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w·I L M E T T E L I FE June 24, 1927 · Vaults Ho· Ponderous Cube of Steel, Concrete used tn Walls and ceiling of gleaming steel distinguish t.he main vault room t~ the .left To the right is the' view from the vault mto the coupon. room::~ which line the passage way. Below is the 46,000 pound door as tt looks when swung open. Photos hy L..tlle Thick Walls of Polished Metal Concrete and Electric Wires Defy Burglars, Fire and Rust . \ 46,000 pound door and 23-inch thick walls guard the bank and saiety deposit vaults of the State Bank and Trust company. All the latest patents and devices known in the art of modern \'ault construction arc employed in making these \'aults as near!~· fireproof ancl burglar-proof as possible. Electrical protection wires embedded in the concrete wall~. Hoors and ceiling- of the \'attlts arc such that if an attempt \~·en· made to cut into it at any point, a large alarm gong would souncl at the outside of the building and simultaneously an alarm would he automatically gi\'en at the police station. The vault is divided into two parts, one for the bank or ca~h deposits and the other, for the sa fc deposit boxes of hank patrons. The!'. are separated by a heavy steel , - - partitiOn. i hurn-rl'si~ting metal which. together. · Has Handsome Interior I resist drills, explosi\'CS and acetylene Despite the 'Care taken to provide I torch. They arc provided with the protection, the construction has .,nt most modern appurtenances such a:-; sacrificed appearance. The interior of t\\'enty-four massive bolts, each having the vault is finished handsomely. The hen·led ends t0 take bearing on wedge entire ceiling is laid off in panels of blocks so that when the bolts are polished !=teel plates, separated by thrown into a locked position. the enbronze. The floor is rubber tile with tire structure becomes one rigid mass a hlack Belgian marble base. of steel of uniform strength throughThe doors of the safe deposit boxes, out. which number over 5.300, arc finished I Light Touch Moves Tons of Steel in polished steel of ascoloy metal, Each door has a seventy-two hour wh!ch is rust-proof. This spe_cial allo_y time lock. t.wo combination locks, resists rust . from a tmosphenc cond1- heavy crane hmges and a modern prestions and artds. . ~ure bar systr.m. operated by means of The et~trance to the vault IS protect- a larg-e hand wheel for equalizing the ed by gnlles and gates of mass1ve pro- pressure properl\' to seat these massin" portions. These give access to the doors in the surrounding jamb frames \'attlt during the day and make it m;- before the mechanism becomes operanecessary to lock and unlock the maml tiv~. The. hall hearing_ crane hinges arc Yault doors. These day gates close adjusted 111 ~uch a delicate manner that automatically and are provided with a slight touch will .1110\'C the door:->. strong key loc~s. oper~ted by means of 1 Concrete walls. twenty-three inches a ke~· from either Sl(lc of the gate. thick, form the Yault. They arc reinThere is an alarm hell attachment to forred with "H" hca1n construction and pre.vent unauthorized persons from en- arc lined with quarter-inch steel lint('nng the vault. ing, making a steel box of inside Circular Door 16 Inches Thick dimensions of 39x2.=ix9 feet. This conlmmediately ahead of the grille gates struction is similar to that used b,· a i~ the entrance to the safe deposit number of Federal Reserve banks Saf c deposit boxes ·are of v~~iotts Yault .. The (_loor is a. massive ci.rcu_lar one. s1:::teen mches th1ck and wc1ghmg- sizes, to . . uit the needs of the cusapproxunately 46,000 pounds. Including tomers. The doors of the box are onethe door and the fr~mc into whi~h it half-inch thick and are equipped with fits, the entrance wetghs about thtrty- a lock certified bv the Underwriter's thr~ee tons. . . laboratories as absolutely non-pickable. 1_ he doo_r mto the cash bank vau~t 1s Two sets of keys are provided for each ~ s1xteen mch rectangular door we1gh- box, one for the customer and one for about 28.600 poun_ds. custodian ·of the vault, so that access fhese doors have m them plates of cannot be gained to any box without open-hearth steel, chrome steel and I the insertion of t\\'o different keys. 1 Safety vault usets I rooms of variou~ sizes accommodating from one to twent~· persons. They are Ate Afforded .Every beautifully finisl)cd in American walSafeguatd Ftom· Loss I nut. . , Returnmo· to the Yault the attendant · I. Perhaps the best \\·ay to explain the loeb the ~fc and returns the kevs. advan!ages of the Safe Deposit depart- At no time arc any custon~er's keys.in ment ts to follow a customer through possession of an attendant except in on his visit to the vaults. the presen'Ce of the owner. 1 The department is reached through I F'l t Sl' elevator service or by a broad marble , . 1 e ·gn~ ure ·ps stair leading to a spa'Cious lobby. . 1 he signature slips are filed numerAdjoining the lohln· are a ladies' 1cally an? are a\·atlahlc for reference room, a large community room and at any t1me .. These rcc.or.ds ar.e frepublic telephone booths. · q_ucntly submitted as evtdcncc 111 vaThe community room is available for n~~s courts. . . . . c_9mmittee meetings and gatherings of I h~ . customer when c~ammmg h1s ,·arious kinds. Arrangements; may be securtttes has the protection of three made with the officers, and the public _l~ronze _a~ d. steel. doors, each g~tarded. is invited to make use of its facilities. I hl' aff:lltatton nt the ba_nk With_ th_e The customer desiring access to the Pwtt..-ctt~T Depa.rt '.nen t ot . the llhnots \'ault enters the \'ault lobbv. An at- Bankl'rs Assoctatton. \· \ 'htch coopcrtfndant hands him a sig 1 ~ature slip :tfe~ \\·ith all poli_re departments, which he signs, writing thr number of '"L"tlls .addl'd protl'ctwn.. . his box. On this is stamped the date Leadmg from the ;1,1a1n lobby 1~ a and time of day by a time-stamp· clock. l_arge storage .ro~mL I he constructiOn This signature is checked with the one ts of ~ type smular !O that of the safe in the files and if correct the safe is depqs1t vault and 1s equally secure. opened, and the keys returned to the This has a capacity of 500 trunks and owner. 2.~ smaller. packages. A small room Guard Again 1 t Lo1 t Articles \\'tth 'Convement shel~cs loca.tcd near The custom('r entering the cotipon 111 <' dnc1r of the ,-~~~It 1s for the use of room closes the door which auto- the customer desmng to open or exmatically lights the room. When leav- amine packages or trunks. ing tht" door locks itself slightly ajar and cau then he opened only by an BANK OF ENGLANJ? CHAIRS attendant who carefully examines the I _Bank__of England chatrs, connecte.d room for any valuables carelessly left \\'ith wh1ch hankers always feel sentibehind. This examination is made after ment, will he used in the directors' each customer and the owner of lost room and in some of the other offices articles can thus easilv be locate-:. of the new State Rank and Trust comThere are twent~:-threc of these pany building. s· 1 m;·