The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-22
SCIENTIFIC BURGLARS.
Up-to-Date cracksman Uses Porta-
 ble oxy-AoetyIene BlowpIpe.

From the New York Evening Sun.
 Consul Thomas H. Norton. writing in tho United States Consular Reports from Chemnitz, says that the confidence of German manufacturers of safes in the re- sistance of their wares against the ordi- nary safe-blowing operations has been rudely shaken by the recent achieve ments of a single, unaided robber m Dresden and other cities. The details of this last operation are follows:
 In a hotel q room was secured, which was situated immediately above tho of flee of money changer At night hole was pierced in the ceiling of this office. By the use of drill and saw circular piece of the flooring was easily raised. Beneath lay thick layer of cement. small orihce was made in this, and an umbrella showed down in the space be- low. The umbrella was attached firmly from above. and when opened received without noise all the fragments of ce- ment which were dislodged the hole was enlarged So as to allow of the easy passage of a person. By means or a rope ladder the descent was easily made Into the office below Curtains were drawn, and with heavy blankets a tent was constructed around the safe so thick that no ray of light could pass through Next the robber brought down two cylinders of compressed oxygen ana an acetylene generator, charged with cal cIum carbide and water With these nc was able to produce bowpipe flame or such intensity that steel fuses In 1t like lead in an ordinary gas jet. It required but brief space of time to melt away So much of the door that all the contents of the safe were accessible. They were carried to the room above. At an early hour the robber left his lodgings and dls- appeared without trace.
 It Is evident from this experience that the builders of safes must provide TOT new contingencies in their constructions. The simple, light, acetylene generators now in widespread use and the equally sinple oxygen generators, charged with water and sodium peroxide. or the heavier cylinders of compressed oxygen, place at the service of the intelligent crook the possibilities of opening the strongest safes in existence rapidly and noiseless- ly. provided the operator can be screened from observation.
 Some large safes are so disposed that they are under frequent observation by watchmen looking through windows Usually the observation is confined to the doors of bank vaults or the like, al- though in the case of globular sares IL practically extends to all exposed slues' In the greater majority of cases existing safes would offer next to no dirculty to a slxillful cracksman if able to work With out being seen. It is evident that owners will be forced henceforth to adopt such measures as will reduce to minimum all possibilities of access to free-stahn- ing movable safes or the hidden sides of safes imbedded in cement or masonry.
 Manufacturers of safes will, on the con trary, be impeled to fight the scientlnc burglar with his own weapons In some what the same fashion by which tlne locks prevent the opening of the lock or A safe during certain hours It Will pc comparatively easy to introduce into safe construction chemlco mechanical devices which. during limited time, would rem der it either fatal or physically 'mpossi- hla to remain in the vicinity of safe or vault were the walls or door tampered with to such an extent as to allow access to the interior. By the use or very simple form of apparatus containing potassium cyanide and sulphurio acid robber would expose himself to the dead- ly fumes of prussic acid.
 Less dangerous, through possibilities or accident to those regularly using a safe, would be the employment of substances crppling safe blower or forcing hlm to an instantaneous retreat. The Vola- tlizatlon of a few drops of ethyl-dichlor- acetnte would cause such proruse ana persistent weeping that one In the lh'- mediate nelghborhooa G;2Hld be fempo- rarily blinded if he persisted In renlain, ing. The breaking of tube of liquid ammonia would render immediate with drawal imperative under peril of suno- cation. Several similar compounds are at the service of constructors. Eventu- ally the daring burglar with sufficient scientific training might venture to lace the unknown dangers of n safe well pro- vided with more or less effective neutral- izing agents for the concealed possipiii- ties of defense: but certainly for some lime at slight expense. effective protec- lion can be devised against the attack of the scientific cracksman with his port able oNy-acetylene blowpipe.