The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1876-01-18
I IngenaiSy 81 Burglars.

At the robbery 9the Grafton Mass.
Bank. the tools used were 40 numerous
and bulky as TO make . fair load for
horse to draw HT ~ 'i9'7'si
The burglar decides to try the drill,
but the metal walls Of the safe are of
such hard temper that an ordinary drill
is powerless on them. He Is ready for
this, and sets the combination blow.
pipe" to work This is q ,blow.pipe
which directs on the spot to be attacked
a fame Of combined oxygen aud nitro
gen gases. and the intense heat softens
the metal to that degree that the drill
makes aspee6y impression upon it, The
hole once made, the blast is introduced,
and the safe blown open. But possibly
even tue combination blow-pipe fails,
but the modern burglar is ready with
another appliance. He has an air.pumpi
to which two rubber tubes are attached
To the end of these q metal trough, With
fat edges, is joined. He places this
trough fiat against the safe, so as to
cover the Joint Of the door in the frame,
and carefully f1xes it there with putty
With the same material he stops up and
makes air.tight the remainder Of the
crack, only leaving one space uncovered
at the bottom OF the door. The whole
safe is now practically part OF the dir
pump. He begins to pump; the air In
the safe Is exhausted, and more rushes
| in through the uncovered space under
the door. Here our burglar holds pa
per CT card on which 6ne gunpowder Is
spread, aud the rush OF air carries this
into the safe The pumping is continued
till the requisite charges Is introduced.
and il Is then exploded. ~ I EiasH9 3.
The blow pipe and the air.pump are
the latest as they are the most danger
Gus tools in the burglars outfit, and as
soon as they were known. which has
not been great while, It became evi-
dent that safes must have some new APP
plianoe specially adapted to resist them.
Safes made only to withstand the attacks
OF steel wedges, crowbars, and sledges,
would give way ct once before the more
subtle and silent operations Of these
newest of tools. Therefore the safe
man reconstructed the doors of his safe,
aud made them 6t into grooves which
were packed with rubber, SO that be
tween the doublings OF the grooves and
the great weight of the door, when il
swung In and was locked, the elastic
material made the Joint perfectly air.
tight. Against this the air-pump was
useless; but the blow pipe was not SC
easily provided for. - ~
To meet this it was necessary to dis
cover. some new material, or some new
combination Of old The makers Of
safes claim that they have found this in
the metal called 'Franklinite," q mineral
composed OF peroxide Of iron, oxide oi
zinc, and oxide of manganese, in ap
lpearance much like the magnetic oxide
of iron. 1t is found in considerable
quantity only in Sussex County, N. J
The popularity Of the metal which titl
; it specially for the walls of safes is that
it hardens on cooling to its origina
: density; and thus the burglar Is a little
better of after using his blow.pipe thar
he was before; whereas other metals are
so softened that his drill goes righ'
through them. The use Of Franklinit'
and the packed joints are the latest o
1.-THE improvements in safes, and it j!
claimed that safes so constructed or,
proof against ANYTHING that the burglar
can bring to bear on them. 80 far as il
now known. But it should be remem
bered that il the safe maker Is aheat
NOV, bis friend, the burglar, may pas
him in the race again, and, finding SOM
new tools, rob the best safe made. TheI
the safe-maker must start again from tn
new ground, and so it goes on. ~ !