The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-01-30
MODERN ALApplN.s CAVES.
The Vaults in which the NIillionaires Store
Stocks and Bonds and Jewels.


rhe Vaults in which tae NIillionaires Store
Stocks and Bonds and Jewels.
The vast fortunes in stocks and bonds
OF the millionaires Of this city are not
stored in the brown-stone dwellings of
the avenue. The thin walls, black wall
nut doors, and easily picked locks of
those houses would offer little resistance
against the violence of mob or the in
genuity of burglar. The days when
skillful cracksmen could capture large
quantities of valuable property in rich
mems homes have almost passed away.
Taught by experience, or admonished
by example, persons with portable val
uables have 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 ex-
ceptiOnal strength. All that inventive
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 of massive strength and in
spring solidity. These are known as
safe deposit vaults. They usually oc-
cupy the ground floor of some stanch
fire-proof structure, and the mass of
locks, bars, bolts, combinations and
burglar resisting cOntrivances is really
wonderful.
A description of one up town near
the center of the city will answer for the
rest. Entering from the street you pass
up to a wall of solid steel bars, every
bar rs thick as mans wrist and
twelve or fifteen feet high. These are
firmly fastened to each other and into
the stone floor, and across them is
placed a stout wire screen. Two keen
eyes sharply survey you from the inter-
stices of the screen. If their owner is
impres sed favorably there is clicking
of locks, a rafting of bolts, and slowly
the pOnderOus iron gate swings back.
Next You fall into the hands of the SUI
perintendent. who gives you another
keen survey, and then. unlocking an
iron wicket, ushers you into the vaults.
Two massive doors, each nearly eight
inches thick, stand aiar. Each of the
three entrances is double doOred and
and every door is secured by time and
combination locks and six large bolts of
steel. Leaving the daylight with the
outside world and passing into the in
terror, the Notwithstanding gas jets re-
veal low-ceiled, square apartment.
The floor is stone, iron and cement; the
ceiling is iron, and four iron walls are
concealed behind four rows of iron
safes. This is the treasure-hOuse of
Vanderbilt. Human skill could not
build it stronger: mortal genius has not
welded steel and stone into a tirmer
combination.
When ones eyes becomes 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 dcpositor inserts thin key
of curious make in one of the squares.
He begins to haul on the squares, and it
leugthens oat into an oblong iron box
nearly three feet long and divided into
compartments. These boxes are movable,
and may be taken out and brought into
IL
privacy the contents of the Eox inay be
examined. Other safes are firmly fast
ened into the wall, and have changea-
BILE combination locks. The locks of the
outside doors of the vaults are both
time and combination locks, and the
time-locks are so arranged that the
doors. once closed, can not be opened
until nine O'Clock in the morning. Out
side and inside at least a dozen person
are will in earshot, and could easily
hear the slightest unusual noise. II is
calculated that if by any accident the
locks should get out of order it would
require more than four DAYS of constant
labor to effect an entrance.
These vaults contain almost every va
r.ety of valuable properiy-gold and
silver coin. creenbacks, diamonds and
other precious stones. family plate, ST.
verware. iewelry, mementoes, bonds,
deeds and valuable Papers of every de-
script:on. Families brt aking NJ, house
keep and removing or going abroad. are
obliged t, store their plate AMI vaIua-
les for safety's sake. Mr.. W. H. Van
derbilt has an immense amount of prop
erty stored in this way, and frequent v
poes to the vault to cut off the interest
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