Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-02-13
Two massive doors, each nearly eight

W massive doors, each nearly eight
inches thick, stand ajar. 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 q low-ceiled, square apartment.
Inc moor Is Stone, iron and cement; the
celilng 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 1t stronger; mortal genius has not
welded steel and stone into a firmer
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 a thin kew
OF curious make in one of the squares.
lie begins to haul on the squares, and it
lengthens out into III oblong iron box
nearly three feet long and divided into
compartments. These boxes are movable,
and may be taken out and brought into
a private room, where in the strictest
privacy the contents of the box NAV be
examined. Other safes are firmly fast
ened into the wall, and have changea-
bic combination locks. The locks of the
outside doors Of the vaults are both
time and combination locks, and the
tlme-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. It 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 removingo 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 s~eclusion 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 a 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
tricity, protects them by ingenious sys-
TENS of bells and alarms. Even should
a mob set out. to pillage and destroy the
city, it would rage in vain against these
iron-clad structures: The companies
generally guarantee the safety of goods
left in their care, and charge only a few
dollars a year for all this boiling, bar
ring and unceasing vigilance. A small
box costs twenty or thirty dollars.
From that figure the rental of boxes
runs up into the hundreds, but all have
the same measure of protection.-M. Y
Sim.