum Safes are always dry tex
cept when heatedl and have been found 10 at
tack the metal in any way, while all wet safes are
seriously Objectionable on this account.
Safes filed with wet material are highly fTe-proof
when new but are worse than wood when dry. The
od-fasboned Knob Safes resisted fire until the wood
was carbonized but intense heat will percolste
through even twenty inches Of brick any dry earth
in very short period. Considering the Immense
value of records and other property ntrused to Safes
il is time that all mysterysTas discarded; and with
this view have Afforded every possible facility Of in
vestgation 10 your mechanical reporter a. well as 70
other scientific gentlemen.
Yours, respectfully, WIN d. BUTLER
Nee York Saturday, Jan. IL, 1886