TRIAL OF COLONIAL AND ENGLISH SAFES.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 38, 22 October 1869, Page 3

TRIAL OF COLONIAL AND ENGLISH SAFES.

A trial of the fire-resisting qualities of one of Milner's safes, and one manufactured by Mr. Dyke, of Melbourne, for which the patent has recently been granted, was made on Friday, 2:lth ultimo, on a vacant piece of ground adjoining the Market-square). Ballarat, During the day about fifty tons of firewood were delivered on th« ground. ] and the two safes being placed side by ' side, with the logs piled up around j them, and two barrels of tji thrown | over the firewood, the match was ap- ! plied. A large concourse of persons had assembled to witness the test, including many of our leading citizens. Inside Mr. Dyke's safe were placed £3O in notes, a gold watch, a silver watch, and a miscellaneous collection of newspapers, pamphlets, etc. Both safes are alike in this particular, that they are each constructed in the same shape, and have about the same width between the inside and the outside plates, so that the real point at issue was which of the substances used in filling up the hollows between the plates can longest protect the insides of the safe from the effects of the heat. The pile was set ablaze at twelve minutes to four o'clock, and continued to burn till twenty minutes past five, when the fire was extinguished by means of a hose-reel belonging to the Ballarat West Fire Brigade" If either of the two safes was subjected to the most trying test it was the one of colonial manufacture, owing to its position in the flames being slightly more central, and so situated that it in a manner protected Milner's safe. --After the fire had beeri extinguished, Mr. Dyke's safe was opened. The-lock-an-swered to the key, but the handle having .been knocked off by some means, the door had to be forced open. The contents were then taken out, and itwas' found that everything was almost in the same condition as though the fire had never touched the safe. The notes were slightly damp, but both watches were uninjured, and the papers were apparently in the same condition. On Milner's safe, .however, beiug opened it was found that the papers were very much burnt and quite unable to be read. Both safes were damaged, the outside plates having in both cases become loosened, thus showing what appeared to be the prevailing impression that the test was in every way a satisfactory one. We may mention that Mr. Dyke's safe has been in use at the Jamieson goldfield for the past nine months, and Milner's was procured from Messrs. Felton and Grrimwade, of Melbourne.—' Courier.'