Evening star., 1897-03-06
Modern Precautions for Keeping Out
Burglars.
ELECTRIC WIRES EVERYWHERE
Private Houses Protected During
the Summer Months.
EVEN WATCHMEN GUARDED

Written for The Evening Star
During a recent experiment made in Gin
cinnati. Ohio. it was proved conclusively
that any person capable of safely handling
two ordinary live electric wires can burn
large hole in a steel safe in less than
ten minutes. The feat was accomplished
by bringing together two ends of a street
circuit and making an arc. The arc was
allowed TO play against the steel door Of
large "burglar-proof' safe. and 1t fused
Its way through. one spectator remark
ed. at the rate of cubic inch per min
ute Any burglar could thus take adj
vantage of the lighting facilities of bank
building and burn his way into the vault.
But the expert bank robber does not need
this information to help him in his calling,
for he carry enough tools in
dInary handbag to enable him to break into
any safe or vault after two hours of
interrupted work In spite of these facts
which merely prove that no safe vault
is burGlaT-proof. the days of big bank rob-
berries are over In large cities 1T least
such thing wholesale bank ROBBERY
could not happen. This statement IS made
without reserve. The banks themselves
could he broken easily enough. but the
united system of protection which sur
rounds them is not only practically per-
feet. but the mechanical features of its
makeup render it absolutely incorruptible.
1t may he also said incidentally that
the United States government to invest
its prisons with the same system of pro-
lection such thing as Jail delivery
would be unheard OF.
Hanks Surrounded by Electric Cur
rents.
Although the same thing exists in nearly
every large city in the United States. the
banks composing the New York Clearing
House Association comprise the best ex-
ample of what a protection syndicate Is
like. Seventy-five banks, most of which
belong to the association. are represented
at a central station. in which electrical
instruments keep silent though efficient
tab on all that may occur within those
seventy-fIye walls Watchmen are not
needed in the bank buildings. yet not a
latch can he lifted. not a bolt drawn nor
a window raised without the fact being at
once recorded in the central station Deli
cate galvanometer needles are constantly
pointing out what is going on in the banks
and these needles never fail of their Of
flee. 1t is of use to the burglar 10 un-
derstand the system. The he
derstands it the more will he become con-
WINGED of the futiiity of his calling. 1t
is of no use for him to try to circumvent
the system The least disarrangement is
pointed by the needles and an alarm
is at once sounded.
1t is literal truth TO say that the bank
buildings are surrounded by a continuous
current of electricity. What is known as
CLOSED circuit" is used. The difference
between this and open circuit must
he explained. An open circuit alarm sys-
tenn is one in which the opening of door.
or window. the sliding of a bolt, or, in
fact the operation of any movable con-
trivance turns on an electric circuit and
sends in an alarm. In closed circuit work
the current Is kept flowing all the time 1t
passes through wires connected to every
bolt, bar, window. etc, and is so delicately
adjusted in its path that the disarrange-
ment of any movable part of the building
will cut off the current and thus send in
an alarm The very walls and partitions
Of the bank buildings are lined with wires
and strips of tin foil, through which the
electricity is kept constantly flowing
Therefore, If the burglar merely bores
small hole through the banking house wall
he disarranges the circuit and sends In an
alarm
Impossible to Rob n Modern Bank.
Even this is not all of the system. 1t is
merely the principle on which it is founded.
The expert electrician (and many burglars
are experts in this line) might claim to be
able to pass through door or window
which was part of a closed circuit, with
out disarranging the latter. but here is
where the system takes on the bond of
perfectness. II the alarm was merely the
ringing of bell, the claim might be made
good, but the amount of current passing
through the wires cuts very important
figure. While ii might be possible to
break into a bank without entirely break
certain wires to enable man TO
pass between them, it could not be done
without changing the rate Of flow of the
current. and this would be pointed out at
once by the galvanometer needle The OPP
orators in the central station can, by using
resistance wires, change the amount of
current flowing through the line every
hour. so that the burglar can never by
previous observation know the amount
which should flow at given time Thus,
even intimate knowledge of electricity Is
of 10 him. By means of inStru-
ments Of precision. the watchman in the
central station tell whether any disar-
rsngement of wires has occurred inside OF
outside of the bank. This often saves
trouble and much unnecessary alarm. as
the wires in the conduits under the streets
are often apt TO become disarranged.
Bank Vaults Guarded.
But if the bank buildings guarded
electrically. what shall say of the
vaults themselves? The strong vault OF
every one of the seventy-tive banks men,
toned above is surrounded by an electrical
cabinet. This cabinet is made of wood and
contains in the space between ii and the
walls of the vault a perfect network OF
wires and apparatus Not panel of this
wooden abinet can be moved without dis
arranging the apparatus within and caus-
ing the telltale needle in the central sta
tion to point out the fact. Even If the
vault was left unlocked the cabinet woulG