The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-10-16

about foot. They are feet inches
tall aud weigh 20 tons each. Into the
fronts of these, with many Q jog and re-
cess, fit the massive single outer doors
OF the vaults, with their complications
OF bolts and locks and timepieces, and
at the inner ends and similarly recessed
are two folding inner doors Between
the doors and upon one side OF each ves-
tibule are steel closets, the use OF which
will be explained later.
The object in having tho vestibules
dropped down below the genearl level OF
the vaults is to make room for the angled
edge Of the inner doors without having
the sills above the level Of the floor Of the
strong rooms. Gold is heavy to hs ndle,
and In an institution like the Clearing
House ii is as apt to be dealt in by the
ton as by the smaller quantity. 1t only
takes $3.50, 900 In gold to weigh 1856
pounds. When both sets of doors are
open q wooden platform will be laid from
trucks or walking over, but to provide
for a level runway where the outer doors
swing open another device is used. This
is movable platform. like sidewalk
elevator, which can be depressed by
lever, to let the door be opened, and
then lifted again to the floor level. 1t
has a recess upon one side which just dts
the door. 1t will be seen that this plat
from prevents the door from being
opened when 1t is raised, and this fact
will be used in connection with one OF
the safeguards which will be thrown
about the millions of treasure to be
stored behind them. The inner doors
are 5la inches thick and the outer ones
9Ia inches. Notwithstanding their
enormous weight, they can be swung
open with scarcely more than touch, for
each door 10 mounted upon novel hinges,
which have ball bearings under the lower
ones and roller bearings about the upper
pintles. The arrangement OF the great
sets of bolts is also novel. These are all
20 coupled to central moving piece as
to balance one another, and they can be
thrown in or out as easily as can those
on an ordinary small safe.
Inner and outer doors are secured by
combination locks, and those on the
outer doors are further protected by
having the locks connected to time move
ments, which can be set for
any period up to ~ hours, SO that they
may be set and left safe for a sufficient
time TO cover Saturday, Sunday, and a
Monday holiday II needed
In front Of the outer doors is a long
passage, separated from the rest of the
room by a heavy steel grill work which
reaches to the ceiling. This is closed at
either end. Opening from this outer pas
sageway is a sidewalk elevator upon
which the boards of gold will come into
the building or go out At the end near
est the street will stand a counting table
with scales upon it for weighing the gold
Now let US consider the other precau-
tions, besides steel and mere locks,
which have been or will be taken to pre-
vent the looting OF this treasure box OF
our united banks. That there is danger
from inside such an institution, as well
as outside, is we'll understood and Yecog-
nized in these arrangements.
Not dollar OF gold can be got into the
iuner vaults nor out of them without
there being two separate sets of officials
present. The officers of the Clearing
House by themselves would be as helpless
in getting at the money under their care
as a rank outsider. They will have the
com binations to the outer doors, keys to
the closets in the vestibules, and one key
to each of the 20 treasure closets in each
Of the vaults, but the com binations of
the locks of the inner doors, and q key to
a second lock on each treasure closet will
be the secret and property of the men,
bers of the bank committee Of the unit.
ed banks.
When the tons OF gold begin to arrive
to go into the vaults, the Clearing House
officers will receive II at the elevator,
count and weigh 1t at the counting table,
and, when 1t is ready to put away, send
for the bank committee. II this commit
tee cannot be brought to hand at once,
then the closets In the vault vestibules
Will come into use These are for the
temporary storing of small sums of gold
say Q million or two within the protec-
tion OF the 9la-inch outer doors and such
other safeguards as there will be about
the place.
When the bank committee arrives the
gold will be taken into the inner vaults,
put into closets, and as each closet 10
filed its contents will be scheduled and
the closet sealed. Each compartment will
also be sealed when its contents are not
likely to be wanted Immediately.
Day and night wstchmen will patrol the
open passageways about the steel store
house, touching telltale buttons as they
make their rounds. One round will take
the watchman down into tho moat about
the foundation of the safe, and he must
make q complete circuit OF the founda-
tions to touch the furthest button.
Across the street, in the best guarded
building in this city, is the Mercantile
Trust Company's va@is. Electric wires
lead from the Clearing House to the Trust
CompaDyis offices ard there will ha "a