The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-22
IRON CUT BY FLAME
CHICAGO ELECTRICIAN DIVIDES
PLATE WITH CURRENT
AND CARBON
EASY AS CUTTING CHEESE
Bankers Are Now in Dread Of Use
of the Method by burglars.
and Are Seeking to Find
Preventive.

INDIANAPOLIS Ind. March 2k-Is
the ability of man to harness electricity
and oblige it to do his bidding an un-
mixed blessing? The question was asked
by number Of bank officials and safety
deposit vault men this week in The base
ment of the old Insurance building as
they looked on while J. E. Haschke or
Chicago, cut into three sections with a
flame produced by an electric current a
wrought iron boiler pan fve-sixteenths of
an inch thick and fourteen by fifteen feet
in area.
The light in the dark basement was 50
intense from the white flame that the
onlookers suffered temporary loss Of sight
when they passed into daylight. The
heat was intense enough to melt the
hinges off the doors of any safes or
vaults in existence, and the current was
obtained by tapping an ordinary cleo
trlc wire in the new Wells building
plant.
Used u Carbon Paint
Some time ago the owners of the Ola
Insurance building determined 10 remove
the boiler basin and were confronted
with d1hhculty. The great size made il
impossible to remove il as ii Law and to
saw it into sections was too great . task
TWO of the flags in the Broadway walk
were removed and Mir. Haschke began
ltnO sections. A wire was connected
with the 220 volt. 500 ampere plant In
the new Wells building and carried III
the Old Insurance basement. Here a.
carbon was attached to the end Of the
wire and affixed to an insulated handle
Inc current was turned on and the on
orator went to work. Bringing the car
Don INTO close proximity to the iron
caused the current to pass. and the
stream of light was so intense that the
operator was obliged to wear two pairs
OF cOlored glasses with black cloth be-
tween. 80 intense was the fame that no
Guilty
Most of the time a shield Of hardened
Sleel lined with asbestos was used foY-
protection; A loud, kissing sound ac-
conpanied the melting. and the crack.
VINCE was from one to three inches JIM
width, heightened at the rate of a foot
IN i've minutes. The highest amperag0
required was GOO
Possibilities for Bank Robbers.
The feat caused those present I'd ask
one another if it would not be possible
Tor skilled electrician to turn burglar
and melt the doors or combinations off
safes and secure their contents. Many
outings are equipped with the necessary
electro plant, and the process is sim
pie. Many banks are considering puttino-
In vaults which will have the double
set OF steel plates sufficiently far apart
to permit Of placing between them an
appliance which would sound an alarm
when heated beyond a certain degree or
temperature. Several safes Of this kind
nave already been placed in anticipation
Of possible burglary by the means de
scribed. and a bankers electric protec-
tive company has been formed to protect
banks against loss by such means
Mr.. Haschke has been called several
times to open large vaults throughout
the country which could not be entered
by any other means. "A hole burned
through the door near the combination
was all that was found necessary. al
though the entire door could have been
melted out had such course been nee
essary. 1t is admitted on all sides that
1T would be a simple matter for anyone
familiar with the use of electricity to
carry wire from the main to be found
on any floor Of buildings using electricity
and get sufficient voltage to open safes.
These dynamos are giving power day ana
night and the wires are easily accessible.