The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1894-08-15
BAFFLING BURGLARS
SAFES AND LOCKS WHICH ARE PROOF
AGAINST TAMPeReRs.
Each Bank Of England Lock Costs e3T5
and Has aoe.s $50 Different Combinations.
Elaborate Mechanism to Protect Treasure
vaults

and Has 362, $50 Different Combinations.
Elaborate Mechanism to Protect Treasure
vaults.
There is no denying the fact that the
burglar Of today, who aims nc high
game, displays amazing ingenuity in
the manufacture of scientific tools and
apparatus and also in tho practical work.
ing of tho same
But he is completely out of the run.
ming when pittcd against our safemak
ers and locksmiths, even though he peri.
odically buys their wares for expert
mental purposes.
While the present writer was being
personally conducted" over the prem.
ises of the greatest firm of lockmakers
in tho world no acquired much interest.
ing information concerning those Won
drous pieces of mechanism which pro.
tect the vast riches Of palaces, banks
and strongrooms, and which render it
absolutely impossible for thieves to
break in.
Perhaps the most interesting depart
ment was that ono in which an exhibi-
tion of the highest form of the burglars
craft was being given. Skilled workmen
were seated before locked safes and
were using the almost irresistible fusing
apparatus on the door in order TO reach
the locks or were forcing gunpowder
through the keyholes by means of tiny
pair of bellows.
Others were squirting corrosive chem
icals into the locks and noting the ef
feet, while sturdy artisans were using
the drill and the wedge with scientific
force and skill that showed they could
be dangerous enemies to society if they
were criminally inclined.
The fusing apparatus consists of a
cylinder of compressed oxygen gas,
which supplies short section Of pipe
terminating in an iron cup. The latter
is pressed firmly against the door after
light has been applied, and stream
| Of fame issues from the end of the pipe
in its bottom. SO fierce is this fame
that it melts the metal in the safe door
and eats Jagged hole through it in a
remarkably short space OF time.
1--WE turn out about 2SS, 900 locks ev-
cry year., remarked the manager Of the
works, land they range in weight from
quarter Of an ounce-including key
to 22S pounds, the respective values of
these extremes being 12 cents and 81
500.
Foremost among those locks which
protect enormous wealth come those on
the treasury doors of the Bank Of Eng
land. The making Of each of these mar
! xyala nf mach mis- nnrnniac fhtaa mi
for six weeks and costs 1915.
"Those little fluted pieces Of steel in
the head of the Alphabetically called
'steps'--are nine in number and are ca
pable of 362, $50 different combinations.
"If banker whose safe was fitted
with this lock chanced to lose his key, or
If he had reason to suppose that wax
impression Of it had been made, all
that would be necessary in order to baf-
fle burglarious designs would be to un'
lock the safe with the duplicate key,
unscrew the head and change the posi-.
tion Of the steps and then reloclS the safe
or strongroom.
"The mechanism Of the lock would
instantly adapt itself to the changed
combination and could never be un.
locked by the former key,
This. however, is not an unmixed
blessing One afternoon certain city
merchant was amusing himself by un
screwing the steps of both his keys
when it suddenly occurred to him that
he had forgotten the combination
LAS the keys in question were capa.
BILE of thousands of combinations there
was nothing for il but to set to work OH
system Of numbered tables and rick
of each combination as IL were tried
But that may take months. OBJ
jected the merchant ruefully Well az
the only other alternative was &c ouilc
Q furnace round the door OF the safe II
was decided TO try the combination first
I'VE sent two men and an apprentice
with the printed tables-great sheets Of
paper several yards long-and after nine
days labor. during which about IS. 600
different combinations were arranged
and tried, the right one was hit upon by
accident and the door opened. Needless
TO say there was o pretty big bill
against the customer who gave rs al!
this trouble
THE treasury doors at the Bank OF
England measure feet and weigh
about 2H tons Besides being ftted
with the above mentioned changeable
locks they have violence locks feet
long, each of which weighs 600 pounds,
and gunpowder proof locks, having
blowholes on every side, even through
the massive bolt. These blow holes al.
low the gunpowder pumped in to escape
and reduce the force Of possible explo'
sion to a mere harmless puff,
TT is worthy Of note that there are
more than TO- 900 locks fitted In the
Bank Of England Then comes the Sa'
voy hotel with /. 800, controlled by one
master key The manager Of each Of the
six floors at the Savoy however. has ,
master key which controls the lock oi
ivery room under his supervision
''HeI majesty's safe at Windsor cas-
tie In which the gold plate Is kept
weighs eight tons and is protected by
violence lock IS inches long, change