Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1913-03-13
DENVER'S MASSIVE MINT.
It Would Take Burglar Fifty Years
to Break Into It,

If a man twenty-five years old start
ed to rob the Denver mint he would
be seventy-five 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 half feet
thick of brick and portland cement.
The boilers and coal bins are far I'M
derground. 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 a 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 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 1t.
This safe is girt on every side with
a lining Of chrome steel. In the corr1-
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
steel girt cage, which has two massive
steel gates. One Is above, the othel
below.
The Diebold safe is secured by tim;
; locks. On the inner side Of an eigh
inch thick door is a clock, which cal
be set at night to be opened at an,
selected time Until that time arrives
not even government employees cal
get In the ponderous door. Two official
with keys must aid when the clocl
is ready to let them in.
The guards will visit the storag
vaults every few minutes and turn Of
O flood of lights. Inspectors go abou
day and night and visit all Of tn
treasure rooms of the building, upstair
and down. Special attention is give
to the vaults, but no portion of tn
building is neglected. Every thirt
minutes "All's wellr' is heard over tn
private telephone.
All over the building are hidden hig
power magazine rifles. They are ollie
and inspected regularly. 1t is said thf
there are at least a hundred of thes
guns always ready for use. Thre
years ago $4,000 was spent in the CO.
struction of massive gates leading
the rooms where the money and bullic
are stored.
The alarm system is connected wit
police headquarters. 1t is said that ii
Denver mint is the best protected
the world, and no big building has an
thing better in the way of defens
with the exception perhaps of the n
tional City bank of New York. Th
bank has an elaborate system of stea
pipes around its vaults for use again
raids If these valves were released
Ig would roast every one in the baseme
of the bank alive.-Denver Post.