The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1894-12-13

THURSDAY, DEC ID. 1874
WHERE TRFAsuRE Is SAFE.
How Messrs. Jones Take Care Of
Precious Documents and valua-
blse

month or year. Stock broking is
aleo part of their business, as may
be seen by their advertisement, but
what the present writing has to do
with chiefly is the safe deposit bust
ness.
There are two capacious vaults in
the company's Offices. One of them
contains two hundred and fifty-six
steel boxes of four different sizes.
These boxes range in size from 2in.x
bin. to Sin.IlOin., all being 1Sin.
deep. Each box has two keys. The
company gives up both keys to the
person renting a box, yet nobody
can get into his box without appli-
cation to a member of the firm. A
master key held by the firm is neces-
sary to release hidden spring be-
fore the holders key will unlock his
box. The master key will not open
the box Of itself, but the necessity Of
its Intervention prevents tampering
with the box by any unauthorized
person. Holders can take out the
tin boxes contained in the locked
steel recesses, carr, ing them to their
own offices when the days business
begins and back to the safe deposit
at its close. II . box-holder afflicted
with nervousness or absent. minded
ness rusbes away without closing
his box, the steel door will not close
but be held open by a spring, so
that one OF the firm will see the mis-
take and notify the holder.
The prices Of the boxes range from
Sl2 a year to $40, $40 aud $50. &C.
cording to size. In the box vault
there Is an electric lamp, which be-
ing on the end Of free insulated
wire may be moved to any corner, or
carried to the outside. Alongside
OF the vault containing the boxes
for rent Is another vault where the
firm stores its own documents and
treasure, which has room aud is
utilized for storing valuable per-
sonal property Of customers who,
for instance, may be leaving the city
or the islands.
Each vault has an Inside aud out
side door. The inside door is fitted
vii b an ordinary combination lock,
whose secret is known only to the
firm. However, this makes little dit
ference, 1t il arranged that one or
other Of the firm is in the office al
the time OF business hours. There
Is q time lock on the outside door,
which Is set TO open at S:l5 ever
morning. II may be set TO open at
the lapse Of half al hour, one hour,
or any time up TO forty eight hours
after closing, only II must DO wound
up regularly to perform whatever
duty may be assigned TO II.
+. A. Jones showed our reporter
how he closed up the vaults. The
lock being set and wound a. requir.
ed, he swung the massive door TO-
explaining with illustration--it be.
ing closing time an exposed
combination OF levers had to be
manipulated to complete the oper.
alton. There was a resonant click q,
the bolts entered their holes and q
system OF lemons engaged their dove
tailed mortises. Mr.. Jones said q
similar sound was emitted when the
clockwork released the engagements
at the lapse OF the SGT time, yet the
door did not open until the operator
manipulated the leverage previously
mentioned. When the time lock had
done its duty, however, there was
still the inner door combination t.
be worked before access could bs
had TO either OF the vaults. Even
after that there was required the in
PREVENTION OF both the master key
and the key Of the box-owner before
box would yield its contents to OK
animation or removal.
"If . fellow came in here and un
screwed all those bolts fastening tn.
hinges,' said young Mr.. Jones, IN,
could not get into the vault" H.
showed how the edges OF tho heavy
door dovetailed into the easement
to prove this assertion OF positiv,
security to box holders. The vaults
are not only burglar-proof to tn,
greatest reasonable degree, but they
are fireproof as we'll il anything il
this world is proof against wha
the reporter is prone to call tn,
"dsvouring element" They res
upon seven and half feet OF sole
concrete for foundation. There il
a wide air space between their QUITE
and inner walls. They are lineC
with half-inch chilled steel, and tn,
boxes for customers are OF steel
Two aud half feet of concrete ant
brickwork covers the vaults.
at was proved in the great Bos
ton fire" said Mr.. Jones the elder
to whom that disastrous event wa
not much more vivid in memory
than to his interviewer who passed
over the ground year afterward-
that nothing withstood fire SO wei
rs brick. | was astonished in Boston
to SEQ buildings that appeared to b,
absolutely freproof crunbling t.
pieces under the influence of grea
heat. don't think, il this build
ing were burned out, that the FIR,
would damage the contents OF thes'
vaults"
p. G. Jones had the building con
structed especially for the safe do
post business. Its front is OF Ha
waiian basaltic stone, and its othe
walls are of brick. There are NJ
more elegantly appointed bushes,
offices in Honolulu. by their enter
prise Messrs. Jones have added
fresh element OF metropolitan pro
gress to Honolulu. Safe deposit
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