Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-04-11
SAFES NOT SAFE.

Are safes fire and burglar proof?" "Well,
that is rather a leading, or perhaps should
say, a misleading, question that you ask
me" Thus replied leading safe manufac-
turer ~ the query of a reporter. IF you
:nsk me can safes be made fre.proof and
burglar .psoof, or fire and burglar-proof, then
[ answer you yes, for they are thus made.
TIE public at large does not seem 10 fully
comprehend what safes are for. Some safes
ar intended simply TO resist the ravages OF
frs, for they are meant to hold only docu-
meuts and other articles that may be ealmost
heyond value to their owner, but which are
financially valueless to strangers, and hence
have no temptations for the ordinary burg
lar. Then there are others that are meant
to resist the enterprisng safe-breaker as well
AS ;he ravages of the fire-fend."
Iou make all kinds, do you?"
Certainly. But bear in mind that there
are certain limits to safes power of resis-
tance
1T is claimed by some that any safe can
be broken open."
$50 it can," replied the manufacturer,
shut it takes time. Any safe can be open
ed by expert cracksmen if they have plenty
of time to do the work. All that any maker
claims for bnrgla proof safes is that they
will make such resistance to thieves who
NAV desire to open them as to be, to all ia
tents and purposes, free from danger
"lhis, then, being the case, the larger the
safe the more secure it is ?'
"Well, if two safes are made of the same
material, Of course the thicker one would
take longer to drill holes through than the
other. But steel safe is much safer than
a common iron one. There is no safe, and
I suppose there never will be one invented,
that cannot be burslarized if sufficient time
is allowed. Otherwise, how could any safe
be opened when the key was lost or mslad
or the combination forgotten2"
"Then l should judge that you would
consider an inferior safe that was placed in
a good light and in full view Of the street.
so that it might be watched by the police, Is
better protected than bigger and better
| built one that is in a secluded place ?"
20 yes Of course, 500 per cent. safer, if
YOU notify the police. The man that hit
upon The idea of lighting up his place OF
business and putting his safe where it could
be seen was a genius and benefactor TO
the community. If l had lot of money
tnat could not get into the bank tonight.
should light the gas when locking up the
store, and notify the policeman on the
route that if the light went out he must
ret in and sec what was the cause OF it
being out. You see burglars like plenty
of time to open safes, and they have to be
watched. You would be surprised to know
the number Of safes that are to be found in
! private residences at the Back bay. There
are hundreds if not thousands. of them in
h ouses where the ready money that is kept
in them amounts to hardly anything. You
kno v shat there are other things that are
valua Vie besides money and business papers.
MANY a fashionable and wealthy lady has
lace shu?ls and diamonds that are worth a
small fortuue, and these must be kept in
the house where they may be ready for use
at auv moment. You see, then, that it is
necessary to keep them safely under lock
and kew where they may not be in danger
of disappearing through fire or burglars, or
that other evil that house-keepers suffer
from, dishonest servants. There are hun
dreds of private residences where the male
head of the house does not see the inside OF
the safe from one year to the other. me
prices of safes range from $500 to $4,000,
$4,000, $4,000 There are government
safes in this country that have cost as high
"a O,OOO, but guess that ordinary bank
safes will average $1,000 apiece. The bust.
ness has taken great strides during the past
twenty ."-Boston Globe.