Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 74, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 April 1917 — TO HAVE FINE BANK VAULT [ARTICLE]

TO HAVE FINE BANK VAULT

Vault to Be Plneed In the New National Bank Quarters One of Best Possible to Obtain. The new banking quarters now under construction for the First Nationare entirely modem in every respect and have been planned with the idea of being of the utmost service to the public. Rooms for both men and women patrons are provided for and these will be fitted with every facility and convenience for the bank patrons. Service and safety are the dominant notes and to show how thoroughly the safety part has been taken care of, a description of the vault construction will probably be interesting. The storage vault in the basement and the bank and security vault rest on a reinforced concrete foundation, two feet thick and deeper than the surrounding footings. The walls, floors and ceiling of the vault are 18 inches thick and of concrete. In the exact center of these walls is a steel basket, with 6 inch meshes, made of 3-4 inch steel rods, running both ways and wired together at each crossing. This is the strongest and most modem vault construction known and is the same as will be found in the large banking institutions in the cities. Should the concrete be shattered by an explosion, which is highly improbable, as the concrete is a very rich mixture, the steel baskets would still bar the way and at least a dozen bars would have to be cut through. But the thief would not have accomplished him aim then, for the entire inside of the vault, 4 walls and ceiling, .will be lined with * Openhearth steel Va inch in thickness. The joints between the plates will be covered with large plates, the screws countersunk and no opening left where an explosive could be inserted. This steel cannot be sawed or drilled. All the burglar has to do to enter the vault is blast or burn his way through 18 inches of concrete and 1% inches of steel, unless he chooses to try to enter by the door, and from the description of the door furnished us by the bank officials it does not sound inviting either. — ~ The door itself is 6 1-8 inches thick, built of various layers and designed to withstand every known method of attack. First there is 1-8 inch of polished steel for the finish plate, then 1 inch of Operiheath-steel, 1 inch of 5 ply Chrome steel, 1% inches of Carbondine insulation, 2 inches of non* burnable metal, and lastly, another inch of Openhearth steel. The jambs are of the same thickness and construction as the door. The door is hung on a solid double gooseneck crane hinge, and is 90 perfectly balanced that it can be moved with one finger. It is closed by bar pressure system, operated by means of a pilot hand wheel. This forces the door tight against the jambs after which it is locked by 24 round steel bolts, 2 inches in diameter, thrown by a lever. There will be two 72-hour Yale and Town time locks. The spindles do not come trhough the door, but are controlled by an outside gear wheel, so that there is absolutely no crack or opening where a drill or explosive can be inserted. In addition to this the door will be equipped with a checking or anti-dynamite device. On the inside of the vestibule is the day gate, a heavy steel grille, which is kept closed when the door is open. The vault door alone weighs six tons, and with the vestibule a little over seven tons. The finish will be polished steel and the door will be as handsome and as good to look upon as any vault door anywhere. The vault is 12-6x14x8-6, divided by a steel grille. The rear portion will contain the files, book racks, etc., and the Harveized burglar-proof money safes for currency. The front portion will be fitted with safety deposit boxe3 of the most modem construction. These boxes will be of various sizes and will rest in a frame or nest, of which the smallest division is % inch, all of Bessemer steel. Each box 13 equipped with two locks, the key for one erf which is 'held by the person who rents the box and the other by a bank official. It requires both keys to unlock and ercords will be kept of the time, etc., that each box was opened. Small cupon rooms will be provided where the customer has absolute privacy for the use of safe deposit patrons. Thus the peoptiLi of this community will have all the conveniences and safety of a large city safe deposit company, and at a considerably less charge. No expense has been spared to make the vault and safe deposit equipment of the very best, and there is not an institution in Indiana that can boast of a better safety service equipment. It is the jest one can buy and worthy in every way of the Rensselaer community. ,