The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-06-07
Practise vs.. Theory.

In times like these, when almost ever.
city in the Union is daily made to suffer tn
effects of devastations and depredations o
all kinds, we deem it Of the greatest import
ance to all lines of business that the public
should have some knowledge of the mean
Of protection against the devastations Q
fire and depredations of burglars. There i
no business house but needs fire or burgla
proof safe, or both. Among the severa
manufacturers of safes in this country. tn
Marvin Safe Company, of New York, stand
prominent.
Established in 1888, this wealthy com
pany has kept pace with all the improve
ments patented from time to time, and
having the Oldest and largest factory il
America, nothing but first-class safe is ex
pected from q concern which can boast of al
array Of customers such as no competitor
can.
No one can question the fact that Messrs
Mum & Co., publishers of the Scieutif,
american, are leaders among scientific men
in this country, and on this subject We
could no do better by our readers than by
giving them the following extract from the
Scientific american of May 23d, 1874:
The disastrous conhagrations of Chicago
and Boston have made it evident that the
only method of insuring the preservation OF
valuables, when buildings burn, is to pre-
vent the fall Of the safes iEto the cellars be-
and most fiercely. This is done by support
ipU the ga fas unOn masonry ar nv ernh e,l din IT
them in the strong walls of the building.
1t must be admitted that the ordinary
movable safes are unreliable in great fires.
Heat any safe hot enough, maintain the heat
long enough, and its contents are sure to
burn. Nevertheless, the movable safe is a
most useful thing, aud its employment has
become a necessity in almost every branch
Of business. People must have them, and a
question, interesting to thousands, is, which
is the best safe?
Theoretically considered, that is the best
safe which contains the most water in lis
filing; fer the more water present, the more
steam we have in case of fire, and nothing
burns within the safe while the filling gives
off steam at 212o f.
Theoretically, then, the best filling for any
safe is pure water. But in practice it is
found very difficult to make a water-flled
safe proof against leakage, which is likely
to be occassioned by rust, freezing or the
tremendous shock of a tall from an upper
story to the cellar at the critical moment
during a fire.
The best water safe IN the market to-day
is one in which but very little of that liquid
is used, the principal portion of the space
reserved for tilli.g being packed with ce-
ment
Next in theoretical value to pure water as
a filling, are solidified filings which hold
an abundance of water, to be given off in the
form Of vapOr when the safe is subjected to
fire.
Probably the best filling Of this kind is
composed by mixing plaster of Paris, gela-
tin, and water. This filling holds larger
quantity of water than almost any other.
But it is alleged to emit bad odor, and to
produce dampness within the safe quite
injurious to the contents. Safes with this
filling, we believe, are not now made.
Plaster Of Paris and water were formerly
used quite extensively for safe filings. But
such safes, though excellent when new, are
subject to the objection of dampness, badly
mildewing and damaging books and papers.
This filling, like other wet cement filings
soon loses large portion of its water by
evaporation, it's filling shrink, and the
safe is rendered less secure than a dry filled
safe.
The favOrte safe filings at present en-
ployed are alum and dry plaster of paris
and cement mixed with glauber salt, COM
mon salt, or other chemicals containing
water. Safes thus filledar always dry, and
ii well made to begin with, are not likely to
DECORATE by age in respect to fre-resisting
qualities. In thousands Of cases of fire they
have proved reliable wherever placed in
building, and may ordinarily be depended
upon to preserve their contents.
Since the Boston fire we have given some
attention to the real merits of various safes,
with a view Of supplying our own office
with the best article ia the market, and
have accordingly made selection of dry
filled alum and plaster safe, manufactured
by Marvin & Co., 265 Broadway, Y.
We are pleased to note that this company
has recently constituted our friend, j. r.
Alcee Gauthreaux, their agent in this city
One nrice the lowest in CITY far rood |