Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1902-07-10
IN SAFE BLOWING.
Skill Of Burglars In Breaking Open
Steel Chests.
kitro-GIycerins Poured Into Crevtcss
of the Door Tears H from Its
FasteainEs d. VERY
Thorough Manner.

Ailf Bab''ff''1'f'N @-
in this country were formerly makers
of safes, who know every combination
and trick Of the trade, and are skilled
in the use OF the most modern tools
and have thorough owledge OF the
weak points Of every safe on the mar
ket. For many years safe breaking
was carried on with great success.
The time lock and the combination
lock put a stop to great deal OF this
activity, and then an arrangement Was
made whereby, even II the hinges were
sawed of, the door still remained
locked. II almost seemed as II the
burglars had finally been foiled at
every point, when nitrO-glycerine
made its appearance, says the New
York Times.
Burglars were quick to see that
this powerful liquid, which is still the
active principle Of guncpttOn and
dynamite, put nearly all the snfes on
the market at their mercy. But II re-
quires tae highest mechanical skill and
great deal of experience and knowl-
edge 10 use nitro-glycerinc upon safe
successfully.
Very few people are aware. however,
how simple are the Instruments need
ed by the modern burglar in opening a
safe with nitro-gly and just how
he proceeds TO business. His outfit
consists OF few pounds Of putty, a
sufficient quantity Of nitro-glycerine,
a hammer aud perhaps a couple Of
thin wedges. With these. and fuse
and matches, he is ready to 'negoti-
ate" the so-calied burp!ar-proof safe,
ard the Cegree OF his succc-s depends
almost wh ny upon himself.
a very short time Is needed in which
to blow" sufc. III" first thing done
Is 20 make careful inspection Of the
upper door lamb Of lLc ,afe. no mat
ter how tieht-hlting and carefully ad-
justcr the door Of safe hny he, II is
claimed that it is impossible 80 make
II SO that "a wedge hGidiy III ckGr han
a razor cGle will not find entrance.
4 few tapb with hammer drive IN tho
thin edge of the wedge, making an
opening which may not be any bigger
than thin sheet Of paper. The wedge
is driven further, thick wedge IL in
serted, and this is followed, perhaps,
by a still thicker one, each wedge only
receiving a few dun blows until finally
the opening between the door and the
wall Of the safe is perhaps sixteenth
of an inch wide Leaving the last
wedge in place, the burglar now turns
To his lump Of putty and goes to
work on the bottom OF the safe
door.
The minute crack hcre where the
doro and the safe meet is carefully
putucd up along its whole length, and
the line Of putty il continued mp for
about foot on each end along the
sides Of the door The burglar with
his putty next makes coup" at the
top Of the door directly facing the
opening made hy IN" wedge. When the
cup is finished he Glls 1t up with nitro
glyccriue. This slowly pcrcolntCs
through the thin opening made by the
wedge, nnd rs soon rs the cup has emp
tied ITSELF il is filled again. Now. what
happens?
The nitro.glycerine does not simply
disappear in the safe among the books
aud drawers. II slides down the top
of the door ot an angle Of IS degrees
and follows down the inside Of the
door Instead Of resting ON the bot
tom Of the safe, the nitro-glycerine
follows the steps" into which tho
door is fitted. Here the uitroglycer-
inc collects, the putty on the outside
OF the door presenting its escape.
The burglar keeps pouring in nitro
clyccriuc by the aid OF his "cup" until
he believes that the mtcrSticrs be-
tween the bottom ~ the door and
the safe are fun of liquid. making u
layer under the door at mn angle
Of about forty-fve degrees The
safe Is then ready to be "blown." ."
which merely consist, ia setting ofI the
expressive So powerful is nitro-glyc-
crime that it vrcnchrs the door ;'om
its place aud leaves th, inside " the
safe at the mercy OF the burglar,