Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1913-05-08
DENVER'S MASSIVE MINT.
Il Would Take a Burglar Fifty Years
to Break Into 1t.

to Break Into 1t.
If a man twenty-five years old start
ed to rob the Denver mint he would
be seventy-ffve before he finished his
task of tunneling and drilling, if he
ever reached the vault When he did
reach the massive cage he could never
get at the money without detection.
He would have to bring his diving
suit along, as there is water several
feet deep under the foundation of the
mint. He would first have to go
through a wall four and a half feet
thick of brick and portland cement.
The boilers and coal bins are far I'M
dergrouDd. They are on the Evans
street side and more strongly protect
ed than a man-of-war They are at
least twenty feet below the surface
and surrounded on the top, side and
floor with q concrete wall four feet
thick.
Surprising our young boring friend
got through that wall, when he
emerged he would find another just as
thick and just as strong. The lower
portions of the mint building are d.
vided into compartments. They are
separated, each compartment with its
own defense.
The thief or thieves would find
real problem to get into the storage
vault. He would first have to break
through a steel door weighing seven
tons. He would then face what is
known as the outer vault. The safe in
this is 60 by 20 feet and is ten feet
high. There are millions of dollars in it.
This safe Is grit on every side with
a lining of chrome steel. In the corri-
dor within the great vault there are
four doors leading into the subvaults.
The cells where are located these
vaults are barred and Melted with
steel. There are no less than sixty
doors in the storage vault. Each OF
the eleven minor storage vaults is in
steel girt cage, which has two massive
steel gates. One Is above, the other
below.
The Diebold safe is secured by time
locks. On the inner side Of an eight
inch thick door Is a clock, which cal
: be set at night to be opened at any
selected time. Until that time arrives
not even government employees car
get in the ponderous door. Two officials
with keys must aid when the clocl
is ready to let them in.
The guards will visit the storage
vaults every few minutes and turn OF
q food of lights. Inspectors go abou
, day and night and visit all of tn
8 treasure rooms Of the building, upstair
: and down. Special attention is givel
to the vaults, but no portion of til
j; building is neglected. Every thirt
minutes "All's wellr' is heard over tn
+ private telephone.
s All over the building are hidden hig
! power magazine rifles. They are ole
J. and inspected regularly. 1t is said tina
= there are at least a hundred OF tines
), guns always ready for use. Thre
It years ago $4,000 was spent in the col
e struction of massive gates leading
the rooms where the money and bullio
y are stored.
q The alarm system is connected wit
j. police headquarters. 1t Is said that Il
Denver mint is the best protected
the world, and no big building has an
thing better In the way of defens
le with the exception perhaps Of the n
u. tional City bank of New York Th
le bank has an elaborate system Of stea
le pipes around its vaults for use again
ID raids. If these valves were released
N would roast every one In the baseme
of the bank alive-Denver Post.