Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-08
LIKE A GUN TURRET.
A New Method to Thwart the Skill
of Bank Robbers.


PHILADELPHIA, PA, April L-Since
man first began to accumulate wealth.
the covetous and dishonest OF mis- klnd
have sought TO become possessed OF the
fruits of his industry without laDOIlhB
therefor. This condition naturally led 70
the adoption Of means for protection anu
among the first TO be adopted was tho
hiding OF money and similar ValuaDles
in the earth. This was followed by the
introduction Of strong boxes maze OIL
wood; these in turn gave way TO otheSs
made of metal. But the security Vi All
these methods has until recently proved
defective for the purpose OF anordlns that
degree OF protection absolutely necessary
for the safe-keeping of valuables.
TO PROTECT MILLIONS.
BY an alliance between metallurglcal
science and the ingenuity OF the DanA
vault engineer, however, IL is clalneu lldI
the day Of final triumph over the cupiultJ
and cunning of the craftsman IS mere
The outcome Of this alliance WIN SON
be seen in the shape OF a pank-Vauil
built in Philadelphia, for the Philaaei
phia Saving Fund Society. When finished
this vault will constantly protect ABOUT
fifty million dollars in cash ana secuIItIeS'
This treasure will be secure against the
burglar, the mob, or even an lhNdu4"5
force with modern high-power guns.
1t has long been seen that even the au
dition to the strength OF the Euut' "a
watchmen. electrical alarms, and such eN-
traneous safeguards does not make tue
safe absolutely safe, for the reasons
First, that the watchmen in charge Vi
the bank or of the electrical alarms may
be overcome by superior force.
Second. that the elements may rehuel
the electrical alarms useless.
Third, collision between the WatchIneu
and those in charge OF the electrical
alarms and the thieves Is posslDlh'y
not altogether remote.
METHODS OF PROTECTION.
AS the construction Of safes with five
ply welded steel and iron, railroad ron
etc, has proven unsatisfactory the IN
| yestigation of the merits OF armor-piate
as a vault material was begun Tor the
purpose. II possible, Of finding metal
which would resist any known cutting
/ instrument, as well as conclusion from
large quantities of nitro-glycerine or dy-
/ Mantle.
1t was found that armor-plate, made
| I'm accordance with United States Gov
| eminent specifications b. the Bethlehem
! Iron Company fully met every require
ment. The next important question 10 De
! determined was how 20 join these plates
| together independently Of screws IN d
manner TO utilize the strength OF the
material at all points. This problem mas
! been solved by patented methods OF con-
struction, whereby all plates are united
| by the duye-tail method, each plate sup
] porting and resisting the displacement OF
| the other
The door Of the vault, in Eliminated
construction, has been considered It's
weakest point. In the new armor-plate
| construction, the door is round. That oil
| the vault Of the Philadelphia saving
Fund Society will be Z feet & inches III
| diameter, II IL inches thick, ana Is "a
be ground to an alright point. Inc
boiling mechanism IS distributed on the
principles Of the spokes in the hub Oh
! wheel. Power is applied to these bolts
bv double automatic bolt-actuating me-
chanism, which is in turn checked by
! two three-moyement electrically-controH
ed time-locks.
As an illustration Of the difference II
the size of plates it may be stated ina
| the largest plate to be used In the Vaul
under consideration will weigh 2S,n
rounds. while the largest laminateC
plate used heretofore weighed 80"
pounds
English vault-builders have held aloo
from the use OF laminated metal, but nave
recently adopted re-forged Harveyizeo
nickel-steel armor-plate in the cohslruc
ton Of the best work.
In investigating this subject, the officers
Of the Philadelphia Saving-tund Society
had the advice of Mr.. Theodore NJ. Ely
director of motive power Of the Pennsyl
yania railroad: Mr.. Il. a. Pratt, of Messrs
Pratt a. Whitney, Hartford, Conn, anC
Dr. Coleman Sellers, of Philadelphia. The
first two were experts. having served OF
the commission appointed by the Unlte(
States Government in 1884 10 Investigate
the entire subject of vault and safe con
struction. Or. Sellers was also requested
TO act as a member OF this commission
but declined on account Of press OF bust
| ness.
The committee in It's report said: "Tht
use of Harveyized steel plates is prefera
BILE in every way TO fiye-ply or lamlnate'
plates, and superior also TO massive
blocks of chilled cast-iron, which In som'
| instances has been advocated. The form
| Of construction in the new safe embodle'
| the essential principle that must govern
vault construction when sing HarveyizeC
solid steel plates. The strength of
structure is the strength of its weakes
| part. and the capacity of vault, there
| fore, TO resist destruction, Is decreased
! bv the multiplicity of parts which are IN
! dlvidual points Of weakness. An armor
! plate structure will not only be secure
| against burglars working on time-limlt
| but will be far better also TO resist the
| forces brought to bear in case OF riot.
The officials Of the philadelphia Saw
ing-Fund Society are satisfied that in Sc
curing the best engineering ability &c
plan their vault and in determining t(
have it built of re-forged HaryeyizeC
nickel-steel armor-plate, they have MADE
a forward move in the war against BANK
| burglars that entities them TO the thanks
of the entire banking fraternity.