Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-02-14
DENVER's MASSIVE MINT.
Il Would Take Burglar Fifty Year,
to Break into Il.

II man twenty-five years old start,
ed to rob the Denver mint he would
he seventy-fve before lie finished bis
task Of tunneling aud 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 ~
through a wall four and 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
door with 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 mint building are dI-
vided into compartments. They are
separated, each compartment with its
own defense.
The thief or THE yes woald find a
real problem tn get into the storage
vault. He would first have to break
through q steel door weighing seven
tons. BE would then face what Is
known as the outer vault. The safe in
this is 90 by 20 feet and is ten feet
high. There are millions Of dollars in It
This safe Is grit on every side with
q lining of chrome steel. In the eorri-
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
steel grit cage. which has two massive
steel gates. One Is above. the other
below.
Tho Dieoold safe IL secured by time
locks. On the inner side OF an eight
inch thick door Il q clock, which can
be set at night to DO opened at any
selected time. UatA that time arrives
not even government employees can
get IN the ponderous door. Two officials
with keys must aid when the clock
La ready to let than In.
The guards will visit the storage
vaults every few minutes and turn On
q nood Of hghts- inspectors 60 about
day and night and visit all of the
treasure rooms Of the building, upstairs
! and down Special Rtteution In Riyen
TO the vaults, but no portioa Of the
building il neglected. Every thirty
minutes ANS wellv' IN heard over the
private telephone.
All ever the building are hidden high
power magazine rfnes. They are oiled
and inspected regularly. 1t is said that
there are at least q hundred of these
guns always ready for use. Three
| years ago 5000 was spent in the con-
stfuction Of massive gates leading to
the rooms where the money and bullion
are stored
The alarm system is connected with
/ police headquarters 1t is said that the
Denver mint is Ehe best protected in
the world, and no big building has any
thing better in the way of defense.
with the exception perhaps OF the Ma.
tfOnal City bank OF New York. This
bank has an elaborate system of steam
| pipes around It's vaults for use against
raids II these valves were released il
/ would roast every one in the basement
I OF the bank alive-Denver Post
] |