The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-04-24
conduits under the streets are often
apt to become disarranged.

conduits under the streets are often
apt to become disarranged.
RANK VAULTS GUARDED BY AN
ELECTRICAL CABINET.
But if the bank buildings are guarded
Electrically, what shall we say of the
faults themselves? The strong vault
of every one of the seventy-five banks
mentioned above is surrounded by an
electrical cabinet. This cabinet is made
of wood and contains in the space be-
tween it and the walls of the vault a
perfect network of wires and appara-
tus. Not q panel of this wooden cabi-
net can be removed without diSarrang-
ing the apparatus within and causing
the tell-tale needle in the central sta
| ton to point out the fact. Even if the
vault was left unlocked the cabinet
would be protection enough. This, how
ever, is only a, suggestions case, be-
cause the officials of a bank would not
be allowed to leave the building if any
bolt or bar was out of place. AS
matter of fact the system is, from the
point of view of the central station, in
perfect working order only when every
closing time every day a private signal
( is transmitted to the central station.
The current is turned on, but if any
window or door be open or bolt drawn
a bell rings and the galvanometer nee
die points to the fact. Word is Signaled
back that something is wrong and
whatever it is must be rectified. When
everything is finally in its place the
| bell stops ringing, the needle comes to
q rest, and the circuit is complete. Thus
many a forgotten skylight or transom
is closed when it otherwise would have
| been left open all night. Quite q diff
! ference from the old-time systems
wherein the cutting of q wire would
prevent any signal or alarm being sent
in. In this case the cutting of the
wires sends in the alarm.
EVEN THE WATCHMEN IN THE
BANKS ARE GUARDED.
AS though the banks We're not well
enough protected with all this, nearly
every one of them employs a watch
man. In the midst of fancied security,
these men are not allowed to doze Off
as in days of yore. They are kept al
most constantly on the move. In vari-
GUS parts of the building are placed
push buttons. The Waterman on guard
must push these buttons in regular or
/ der. The time that each button is
pushed is recorded on a time recorder
in the central office If the buttons are
pushed out of their regular turn, or if
the Waterman is before or behind time
in pushing them, a special policeman
is at once dispatched to inquire the
cause. When the policeman arrives at
the bank the Waterman has to sign a
printed blank. stating when, how and
why the dereliction of duty occurred
This card-signing system often leads to
curious results.
The protection syndicate system,
which is under the charge of Edwin
/ Holmes, its inventor, also takes
charge of leading jewelry stores, silk
warehouses. and dealers in other goods
| coveted by thieves These firms when
opening their places OF business in the
morning, invariably transmit to the
| central station a private signal. If
this signal, however satisfactory it may
be transmitted, is sent in an hour, or
even half an hour before the pre-
scribed time, a special policeman is sent
at once to see if everything is all right
/ The signature of the person or persons
who should open the store is kept on
record in the central office. This is
carried along by the special policeman,
who asks the person at the store to
sign his name. If it does not correspond
with the recorded signature the person
found on the premises is Immediate
| " taken into custody. Many thieves
have been captured in this manner,
but so also have a few innocent per-
SOns-employeS who have been over
Jealous in morning punctuality. They
have in several cases stormed and
pronounced their arrest an outrage but
as they We're merely detained at the
central office until identified the logic
of the system finally forced itself upon
them.
PRIVATE HOUSES ARE ALSO
GUARDED.
Private houses are protected by the
! hundreds during the summer months,
most Of the residents giving the keys
( to the central office and giving their
winter homes directly in charge of the
Waterman at the annunciators. If keep
/ ers are left in charge of the houses,
/ their signatures are kept on file at the
/ central station. If anything goes wrong
at the houses. policemen are dispatched
to them with a copy of the signature.
| If the one asked for corresponds to
! the one on record all is well, but if not
an arrest follows. If the family is out
of town only authorized members of it
capable Of proving their identity by
means of recorded signatures are al
/ lowed to enter a house while it is in
! charge of a Waterman. Complications
I sometimes occur, but the owner of a
! house himself would not be allowed to
enter his own house if he could not
prove his signature Members of fam
4 lilies have appeared and with a show
( of buster demanded that they be al
; lowed to enter the residence of their
father, brother or uncle, as the case
may be, but they did not go in without
+ the necessary sanction. Very often the
4 controlling members of a family have
given orders not to admit certain of
j their relations to their city homes. OF
/ course the watchmen get out of the di-
/ lemma in as diplomatic a manner as
/ possible under the circumstances. In
/ one case a woman gave her house in
/ charge of the protective association,
with the express understanding that
her husband be not admitted. There
was a scene some time afterward, but
/ he did not go in.
Both fire and water are guarded
against by the annunciators. The fire
! will fuse the wires in the walls and
thus send in an alarm. and the water
| Will short circuit the current and