Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-05-18
now SAFES ARE, MADE,
e,pEpRoOF MATERIAL is PLACED BE-
TWEEN IRON SHEETS.


the First Iron One in 1sa9-Nany KINDS
-, Mixtures Are Used for Fining-Bur,.-
lar Proof Safes.
The earliest style of safe known was
made in heavy oak or other hardwood
Ives or chests They were bound on the
.orpers and across the top and front wit h
;ron hands studded with nails Iron plat IS
wore eventually made TO cover the outside
q the chest and nailed to the wood. The
fonndation of the plan upon which fire.
r,,of safes are still constructed was LAID
Iv Richard Scott in 1901 The improve
mept previous 10 1926 was to make the
chest of soft wood, in thicker body, soaked
in brine After thoroughly soaking boJh
rhe inside and outside shells sheets of iron
we're fastened inside and outside with
large nails or spikes.
The idea and principle was that the
moisture in the wood upon the application
Of heat would produce steam and prevent
the interior and its contents reaching a
temperature of 212 degs. Below that moi Mt
paper of every description will be preserved
from damage either to the fiber of the ma
tera or to the writing which may be upon
It's surface. These principles of the steam
producing quality and the reliance upon
this quality is the principal element in the
manufacture of all safes of the present dav
though different materials may be used to
produce the same result
James Conner, a type founder of this
city. about 1S29-S2 invented an iron strong
box with a double shell, having as IA filling
plaster of Paris mixed with water Later he
shells were lined with sheets of mica past
ed on paper and filled with burned clay or
>awdust and charcoal Plaster retained
the moisture successfully, but was so de-
structive to the thin iron shells that its
use was abandoned. Conner allowed MS
invention to lapse, and a man named Fitz-
gerald in 1913 obtained new letters patent
on the same kind of a safe
SOME OLD SAFES.
William Mari, of London, in 1884, was
the first to patent method of construct on
for safes In 1888 Charles Chubb, of The
same city, used concentric liaings of iron
plates filled in between with wood shes
or other slow conducting materials OF a
nature to retard the transmission of heat.
In 1913 letters patent were granted to the
Nessrs. Tam for the use of pounded alum
and gypsum, previously heated and COO. ed.
As a fire resisting medium. In 1910 Thorn
rs Miner had patented plan to fill the
Jacket, formed by the double plates, 18th
Sawdust in which We're packed a mum Der
Of small tubes filled with an alkaline solu-
ton and Theoretically sealed, or crystals of
alum or soda combining from 40 to 60 per
cent. water crystalization.
In case of fire the safe heating tt hes
would burst or the crystals would melt
and saturate with water the sawd lst
Steam thus produced by the heat would
pass into the inner safe and protect its con
tents, if inAammable, for long time
George Price, of Wolverhampton, England
in 1850 tried the plan of coating metal sur
faces exposed to the filling with a COMPOST
ton to prevent corrosion, and then used
powdered alum and sawdust rs a Fl Ter
Previous to this, in 1919, dry plaster and a
common grade of alum or potash alum was
found to be of value as a non-conductor of
heat. Plaster was used for its non-con-
ductOr quality and alum for the large pro-
portion of water it contains in crystaliza-
ton. The same heat which produced st cam
also fused or disintegrated alum, releasing
the moisture and producing the requisite
steam qualities
The principal argument that might be
used against this combination would be
that alum in fusing almost entirely sap
pears. Thus vacuum is left, to take the
place of which there is nothing to support
the outer frame of the safe. The outer
frame must remain intact in order to retain
the steam.
MODERN SAFES.
In another mixture of similar character
at this time was included marble dust and
the refuse of soda manufactures. When
this material was heated it was supposed
TO produce carbonic acid gas. The gas was
to subdue or extinguish fire or flames in
the immediate vicinity by reducing the
temperature. Still another material used
as filler was pulverized hydraulic cement
which embraced the several qualities Of the
plaster and alum.
This material is a non-conductor of heat
and contains water in large quantities
Unlike the dry plaster and alum it is 6
solid, having crushing strength in itself
Of several hundred pounds to the square
inch. The extraction of the moisture by
any degree of heat that can possibly bt
produced in an accidental fire leaves the
filling solid and intact. The volume L
neither increased nor decreased, so there Il
no strain on the frame which covers IL.
Most of the fireproof safes of the present
day are made of wrought iron plates anc
angles on the outer and inner frames Th'
usual thickness of the walls is from tiv'
and half to six inches. Combination lock!
are used almost universally; yet locks ar
the exception. The number of safes pro
duced by the manufacturers has largel.
Increased in later years
Burglar proof safes are distinct from
freproof safes in material, construction
and the object for which they are built
The walls are composed of high and low
grades of steel, which, when tempered
viii resist the most powerful drill. Blu
1t Is an error to suppose that n safe whicl
provides security from the burglars drill
Is for that reason sufficiently protected
from burglars who are properly fitted TO
an attack upon a bank safe or vault.
Recent experience has demonstrated tina
other methods are more expeditions, III
volving less risk for the operators, and ar
frequently more certain of success. Wedge
inserted across one edge of door an
driven home by repeated blows of l. ham
mer retain on each wedge the combine
gtr nrrth of no in