St. Landry democrat., 1885-02-14
MopERN ALAppIN,s CAVES.
The Vaults in which the MflIfOnaires Store
Stocks and Bonds and Jewels.

The Vaults in which the MfllfOnaires 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 wal
nut doors, and easily picked locks of
those houses would offer little resistance
against the violence of a 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 wall of solid steel bars, every
bar as thick as a 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 stout wire screen. Two keen
eyes sharply survey you from the inter
stices of the screen. If their owner is
impressed faVorably there is a clicking
of locks, 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 brightly burning gas jets re-
veal a 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 frmer
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 depositor inserts thin key
| of curious make in one of the squares.
He begins to haul on the squares, and it
lengthens out 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
| private room, where in the strictest
| privacy the contents of the box may 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 persons
are within earshot, and could easily
hear the slightest unusual noise. 1t 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
riety of valuable property gold and
silver coin, greenbacks, diamonds and
other precious stones, family plate, sill
verWare, jeWelry, mementoes, bonds,
deeds and valuable papers OF every de-
scription. Families breaking up house
keep and removing or going abroad, are
Obliged to store their plate and Valua-
/ bles for safety's sake. Mr.. w. ii. Van
derbilt has an immense amount OF prop
erty stored in this way, and frequently
goes to the vault to cut off the interest
coupons of his bonds with his own fin
gers, or to read the tally of his golden
hoard in all the seclusion that this
stone-vault can grant. Private papers
of immense value lie there in perfect
security. Lawyers use the little safes
as repositories for important papers,
and the key to many bitter litigation
is locked within those walls. Many
fashionable ladies keep their jewels
/ there, taking them out for an evening
and putting them back next morning.
/ Watchmen guard the vaults within and
without, and that all-potent agent, cleo