The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1903-08-19
SCIENCE IN BURGLARY
.opsRN DISCOVERIES UTILIZED BY
BLOWERS OF SAFES.
oogss Yet Been Made Which Can
o.sist the Attacks of a Burglar Who
Knows His Profession.

is,bz proud boast of the present
safe.breaking fraternity that,
-1 h.,eyer the achievements OF the
~nfacturers are. no safe has yet
ID'IN n,sde which can resist the attacks
' :, b,rgIar who knows his profession.
U.s. trne this is it would be rather
n .s,,,,+ 70 saw: but it is quite certain
' ,. i he is to battle the modern Bill
" srI, the shoemaker must exert his
'rartive powers and ingenuity to the
utmost 49,. -,
a,tacked a safe with hammer,
,orbar, chisel and few skeleton
~. Nowadays he utilities modern
,,.,orarips of science to aid him in his
,torious work, and relies on his
rroulsdge of chemistry and mechan-
successfully accomplish rob-
berry.
stance, now employ a chemical com
ronnd BY which the finest steel can
bo nisreed. This compound is called
,bermite. which, when mixed with
m.gne.ium powder, softens the hard
-, steel TO such an extent that it may
he MERGED as easily as lead. With the
aid Of this compound the burglar can
find his way into the toughest safe.
The tbermite is placed on the toy or
some other part of the safe, and gen.
crates such a fierce heat that the hard
a.t steel cannot resist it.
One of the most. useful AMI common
scientific appliances which burglars
emnlov nowadays is an oxy-hYdrogen
bIow pipe, which produces such an in
,anse heat that the metal against
which the fame is directed is melted.
Only a few months ago safe in one of
the London postoffices was opened by
means of one of these blow pipes. The
bnrujars who ACCOMPLISHED the deed
merely had as tools bit of India rub
her tubing and a cylinder of oxygen
GAS, They fixed the tubing to the gas
lei, turned on the oxygen, and obtain
ed heat of 1000 degrees, sufficient to
melt the steel of battleship.
Electricity, too, renders most valua'
ble aid to the modern burglar. Some
time ago the safe of a well-known'
wholesale firm of tobacconists was
broken into and robbed of its contents.
The safe was found to have large
hole melted through the door, and at
first the police were considerably puz-
zled in their endeavors to find out how
this had been accomplished. Ultimate
IL it was discovered that the burglars
had torn down the electric light wires
which were enstalled in the building,
aud used the current to fuse the metal.
Needless to say, the men must have
been skilled electricians, provided
with an elaborate apparatus, in order
to accomplish such piece of work.
About two years ago daring at.
tempt was made to open the safe of
weltknown firm of HattOn Garden
diamond merchants. Forum atelY the
burglars were disturbed in their work,
and in their haste to escape left be-
hind an assortment of beautifully
made tools and an automatic furnace
ola kind entirely new to the Scotland
Yard officials. This automatic furnace
was a remarka BILE Continuance, consist
Ing of a semi-cylindrical shaped piece
Otmetal, lined with asbestos and fitted
with mechanical "blast,s the fuel
used being coke and charcoal. These
furnaces which produce keen, biting
lame, are used to neat the sides of a
safe, IN order that they may be more
easily pierced.
remarkable breaking exploit
was reported from Paris last year,
which shows with what rapidity the
modern burglar can work. Four men,
under official observation, we're seen to
Oresk into al Office and attack a large
sale They bored holes at each angle
1.-THE door, and then knocked out four
n'e@' Bending the outside plate
A''le' 1t was gripped by curious in
SFument with immense gYratory lev
sfage and absolutely rolled up like the
Nl Of sardine box. The lock was
'uu' exposed to view, and the with
.Fs"al OF *few screws allowed the
UOOr TO be opened. The whole oDer-
''lOn only lasted a quarter of an hour,
GU 1t would be difficult to say who
'SF7 most surprised-the burglars
= 0eIng arrested as they left the Office
v 'ae police who had watched their
operations.
IL IS popular belief that the mod
~ burglar relies mostly on skeleton
, ae!s 10 order TO open safe. AS a
-@-LEr or Of