Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-15
A FINE BUILDING.
WORK OF THE FIDELITY TITLE AND
TRUST COMPANY.

the Company.
The stockholders of the Fidelity Title and
Trust Company, of Pittsburg, held thejl
annual meeting yesterday in the new build
! ing on Fourth avenue. The report Of the
wears business was presented, and showed a
very fourishing condition of affairs. The
| election of directors resulted in the choice
of the same 10 who Eave so ably conducted
| the interests of the institution. The list re-
mains: John B. jackson, Albert II. Childs
| James J. Donnell, E. NJ. Ferguson, Reuben
! Miller, Robert Pitcairn, j. Bayard Henry
| E. NJ. 0'Neill, David Robinson, William
Scott, Charles E. Speer, H. S. A. Stewart,
C. L. Magee, j. Levering Jones, VIM. II.
Stake, of Philadelphia.
General counsel. Geo. Shiras, Jr.
The company has one of the finest situa-
tions for business in the country, occupying
the basement, first floor and nearly all the
second hoor of the seven-storv building.
The granite walls and inside fittings of the
| place show that at last a thoroughly fire.
| proof building has been put up. At the
same time Mr.. jackson, the President,
showed THAI on each floor an automatic fire
reel and hose were provided, so that each in
! diyidual Office was protected.
The main Office is finished in mahogany,
the counters and desks having been specially
| designed for the company. All the floors
are finished in hard wood, and the plumb
| ing, electric lighting and gas fitting aIe on
/ the newest and most perfected designs.
Each floor is fully fitted out in such shape
] that the resources are complete in them
selves, and the Gripping of any one floor
does not affect those above or below it.
Climbing to the height of the seventh story,
which gives the elevator man a rest and
gives the explorer an opportunity for appre-
ciating rest, the first thing to strike the
visitor is the observation of the principle Of
utility in the architectural design The
building proper is isolated from all probable
or existing shading edifces by the design,
which affords ventilation and light, no mat
ter how closely the place is built around.
The floors are formed of steel beams and
arched with tiles. All exposed parts of
iron used in the building are covered with
fre-proof material. The partitions are all of
brick or tile. No wood whatever is used in
the construction of the building, excepting
window and door frames, doors and floor
coverings; all holdings are of cement. The
upper floors are for offices, and furnished
with every modern Improvement and con-
venience-fast running elevators; set basins
in each Office; toilet room for ladies' exclu-
sive use; electric light (Company's own
plan); Cutler mail chute, with U. S. mail
box on first floor.
The most finished and perfect piece of
work in the country is the vault on the
first floor. It is isolated from the walls
from its foundation in the basement 10 the
beautifully curved roof in the Office room.
The walls are of chilled steel and bolted
throughout from side to side and top to bot
tom. Before entering the vault high iron
barricade is watched by care-taker, who
must recognize every person who asks en-
trance before he turns his KEY. Within the
vault another watchman stands who has to
open the outer door to the drawer required
with a master key before the visitor can in
yestigate the contents of the space be has
rented through the medium of a private
KEY. The spaces rented number away up
into the thousands, and cost from S. per
annum to $50. Some additional boxes of
larger capacity are now being planned
which will cost 500 per year.
AS to what the contents are of these boxes
no one can form an idea outside the indi-
vidual who rents the spaces. Deeds of prop
ertv, marriage licenses, bonds, titles, family
records, family plate, family ancestral trees
and mortgages form the most common class
of the contents. while what else may be
sealed up in the recesses of the vault not
even the president of the company, j. B.
Jackson, who acted as guide through the
premises, could even surmise. The safe is
one of the largest in the country, and the
product of home brains, with bright, cheer
ful coupon rooms for the accommodation of
renters of boxes and storage vaults, all fur
nished with every known convenience, the
vault itself being lighted by electricity and
furnished with the most modern locks and
contrivances for the safety of the valuables
of its patrons.
The basement shows about the greatest
amount of power in the smallest space in
the city. The concentration of power shows
the most accurate engineering ability, the
seven-storv elevator cables being operated
in a space of about Is by feet. The dyna-
mos and the steam boilers are also placed
and contrived on multum in parvo princi-
pie, but Mr.. Jackson showed that although
the gas played its part in keeping up the
heat of discussion under the boilers, the
company had provided for all emergencies
by building very comfortable coal bin in
the corner, containing from II to 10 tons of
coal. Even the electric light was looked
upon with certain amount of suspicion,
for In the dynamo room itself, glaring with
a cold eye of hostility down upon the revoly-
ing brush, was an artificial gas jet running
on half time, in case the electric arrange
ments should slip cog or break band.
There are two Crane elevators in the build
ing, and two Westinghouse dynamos with
Russell engine furnish the power, the cost
of the building complete being $3.50, 900, and
is, as will be shown by the annual state
ment, a paying property, over two-thirds of
the offices being now leased to leading COM
panles of the country.
There are some peculiar statistical features
connected with the immense vault which
may be interesting. The safe is composed
of fully 1,000,0 900 pounds of metal and alone
cost S75, 900. 1t has sufficient space within
Tor $500 average boxes, and provision is
made for supplementary room when re-
quired. In rear of the vault are two sets
OF apartments on different sides of the buiId
ing, the one side being for ladies and the
other for gentlemen, where they can exam
inc documents, slips, bonds, or transact any
other business In the strictest privacy. The
same rule is observed in the front of the
Office, where the ladies' window is tar re-
moved, not alone from hearing, but sight
from the other windows in the counter.
At yesterdays meeting the following
statement was presented, showing not alone
the business done within the past year. but
also the keen appreciation of an essentially
business community, like that of Pittsburg.
of the necessity of such an institution. The
report read:
Liabilities
Capital. ......................S 500 ono an
Undivided prohts. hts.................... 55lS9 95
deposits. Cos 059 30
81, ,I6S, ,249 2S
Assets
Real estate and vault. 277, 4s7 40
Record plant. ...-..-.......-....... 9O,5O6 O3
Bank balance, cash q demand loans l22, ,264 SO
Mortgage loans s--...-.-....S ", $50 81
Collateral loans. lIS, ,6o3 50
Interest accrued, not due. 6,IS7 90
277,2OS 5S
Bonds and premium. 375,2lO 90
Furniture and hxtures,............. l0,5l3 9S
praminns and faes dine 1O'O5Q Ac