Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-20

These plates were fastened from within by
screw bolts. An annular iron ring was
fastened to the inside plate from the inside
by ten bolts and had a screw head cut
into it's exterior circumference. This fitted
into another annular iron ring fastened to
the inside plate of the safe around the door
opening. A circular iron frame hung on
hiEges acted as carriage to the door, and
into this was screwed an annuiar iron ring
through which and into the door eight half
itch screw bolts passed. When the bolts
were removed, the circular iron frame with
annular iron ring could be swung back and
the screw door presented itself with it's
first plate flush with the outside Of the
safe, and showing six one-half inch bolt
holes through the first plate of the door,
arranged in circle about one inch from
the outside circumference Two handles
Numerically opposite were attached to the
annular iron ring screwed into the iron
frame hinged on the front of the safe
They were used to screw up and unscrew
the door.
plate after plate and effect an entrance.
First, one one-hundredth of an ounce of
nitro-glycerine was introduced and plate
one. the least securely fastened, was re-
moved; then the amount of explosive was
increased the fastenings became stron-
ger. till one-fourth of an ounce was used
upon the inner plates. The ten plates were
all removed. and access to the contents of
the safe obtained in thirty-eight and one
half minutes.
LAS an example Of the opening of the
ordinary square door, the attack was upon
safe which was built for the Mercantile
National Bank of New York city. 1t was
delivered to the commission locked and
sealed as it came from the bank. 1t was
five feet eight inches high, two feet eight
and one-half inches wide and two feet two
inches deep on the outside. 1t was found
to consist of six plates. The first outer
plate was Of wrought iron. one-half inch
thick; the second. wrought iron. one-quarter
inch thick The third was one-half inch
of fhrno md 6xya- ,Nlxy los tod
ed steel and iron strips, presumably chrome
steel. with turned corners, each plate being
six inches wide. The fourth plate was of
Franklinite one and a half inches thick.
cast in double basket work, one-quarter
inch wrought iron rods laid in sections,
with solid turned corners. The fifth was
one-Quartsr inch wrought iron, the sixth
oEe-half inch wrought iron. The construc-
ton was excellent. The door was a fine
specimen of its kind, being provided with
tongue and groove and rubber packing.
The boiling and locking was beautiful
piece of workmanship of the most elaborate
wide and five feet high.
How the Safe Was Cracked.
THE attack was begun by making a
putty well at the edge of the door and pour
ing into the crevice between the door and
the jamb As ounces of nitro-glycerine. The
explosive ran in rapidly, notwithstanding
the fit was very close. No wedge was
necessary. Eight minutes OTTER operations
began the charge was fired. The safe had
been placed in a rough shed. and when all
was ready everybody walked away to q
distance of fifty feet. So slight was the re-
port for which we were listening, that the
commissioners would scarcely believe any
work had been done. We found that the
whole jamb of the door was blown out, and
under the door a space left sufficient to ad-
NIT the whole hand and arm into the safe.
The plate of Franklinite was shattered into
fragments The under door of the lower
compartment was blown in, the dividing
shelf between the lower and middle COM
partments was blown upward, the first
three plates of the jan.b were torn out
6cwn to the Franklinite. and the first plate
OF the three-sixteenths Of an inch was en-