Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-11-14
TIL AMEELl

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money. 1ne fasas, tubas are
safes on whicl locks are tne
OMEN every mo 50 that Il u
sary the bans aers could have
money at momTits notice. Tie
divisions of the vault form really
chamber with wa!ls Of drill proof 81
The walls are Gfil proof, yet as d me
ter of fact the NJ TO date burglar a.
not work with drills. A few sticks
dynamite, some nitroglycerin in b.
tie. with alcohol, putty. candles. wre
wire nippers aha ati exhaust pun
are the principal items in his outnt
With these tools he often makes az
impression" on a small safe.
But single charge Of dynamite heav
enough to open the joints of a big van
would wreck the whole building. u
limited time, therefore, in which t.
work would be necessary to the sue
cessful wrecking of drill proof vau
by explosives, for it would be neces-
sary to use long succession of small
charges, to work patiently at plate aft
err plate, and the conditions make this
absolutely impossible. The reason such
great pains are taken to make all joints
water tight is to guard against the
Introduction of nitroglycerin, which
has about the consistency of honey OF
common glycerln. Nitroglycerin is not
effective unless 1t is inside the safe or
vault.
The entire great steel room is made
fireproof by being inclosed in brick
or tile or cement walls. between which
and the steel walls is an air space four
ductor of heat, and. being interposed
between the brick and the steel walls,
prevents the latter from becoming
overheated. So perfect is the protec-
ton that even when building has
been destroyed the contents of the
vaults within have remained rnchang-
ed. Several times has this result been
noted after fierce fires in the big cities
In which bank buildings have suffered.
Notwithstanding these extraordinary
safeguards against fire and thieves of.
fered by these walls of steel and fire.
vaults are never left without human
guards. All night three watchmen pa
troll the entire building. These men
pre required to set off certain signals
in various parts of the building every
half hour The record of these signals
is shown on an electric clock If one
Waterman failed to make one signal
at the proper time the record clock
would disclose such failure. Besides
these ordinaSS signals there are alarm
boxes near the vault door where the
Waterman can ring up the police. fire
department. etc.
Even should three watchmen fail in
their duty-somcthing hardly to be
ina gined. since it would mean ruin to
the men--there is an automatic alarm
set off by any contact with the inner
surface of tie vault. so, if one can
imagine the unimaginable and suppose
the impossible, that by any means a
thief could get through the walls or
the door of the vault, the moment he
reached the inner surface a gong on
the roof or in the street in front of the
bank building would clang out an
alarm that would be heard three
blocks away.
still further piling of Ossa on Pc
lion is the insurance which all the large
bankers carry on their depositors'
money. stocks. bonds and other collat-
eral.
Considering all these extraordinary
safeguards which are commonly taken
by bank, Is it any wonder that, with
the exceptions noted, no bank vault in
the large cities has been even attempt
ed during the last quarter of centu-
ry.--Chicago Tribune.