The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-04-10
DENVER'S MASSIVE MINT.
It Would Take Burglar Fifty Years
. to Break Into It.

H would Take a Burglar FIFTY Years
to Break Into It.
1t a man twenty-five years old start
ed to rob the Denver mint he would
be seventy-tive before be 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
:uit 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 half feet
thick of brick and portland cement.
The boilers and coal bins are far IN
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
| thick.
Surprising our young boring friend
got through that wall, when be
emerged he would find another just as
thick and just as strong. The lower
portions of the mir ng are d.
| vided into compart Ments. They are
separated, each compartment with it's
own defense.
The thief or thieves would find a
| 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
lining of chrome steel. In the CORR
dor within the great vault there are
| four doors leading into the subvaultS.
| The cells where are located these
! vaults are barred and netted with
steel. There are no less than sixty
doors in the storage vault. Each of
| the eleven minor storage vaults is in a
| 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 can
be set at night to be opened at any
selected time Until that time arrives
not even government employees can
| get in the ponderous door. Two officials
with keys must aid when the clock
is ready to let them in.
The guards will visit the storage
! vaults every few minutes and turn on
flood of lights. Inspectors go about
day and night and visit all Of the
treasure rooms of the building, upstairs
and down. Special attention is given
to the vaults, but no portion of the
building is neglected. Every thirty
minutes "Alls well!' is heard over the
private telephone
All over the building are hidden high
power magazine rifles. They are oileG
end inspected regularly. 1t is said thai
| there are at least a hundred of these
guns always ready for use. Three
years ago $4,000 was spent in the con
struction Of massive gates leading tt
the rooms where the money and bullion
are stored.
| The alarm system is connected will
police headquarters. It is said that thu
Denver mint is the best protected il
the world and no big building has any
thing better in the way of defense
with the exception perhaps of the Ma
tional City bank of New York. Thi
bank has an elaborate system of steam
pipes around it's vaults for use agains
raids. If these valves We're released
would roast every one in the basemen
of the bank alive.-Denver Post.