Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-04-30
GUARDING A FINE GEM
Extraordinary Precautions For
Safety of CuIIinan Diamond.
ARTISAN EMPLOYED GUARDED


TransvaaIs Gift to EngIands King.
Stone Worth ,ooo-secret and
Uniformed Police Employed as
Guards.
Some of the particulars about the
care bestowed on the Cullinan diamond
the Transvaars gift to King Edward
VII.-read like a chapter from a detec-
tive story. To account for the anxiety
for the safety of the stone, it must be
remembered that it belongs to the
crown jewels of England, not another
of which can approximate it in value,
size and brilliancy. The most difficult
operation, the cleaving, was perform
ed by an expert, and its success was
celebrated with champagne. The dia-
mond now appears as pear shaped
stone, and when it shall be polished
and quite ready it will weigh about
1000 carats. In its rough original
state the stone weighed 3,O27 carats.
The eventual shape to be given the
stone is kept a profound secret by
King Edward and the head of the dia-
mond cutting firm, says w. j. L. Kiehl,
special correspondent of the Chicago
News at The Hague. All that is known
is that it is to have fifty eight facets,
which is the largest number a dia-
mond ever had.
The intrinsic value of the diamond is
about 100000 tlorins go, 100000, but
because of the rarity of such large
stones it can safely he estimated at
100000 forms ($4,SOO,0OO). The skill
ed artisan who has to polish the stone
is a master of his craft, and the great
est precautions are being taken to
guard him and the diamond during the
long and delicate operation of cutting
and polishing, which will be perform
ed in large. well lighted and ventilat-
ed room, situated in the second story
Of a side wing of the factory, contigu-
Gus to the room of the heads of the
firm. 1t will take whole year before
the stone is ready, and during all that
time the working hours for the skilled
artisan will be from I 4. III. until o
p. IN. He is not allowed 10 leave the
room even for his ueris. Besides the
principal workman, there will he two
assistants, and one of the members of
the firm will be constantly present in
the room. This is locked upon the
men by the head of the firm himself,
who keeps the key
At night it is even more difficult to
reach the stone than in the daytime.
In a tremendously strong tireproof
room, the walls of which are more
than a foot thick and made of cement
and iron, is placed a great iron fire
proof safe, and in this lies the dia-
mond. The door of the strong room
can only be opened by means of a fig
ure lock, the figures being known only
to the heads Of the firm. Behind the
door is heavy iron grating, and when
this is opened the place is Immediately
flooded with electric light. Then the
great iron fireproof safe becomes visi-
bic in the middle of the room. This
safe Is painted to resemble mahogany.
and not a single lock is visible. There
are nine strong locks, but these are
placed beneath Il secret sliding panel
Even when the outer doors of this safe
have been opened the diamond cannot
be reached before another secret pi-
Geonhole has been opened, In which the
valuable stone reposcs. The factory
Is guarded night and day by a private
guard of its own as well as by secret
and uniformed police. The strong
room is again specially guarded by
two men, who every half hour have TO
touch an electric controller which sig
nails their presence. If the signs of the
electric controller point only one sec.
ond past the regulation time, the
guards are severely rcprimauded.