The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1913-03-27
DENvER's MASSIVE MINT.
IL Would Take Burglar Fifty Years
to Break Into It.

H.. r
If a man twenty-five years old start
ed to rob the Denver mint be would
be seventy-tive 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 u wall four and half feet
thick OF brick and portland cement.
The boilers and coal bins are far un-
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 a concrete wall four feet
thick.
Supposing 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 min ng are d.
vided into compart Meuts. 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 girt 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
|
| 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 Light 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 'Alrs wellr' is heard over the
| private telephone.
All over the building are hidden higt
! power magazine rifles. They are oile6
and inspected regularly. 1t is said tina
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
| are stored.
The alarm system is connected will
police headquarters. It is said that the
| 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
! fonal City bank of New York. This
bank has an elaborate system of steam
| pipes around it's vaults for use agains
| raids. If these valves were released i
would roast every one in the basement
of the bank alive:-Denver Post.