The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1896-12-17

How to Crack a safe.
The old. fashioned way OF bursting open
safes with high explosives, will no doubt.
be discarded by expert safe-cracks now,
since the discovery that electricity is a
silent and more potent agent, whose aid
can be invoked wherever there are cleo
tric-light systems or trolley roads, 10
making unlawful inroads on the contents
Of strong boxes. Some astonishingly
successful results were obtained in this
way in experiments made in Chicago
quite recently, and the Pinkerton agency,
as the employees Of the Bankers Associa-
ton, has taken special interest in the
progress Of such experiments, and formu-
lated reports Of them to all its various
agencies,
An account OF one OF these experiments
from the Chicago Tribune, will be OF in
terest. 1t is as follows:
st took just two minutes and 10 sec.
onds yesterday for an expert, acting as q
burglar, to reach the interior OF safe,
built on the same general lines and Of the
same material as the only make which
has heretofore successfully withstood all
attacks by burglars, experts, high explo
sives and skilled mechanics. The break
ing into this brand OF strong box proves
conclusively that with the electric current
at the control OF cracksmen, there is MOI,
a bank or a vault in the country which
cannot be opened inside of 30 minutes
without any noise or disturbance what.
ever.
1.-The staten ent that this easy cracking
OF safes was certainty OF the near future
was made by Samuel Rodman. IT,, OF this
city, in the Tribune two weeks ago. Yes
terdsy he verified this prediction. In ad
dtion to boring into the safe named.
seven inches OF metal submitted by the
IlIirois Trust and Savings bank for ex
perimental purposes had a hole bored
through it in just 10 minutes. This piece
consisted Of seven plates six of chrome
steele, and the last Of a softer metal.
The only tools used by Mr.. Rodman were
a stick OF carbon, coverless, light iron
box, and coil of wire. These he carried
in his coat pocket.
"The operator connected the coil OF
| light wire with the main wire OF the elec-
trio plant where it entered the basement.
This wire was attached to the carbon
stick and the other end was made fast to
the door OF the safe to complete the cir
cult. The iron box had hole in the
bottom Just large enough for the insertion
OF the stick OF carbon. The box was sus-
pended from the body OF the safe by a
light cord.
THE treasure chest to be attacked was
spherical and solid mass of gun metal.
In shape it was the counterpart OF the
only safe which has withstood the at
lacks Of experts who used nitroglycerine.
Mr.. Rodman inserted the stick OF carbon
through the bottom OF the light iron box
until the point OF the stick touched the
surface OF the safe, then the electric cur.
rent was turned on. There was a slight
sputtering noise, and through the CRACK
between the carbon stick and the crcum-
ference of the hole could be seen the glare
OF the arc.
"The sputtering noise continued for
| just two minutes and 10 seconds. The
carbon was Withdrawn, the box taken
away, and hole clear into the interior
of the safe was shown. 1t was an inch
aud half in diameter and through it the
bolts in the inside OF the door OF the safe
were readily thrown by means OF strong
bit of inserted wire.
"Mr. Rodman then turned bis atten-
ton to the wall OF square, box shaped
safe, representing one OF the types OF
strong boxes generally used in bank and
financial institutions. The wall was
three and a half inches in thickness,
formed of number OF plates Of chrome
steel with an inner layer OF softer steel
The current was turned on again, the car.
bon inserted, and instantly a stream of
molten metal poured down the face of the
safes wall. 1t took inst two minutes to
reach the interior OF this make OF safe. -