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December 14, 1928 WIL.METTE LIFE BANI VAULT INSURES :II UTMOST IN SECURn'Y Steei, solid steel, coupled with in,·entive genius have provided an interesting feature in the expansion of the First National Bank which has resulted in the move to the new home on Wilmette avenue. The vault which served in the old building on Central avenue was too small and that meant · the construction of a new vault and it is here that solid steel and inve- ntion played a part. The new vault ·is a masterpiece of vault construction. At exact centtr of the west waH on the main floor the steel vault with its circular door spe!ls The big door weighs fifteen safety. tons. The diameter dimension is eighty inc he~. Its thickness measures fifteen inches in net solid thickness of stee.J through the body, while it shows <:l thickness of approximately tweny-one inches on the edge, including th<' holt and glass frames. The door has twenty-four bv!t <:. \\·hich are approximately three and Oill.:- ktlf inches in diameter. These bolts are controlle:.l by two : Mosler bronze case side shaft coml.ination bank locks capable of 100,000,000 changes of combination and arc further controlled by an anti -concussion m'Jltiple number time lock. Has Anti-Explosive' Device The big door is also equipped \\ ith a special anti-dynamite device to protect the locking bolts against the use of explosives. The door is hung on a solid cast steel ball-bearing crane hinge which is eighteen inches wide and three inches thick. This hinge is designed to support more than twice the weight of the door. A description of this huge door only partly tells the story of this vault which was so constructed as to comply with the highest classification for insurance. Inside the door one faces solid shiny steel in every direction. The steel lining of the vault is of one-half inch thickness. Covering this is a lining of polished steel. At the west end of the vault there are two other vaults which are small. These are separated from the main vault by steel doors. In one of these smaller vaults there is one big safe with different compartments, all with different combinations, which are used by the various tellers of the bank. The other small vault is for the use of patrons of the bank, who may deposit valuables too bulky to fit into the regular safety deposit boxes. This compartment is large enough for storage of silverware or other valuables. Can Double Box Capacity The main vault room at present is equipped with 700 boxes. But only one side of the vault has been used. There is sufficient room on the o.t her side for 800 more boxes. The big vault is of made-to-order construction and was . built by the Mosler Safe company of Hamilton, 0. The Massive Safety Deposit Vault I Steel and Man's Inventive Genius ------------------------------------------~ Combine to Provide "Last Worl' in Protection E. B. INUDTSON DOTES ON BANKING BUSINESS (Continued from page 61) Outer Wall Bank Title Can Be Seen From Afar It won't be difficult for anyone to find the new· home of the Fir·s t Nationa! Bank. If one happens to be at the corner of Wilmette and Central avenues and is looking for the bank, all that is necessary to discover the location is to raise the eyes a bit skyward. Within focus come the letters in characters about two feet high on ' the south ·side of the building. 'l'he name was cut into the terra cotta. Mr. Knudtson holds a warrented pride in its success. "I was in Coon Valley for ten years," he said. "But listen to this! · That bank today has resources of over one million dollars and is one of the largest country banks for a town of its size in the United States." In 1915 Mr. Knudtson moved into "bigger time," going to Minneapolis. His sntcess at Coon Valley gave him the organization "fever" and he organized the State Bank of Commerce in the Minnesota City. Three years later he ~ld his interest in that bank and came to Chicago as vice-president of the Century Trust and Savings bank, which in 1923 was merged with the Chicago Trust company. For a time he was with the Chicago Trust and finally, in 1926, there came an opportunity to locate in Wilmette. He purchased the interest of J. M. Appel in the bank of which he now is president. President Here Eight Years Incidentally, in 1922 he purchased and still is interested · in a bank at Linden, Wis., a town of 500 population. But there is plenty of evidence that "E. B." was "strong" for Wilmette long he fore he became identified with the business of the village for he has lived here for eight years, his present home being at 1141 Chestnut avenue. Having mentioned that foresightedness has played an important part in his career we quote this : "It is easy to visualize a greater Wilmette and a greater north shore," he says. "Sometime, perhaps a short time, there will be electrification of the North Western railroad. You know what that wi 11 mean." "E. B." looks ahead to a city comparing with Evanston and fails to sec how such expansion can fail in view O modern bank is complete with~ut a vault of this super-design which w~s of Wilmette's close proximity to Chimade 1o order for the First Nat1onal Bank. The door, a monstrous affa1r cago. Inasmuch as bankers as well as all is eighty inches in diameter and ~t·~ greatest thickn~ss is twenty:one inches. The weight is fifteen tons. The hnmg of the vault 1s also of sohd steel and business men require recreation to keep there are 700 boxes. Also there are two separate compartments, one for the fit, the question was popped, "How do bank's funds and papers and the other for v~luables which patrons of the bat~k you play?" may wish to keep in security. Th~ vault IS declared to be the last .work 111 ~'I play some golf at the North Sho.re protection, as there also has been mstalled a sound wave system, whtch elec- club," he answered. Then, seeming to trically warns of any tap~ing on the walls of the vault. anticipate the next question, he continued, "Why bring that up? Figures are more important in the banking busialso provides for the continuous acICrO tivity of the protection during the day- ness." time on SuJldays' or holidays, when the bank is not open for business. Granite Uaed in Bank The system protects the vault at Stone of Highest Grade The story of the huge bank vault, every minute pin-point of space and the The granite work of the new bank which appears in another column c~r- vault door is also equipped with special which is to be found on the exterior ries with it another chapter of h1gh electric thermostatiC. contacts whic.'t bases, and which forms the two entrv interest which also has to do ,w ith the itart the alarm when any one of them ts steps leading to the bank, was supmatter ~f protection. The va~lt is pro- re~ched by around 150 degrees of heat. plied by the John Clark company of tected by a highly sensitive mtc~ophone . Another feature is a ventilator, a new Rockville, Minn. It is in complete harsy5tem. The slightest tappmg or device which is inserted in the vault mony with the terra cotta used on the pounding on the walls is. picked .up by wall only from the inside and electric- front of the building. · the microphone and earned outstde by ally draws in fresh air, expels foul air granite is uniform This Minnesota wires thereby being communicated to and supplie3 a means of communication not onlv the hank officials but to the- with the outside. When closed, it is and exceptionally coarse grained, the police department. as well. . air-tight, liquid- proof, fire-proof, an1l angular feldspar crystals being oneAt night time, or when no one :s offers as great resistive 3trength as half to three-quarters of an inch in present in the bank there is an added the massive stell reinforced concrete diameter. It consists of pale pink protection, for with tapping or pound- walls of which it forms an integral part. feldspar, quartz and black mica, the combined effect on a hammered suring on the walls of the. vault, .a gong face being pinkish gray. No pyrite or will ring. This gong IS outs1de the E C t · 5 1 other minerals which would cause stain building where it may e~sily be hea~d uropean oun rles upp y or blemish are present. Due to the fact and i3 also connected wtth a gong m Counter Front Marble Work that this granite absorbs less than the police department. Some people who notice the smooth two-,t enths of one pef cent of its This protective system, called the and shiny black marble which is set weight of water it is not necessary at "Sound Wave Burglar Alarm System" into the counter fronts at the new bank any time to use waterproofing. was manufactured by the 0. B. Me- may or may not know where it came The Clark company has furnished the Clintock company of Minneapolis. The from. For those who don't the informagranite for ·s everal big Chicago buildoutstanding feature of the system is tion is imparted that it is imported. that it pract: :ally equips the vault with It is Belgian Black Marble. And be- ings including the Palmer House, ears. nerves and loud voice. The ears McClymon Marble company of Mil- Stevens hotel, 333 Michigan avenue, are 3 ound wave instruments installerl low the marble in panels there is Willoughby Tower, Tribune Tower, within the vault, which, by automatic Italian Travertine stone. The marble Daily News Building and Michigantime control, are electrically active dur- and travertine was furnished by the Lake building. C. Willison is the Chi· cago represet\tative. in~ the night-time. The time control . waukee. N M· Sleuth to Thwart Burglar's Antics ph one Plays