The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-03-18
PONDEROUS SAFES.
Massive Reccptacles for the Keep
ing Of Precious Jewels.
solid Walls of steel That the Most skin
full Burglar Could Not Penetrate
in Shoric- Time Than
Twelve Hours.

Here are 200 feet of showcases, half
OF chem on one side of q long room.
and back ot them are "a, mluy feet of
upright cases stood against the wall
In Jhc rear Of the room are more cases,
and wherever there Is room for them
are costly music boxes, bronze Statu-
cites. and other valuable articles of
European and American make. All
the showcases are full OF IrWclry and
other articles made oi gold AMI silver.
For twenty feet rear thc front the
cases hold nothing but real diamonds
and other precious stones, for the place
i q big jewelers. salcsroom mp town.
where no imitation articles are sold
nothing but real gold and silver and
real stones
what n beautiful field for a burg
lar!' was the idea that flashed through
the mind of a Sun reporter who en-
tered the place a few days ago. Not
that he contemplated operating IN that
field: but on looking about the room he
could sec no sign OF 4 safe or any other
strong rcccptacle-not cvcu such lit
tie iron box as Mr.. Russell sage was
recently expected to produce Sl,2OO,-
900 from.
What do you do with your goods at
at night?" the reporter asked the pro
prirtor.
You'll find it easier to get them in
the daytime" Mr.. Jeweler smilingIy
responded.
But you have some system of secur-
ing them. Tell me what il is for the
information of the public-if it is not 4
secret"
There is no secret about it, the
81
three cabinets, those black walnut
cabinets, against the east wall? We
put everything in those at night"
You trust to black walnut cup
board all these cases OF gold and
diamonds, do you, valued at-at about
how mucu2'
If YOU take the entire lot" Mr.
Jcwcllc- laughed, you can have it for
S35).OO0 But come behind the counter
with me and let me show you the cabi-
nets.
Tie iewclcr led the way To- the mid
de OF the east side of the room, be-
tween cases full of diamonds and costly
stones on the one hand and upright
cases full of silver teapots and trays
and sugar bowls on the other hand
Here" he said, when the cabinets
y
thing at night, except su-h large arti-
cIcs a. would not go in. In oar bust
ness it Is not the big things, but the
little ones that are valuable.
They were ordinary looking walnut
cabinets. each perhaps seven feet high
and five feet wide, ana each with fold
ing doors. an upper and a lower panel
in each door. y boy NIGH; break
them all open with hammer in one
minute.
But Mr.. Jewclcr threw open one of
the pairs Of folding doors and disclosed
inside an immense safe that seemed "a
sav: Come on, now. if you're "a burg
lar: lets see what you can do" II was
one Of the polished steel sort. with tire,
mendou, resistance e. written all over il.
These are called burglar-prooi
safes" said the jcwclc-. but ! need
not tell YOU that no safe j. burglar
proof Nothing has becs or can be
made that cannot be broken, and au
expert burglar can open any safe IN
the world. However. I think these
are as nearly burglar proof as any
safe in New York 1t is merely Il
question of time with burglar and
these safes are warranted TO resist any
twelve hours. There i not much dan
ger from gunpowdcr OF dynamite i'll
such an exposed place and to operate
with tools successfully requires twelve
hours
Ashe spoke he opened the safe doors.
Threc-fourths of the interior was di-
vided into shelves, all of the same
height and breadth. The other fourth
was taken up by another safe, appar-
emily complete in itself
There is where we keep our most
valuable goods, the diamonds and other
very costly articles" the jcwcler CON
tinued, tapping the small inner safe.
There is one of these inside Of each
of the large safes. and each small safe
is separate and complete in itself, with
its own separate com bination. If a
burglar manages to reach the inside of
one of the large safes he still has an
other safe to open before he can get
the most valuable goods"
But what an immense labor it must
be to put all these goods in the safes
every night and take them out again
every morning" the reporter sug
gested
Not as much as you might think,
Mr.. Jewclcr replied. II will show
you how it is done Look at this show
case. You see the articles do not Ii,
on the bottom OF the ease, but on littl,
shallow velvet-lined trays. Those tray:
are made to fit the showcase, three o
them being Just the width of the case