The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-09-06
The Paris ExpOsition-America VS..
English BnrgIar.PrOof Snfes.

VII oAbJOSb Vi bdibb" AT NllS time. SuDDO91uR
Nhat all the preliminary correspondence and
articles of agreement are known to YOU, will
merely say that 1t was considered by the com
mittee as practically impossible to have here,
and with what they have thoroughly scen.
tihc trial So the committee decided to see what
tools and men each party proposed to use on his
opponents safe and after allotting to each
party three men, and comparatively the same
amount of tools, the committee prepared to note,
during the operations, the effectiveness of tools
and men, which by proper observation, would
enable them to judge of the comparative merits
of the two safes In their capability of resisting
those kind of tools which the men of either side
might use.
The trial as TO the opening was public as far
aA possible, being limited only by the size of
the building in which it took place. Every
thing being prepared and declared ready on
both sides, at 243 p. NJ, on the 18th instant,
the signal was given and both parties COM
menced. Chatwood's men attacked Herrng's
safe with wedges and hammers; Herring's men
attacked Chatwood's safe with drilling appa.
ratus. At 3'l5 the outside or Hre-proof doors
of Herriug's safe were thrown open. At $40
Herrings men gave up the drilling, aud throw
ing aside their drilling apparatus, commenced
with wedges and hammers. The cheers which
arose from the English lookers-on when the
outside door of Herring's safe was thrown open
were loud and hearty; but they were fully
equalled by the cheers from the Americans
(though in numbers only as to 35) when, at
4'S5 the outside plate of steel of Chatwood's
safe was thrown aside by Herring's men; thus
exposing the outer surface of hard undrillable
casting. Fifteen minutes sufficed to entirely
remove this formidable Ito drils) material the
haiuo aip 10 fba
bark from an oak tree.
Taking look at Herring's safe, we find Chat
woods men wedging at the door, apparently
with good prospect of getting in-some time
or other. We hear many spectators remarking
about the tremendous blows given by one Of
Chatwoods men with the sledge; he handled it
finely, while the same persons remarked that
the sedge of Herring's men was too heavy, and
not one of the party was able to use it to adyan-
tage.
At $50 it was evident that both sets of men
were becoming exhausted; and this being a
question of safes, not men, it was deemed ad.
vsable to refresh the men. Operations were
therefore stopped and while the men were
refreshing themselves the committee ex-
amlned both safes; and they came to the
conclusion that, as TO security the merchants
and bankers of America and England were IN a
position to place their valuables beyond the
reach of ordinary burglar appliances.
After stopping for forty-dve minutes, and each
set of men declaring they were ready to resume
operations, the signal was given, and then COM
menced the exciting times The inner plate
and door-framng of Chatwood's safe were soon
in condition to admit daylight, but not 10
admit mans hand to take out block of wood
&c inches by inches and lnches) which was
inside, and which was duplicate of block in
Herrlng's safe-each block having been placed
in their respective safes by Chatwood and Her
ring; and In order to have no dispute as to what
was meant by the word opening" it was pre-
viously agreed that the production of either
block of wood should be the only evidence the
committee would receive as proef of either safe
having been opened.
The outer part of the burglar-proof door o
Herring's safe now showed signs of soon coming
off while the inner plate of ChatwOod's saft
showed similar indications. Neither the Com
mittee nor the public could remain seated
Tools were in bad condition on both sides, bu
no new ones could be admitted II Herring
men could only have had one Of the two larg
wedges they had brought, but which the Com
miltee did not allow to be used, Chatwood's SAT
would have been opened at once. The room
was very warm; the workmen were sweating an
tired; the spectators we're excited; hundreds
hearts beating with anxiety for the success @
the safe which represented their side of tn
Atlantic; for the trial had so far been so yer
fair that each person in the building knew tha
the safe which held it's block the longest woul
by the public be considered the best. Herring
door felt the effect of those tremendous blow
10 well given by one of the best strikers eve
saw; Chatwoods inner plate felt very serlousl
the effects of the remnants" OF wedges an
chlsels.
7.O5 P. M.-Nearly every one is looking at tn
burglar-proof door of Herring's safe, expectin
that the next minute will be its last; the QUITE
plate Yields and falls on the floor, followed
tremendous cheers from its opponents. Thinl
ing it was the public reception OF the bloc
which had been placed in the custody OF DE
rings Safe the man working on ChatWood
Safe stopped their operations for moment, an
were going to look at their favOrlte, when the
were told that the block was yet behind Il
frapklinite lining; they then resumed op
rations, and in about fifteen minutes MIN
tenths of the people who were Watc
ing the Herring door heard somethir
which made some of them change color, al
which made all of them tn n around hurried
il was the falling of the inner plate OF Chi
woods safe The block, however, was YET
hind the sheet-iron inner lining, which neld