The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-12

Treasure Wants That Tan Defy Wire,
Earthquake, Explosive and the New
est Tools n science A. We'll a. the safe
Breaker Caution In safe FActorlrS
A safe has been built in England, d re-
cent cable despatch saii. for the special
purposa ~ holding radium This safe did
not have % ba large, bat 10 had 90 be- built
not only 70 keep out fire and burglars but
also N keep in the radmm The pir;icu-
lar problem Of preventing IN" escape u
the radium was met by putting In the lin
ing 81 the safe three inch layer Il lead
The capacity II IN" safe is placed a. 10
pounds ~ radlum. with an estimated yalu"
~ S. nm. OO0.OOO II IL not expected that
the entire worlds supply II adum will
b. sufficient 20 overiaN this capacity Tor
a good while O. come.
So far as ia known the problem ~ m.
construction n safe for this particular
purpose has not vet been presented 20 any
American manufacturer, but the manu-
facturera on this side II the ocean hav.
done still NOR. wonderful things IN the
way ~ producing a safe or vault that will
not yield 20 fire earthquake or yegRineu
The manufacturers boast ~ their mod
ern product that II Is imp"rviou- 20 any
attack. and there are ~ data on which 90
base a contradiction 70 their boast
safes are broken into nov and then. hut
IN moet cases they are of older design
OF Of cheaper construction than the high
class modern product The Baltimore
FIRE and the san Francisco earthquake and
FIRE gave the manufacturers some - their
best selling arguments.
For many years there has been a con
tinuOus warfare between safe makers
and safe breakers not unlike that between
the manufacturer u heavy guns and
thOse ~ armOr plate but there r. this
difference safe makers long ago took
the lead and their opponents have not
yet caught up with them outside II mslo-
drama
The contest is unequal The manu-
facturers are able business men and en-
gineers. the yeggm-n for 'ha most part
aTe 81 a low order mentally a. well ~
morally Now and then there is talk
about some extremely clever safe breaker.
but IL usually ~ found that he Uses IN.
same tools that his predecessors used
Scientific men are continually making
discoveries that might play directly
into the hands ~ the crooks bat long
before the latter over hear Il them the
safe making experts have devised a means
Of combating those very methods
Two great limitations operate against
the hank burglar He must b. his work
quickly and hs must do b. with such tools
~ he can easily carry about With him
In communities ~ any sIzD be also must
do IL quie'ly. bat that - problem that
IL easily met. II wet blanket 10 wrapped
around m. safe m. explosion il not hoard
outside the room
The mechanism ~ big modern safe
IN a Providence hank went wrong not
long ago and the safe refused 10 open
The makers we're notified and eVp-rts
were scot o. Providence a. once They
Carrien compisre working drawings ~
the safe show ug every detail ~ ~ CON
struction. and they wen. supplied with
every tool that could he ~ uss Further
more they did NOT have ~ do their work
quietly or secretly
Il took them just twelve days 10 force
tlo.3 way into tho safe veRgman
without Interference would hav" been
working ~ the job vet
In tho old days % safe could b. attacked
from almost am side 4 hole was made
through the steel sail wi'h tho drill and
Thr1ttssk fbfr 81. liz ....... r..af...,tI..tH
Then NE makers began using steel that
could not ho drilled by any imrIrmenf
whirh IN" burglar would have ~ hi- com
mand ana tH" attention ~ fnr -afr break
orH was directed ~ tho doors
safe do0rH = the 0ii 'HT.s seldom fitted
gnugly so when ra was urar anfef from
Rling tho drill tho OPERATOR f0uk up fha
wedge az his implement, driving u INTO