Chapter I: Preface

A small book, embracing such subjects as herein treated of, is necessarily somewhat disconnected in its character. In endeavouring to be strictly practical, I fear I have made some portions of the book uninteresting to the general reader; if so, it must be remembered that my chief aim has been to place certain facts before professional and business men, at the same time introducing matter that may be useful to everyone.

I have to offer my best thanks to Colonel Fraser, Colonel Henderson, Captain Shaw, and other Gentlemen, who have afforded me valuable help.

If the importance of protecting life and property becomes in the least degree better understood and appreciated, I shall feel amply repaid for the time and trouble incurred in the preparation of the book.

57 ST. PAUL’S CHURCHYARD, LONDON: _January 1875_.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

LOCKS, KEYS, ETC.

PAGE

Introduction--Locks, ancient and modern--Copying keys--Ornamental keys--Breaking open padlocks--Chubb’s detector lock--Sets of locks--Elements of a good lock--Common locks 1

CHAPTER II.

THE ART OF BURGLARY.

Planning burglaries--Bank robbery--The Cornhill burglary of 1865--Providing fit receptacles for valuables--False keys--Insecure premises--Modes of house-robberies, and means of prevention--Burglars’ tools--Statistics--Police notice--South-Eastern Railway robbery--Jewel robberies--Notice by Colonel Fraser 10

CHAPTER III.

SAFES AGAINST THIEVES.

Patents for safes--Safes by Milner, Tann, Hobbs, and Chatwood--Chubb’s diagonal and new patent safes--Wedging open safes--Drilling, and mode of protection--Other methods for opening safes--The safe custody of keys--Amount of space required for bullion 30

CHAPTER IV.

SAFES AGAINST FIRE.

The heat to be resisted--Three qualities necessary--Refractory and evaporating systems--Best materials to use for fireproofing--Public tests--Double enclosure for parchments--Safes once in fire to be re-proofed--Effects of Pantechnicon fire on safes--French safes--Gunpowder safes 44

CHAPTER V.

SECOND-HAND SAFES, ETC.

Real and sham second-hand safes--Apparent and actual strength--Garden-turf for fireproofing--Bolts and locks unsuitable--Patentees’ names illegally used--Directions for purchasing safes--Weights of good safes--Worthlessness of guarantees 51

CHAPTER VI.

STRONG-ROOMS.

Planning a strong-room--Its position--Dampness and ventilation--Robberies by excavating through floor--Floor, walls, and roof--Entrance--Lighting--Fixing the door--Fittings--Design and estimate--Strong-room in a London bank--McNeill’s floating strong-room--Bullion on board ships 57

CHAPTER VII.

FIREPROOF BUILDINGS--GENERAL CONSTRUCTION.

Fireproof buildings for business purposes--Mr. Braidwood’s opinion on warehouse construction--Use and strength of iron--Iron supports for house-fronts--Wood posts _versus_ iron columns--Captain Shaw’s experiments--Dennett’s column--Danger from faulty building--Stone and concrete as fireproof materials--Iron girders--Stairs and doorways--Danger from windows--Iron sashes and shutters--Roofs and ceilings--Brick the best material 70

CHAPTER VIII.

FIREPROOF BUILDINGS--PATENT SYSTEMS OF CONSTRUCTION.

Names of patentees--Dennett’s construction--Patent concrete--Mode of constructing arches for floors, ceilings, and roofs--Vaults and domes--St. Thomas’s Hospital--Cost of arching--Insecurity of the Bodleian Library--Parliamentary report on British Museum, National Gallery, etc.--Extinguishing fire at South Kensington--Water-supply in public buildings--St. Paul’s Cathedral--Paris fires during the Commune 85

CHAPTER IX.

FIRE AND ITS DANGERS.

Loss from fire preventible--Official enquiries into fires--Rapid increase and statistics of fires--Causes of London fires in 1873--Tin, lead, etc. combustible--Watching buildings--Sweeping chimneys--Precautions against fire--Detection of fire--Danger to life--The smoke respirator--Escape from a burning house--Fire-escapes--Directions for saving and restoring life--Curious instances of fires 98