St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-05-23
A Burglar Proof Safe.
The Electric Device at the National
Rank of NeMbury.


Bank of Newbury.
Yesterday there was installed at Wells
River the new electrical device and pro
tective system by the Bankers Electric
Protective Co. of Boston and the National
Bank oil Newbury has now as perfect a
system for the protection OF burglars
as the fertile brain of man can devise
The system is very simple in its workings
but very complicated in its construction,
and each part of the system acts upon
such a check with the other part that it
dehes the efforts of the most expert cleo
trician to circumvent or render it inoper-
ative, even when possessed OF the full
knowledge of all the details of its manu-
facture. The system has been installed
in the leading banks throughout the
country to prevent the burglarlzing of
banks by means of the storage battery
system. 1t may not be generally known
to those not familiar with banking that
it is now possible to cut through the
thickest chrome steel by means Of heat
generated by electricity from storage
battery. With storage battery that
can be carried in an express team heat
of $500 degrees can be generated and
chrome steel seven and one-half inches
thick can be penetrated in about 20
minutes. To prevent such a catastrophe
the Bankers Electric Protective Com
pany have invented an electric system
that is on duty every hour of the day and
night and that is absolutely automatic
in its operation. The essence of their
system is the sounding of loud gong
which is placed in protected steel box
outside the bank building. Any disturb
ance in the bank or at this gong box sets
the big gong ringing for Is minutes and
the gong can be heard for a radius of
half a mile.
The vault at the Wells River bank is
well built being of brick and granite 54
inches in thickness. The only difference
today from its former appearance is that
the outside door of the vault is quar-
ter-sawed hardwood door, handsomely
finished. This door is lined throughout
its center, as is its frame and lamb, with
an electric lining. When this is closed at
night the electric lining is connected bv
wires to the gong, and any disturbance
at once starts the gong. The system
still further provides for an electric lining
which covers all sides of the vault, so
that there is a complete electric barrier |
around the vault. This lining is so sen.
sative that any puncture will instantly
sound the alarm. The vault is con-
nected to the gong by a braided
cable composed of 10 very small strands
OF copper wire, each individually braided
and insulated together, thus forming a
OF circuits with which it is
impossible to tamper. 1t one
OF these wires are cut or any two of them
brought together the gong will sound
and all the people in Wells River will be
out to see what is the matter.
Our readers may not be interested in a
technical description of this interesting
device, but any of them will receive a
cordial welcome at the bank should they
desire to inspect the system. The Ma
tional Bank of Newbury is the first bank
in Vermont to adopt this device and by
its adoption their depositors and owners
OF safety deposit drawers are guaranteed
a protection beyond the ordinary steel
vault against forced entrance-by what
ever means employed-drill, explosives
or the electric carbon.
The following banks in New England
have already introduced this system.
Third National, Atlas, Second National,
Elliott, State Street Safe Deposit Co., all
Of Boston; National Bank of Rhode Is.
and at Newport; First National and In
'titute for Savings, New Bedford; First
National of Fair Haven, Mass. Casco
National Bank of Portland; Littleton
National Bank; First National Bank of
N Marlboro, Mass National Bank of New
Jury.
The system has many patrons through
tut the middle west no less than II of
he Chicago banks having installed the
liant and many of the financial institu-
ions in such large cities as Milwaukee,
st. Paul, Omaha and the
mailer cities OF the great western states.
The system was installed at Wells Riy-
r by J. E. Coan, representing the Bank
RS Electric Protective Company oil New
England, with headquarters at 81 State
treet, Boston. 1
fish and Game Lecture.
Commissioner IOhu w Titconnh r,o,o