Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-01-11

ThB Strong Boxes Of 6etAam's
Coupon CIppers.
A Description Of fhe Massive Steel-Liued
Vaults 10 Which Uatold Millions are
Kept Secure from Thieves
and Robbers.

Rsp YSrk Ssn.
The vast fortunes in stocks and bonds Of
the miIlionaires Of this city are not stored
in the brown stone dwellings Of the avenue.
The thin walls. black walnut doors and
easily picked locks of those houses would
offer little resistance sglinst the violence OF
a mob or the ingenuity of a burglar. The
days when skilful craftsmen could capture
large quantities of valuable property IN
rich mems homes have almost passed away.
Taught by experience, or ~admonished BY ex'
ample, persons with portable va'uab!es nave
been forced to seek places of storage and
security. Within nearly the last dozen OF
years there have sprung up in answer to
that demand buildings of massive structure
and exceptional strength. All that inven,
tive genius could discover or money COM
mand has been employed to render these
places
Fire and Burglar Proof.
There are many Of them scattered through
the city from Wall street to Harlem, all
agreeing in their main features oil massive
strength and inspiring solidity. These are
known as safe deposit vaults. They usually
occupy the ground floor ofsome stanch fire.
proof structure, and the mass Of locks, bars,
bolts, combinations, and burglar-resisting
ccntrivances is really wonderful
A description of one up town near the
-.- r L. - I'LL eun Cor thu pazt
Entering from the street you pass up to q
vail OF solid steel bars, every bar as thick as
a mans wrist and twelve or fifteen feet high.
These ere firmly fastened to each other and
into the stone floor, and across them is
placed q stout wire screen. Two keen eyes
sIerrly survey you from the interstices OF
lie screen. If their owner is impressed
lavorably there isa clicking Of locks, d rat
,lirg of bolts, and slowly the ponderous iron
gate swings back. Next you fall into the
hands ofthe superintendent, who gives you
another keen survey, and then, unlocking an
iron wicker, ushers you into the vaults.
Two Massive Doors,
each nearly eight inches thick, stand ajar.
Each of the three entrances is double
.Goored, and every door is secured by time
aud combination locks and six large bolts
Of steel. Leaving the daylight with the
outside world and passing into tho interior,
he brightiy.burning gas jets reveal a low
JG,,t, square apartment. The floor is
N.Cbe. iron aud cement; the ceiling is iron,
aud four iron walls are concealed behind
tour IoWs of iron safes, This is the treasure
t.ovse OF Vanderbilt. Human skill could
nc, build i; stronger mortal genius has not
Welded steel and stone into q firmer com
6iEation.
When ones eyes become accustomed to
The light of this iron chamber one perceiVes
that the surface of the walls is divided into
little squares Of various sizes. The deposit
tor inserts a thin key Of curions make into
ore of the squares. He begins to haul on
rhc square, and it lepgthens out into an OBJ
Iorg iron box nearly three feet long and
divided into compartments. These boxes
arc movable, and may be taken out and
brought into a private room, where in the
~srrictest privacy the contents of the box
may be examined. Other safes are firmly
fastened into the wall, and have changes-
be combination locks. The locks OF the
outside doors of the vaults are both
Time md Combination Locks,
spd the time lscks are so arranged that tho
jo1rs once closed, cannot be opened until 3
O'Clock in the morning. Outside and in
.iGo at least a dozen persons are within ear
,hot, and could easily hear the slightest uu-
III ual noise. 1t is calculated that If By any
sccident the locks should all get out of
order, it would require more than four days
&C constant effort to effect ON entrance.
these vaults contain almost every vari-
wv oi valuable property-gold and silver
coin, ~greenbacks, diamonds, and other
precious stones, family plate, slverware,
~iewe!ry, mementoes, bonds, deeds, and val
uaGle papers Of every description. Families
br, aking up housekeeping and removing or
coicg abroad, are obliged to store their
plate and valaables for safety's sake. Mr..
". H. Vanderbilt has an immense amount
Gf property stored in this way, and frequent
ly goes 10 the vault to cut off the interest
coupons OF his bonds with his own fingers,
or 10 read
The Tally Of His Golden Hoard
in all the seclusion that this ssone-steel
vault can afford. Private papers Of i'm.
EICnse yalne lie there In perfect security.
LAWYERS uge the little safes as repositories
iof important papers, and the key to many
1 bitter litigation is locked within those
=, liz. Many fashionable ladies keep their
;,aels there, taking them out for an even
ilg and putting them back the next morn
Ing. Watchmen guard the vaults within
stl without, and that all.pot4nt agent, cleo.
-titi,y. protects them by ingenious systems
Glib, lis and alarms. Even should q mob
.et out to pilIsge and destroy the city, it
would rage in vain against these ironclad
structures. The companies generally guar
sBtce the safety of goods left in their care,
ard charge only q few dollars o year for all
this boiling, barring, and unceasing vigi,
lance. A small box costs twenty or thirty
dollars. From that figure the rental of the
boxes runs up into the hundreds, bat all
Lave the anne measure of protection.