New-York tribune., 1908-12-13

electrical connections SO arranged that the UNI
est puncture at any point sets on ou' si,-i
alarm; another half inch of steel plate eigh'
inches of railroad iron set in concrete, more
concrete and finally through five inches OF arinoi
plate.
Another Of the unusual features to be found on
this main floor of the new bank is an INK slik'
walled about with black marble and equipPeo
with ink faucets from which Will run the lin
used in the banks business, the whole forming
a part of the office equipment in the southwest
angle of the building The banks telegraph ana
cable department will also occupy the angle Of
the building in which this unique sink is and IN
the corresponding angle on the east side at the
rear of this floor. is the office of the president
Just north of the executives Offices extending
along the eastern side of the building and form
ing a portion of the big open space beneath the
dome. eighty-t three feet above, ranged behind
railing on a raised floor, are the desks OF the
other bank officers. The northeastern corner OF
the floor on the Wall street front is given over
to the bond department, and the corresponding
corner in the northwest angle on the same hoor'
which is given up to the foreign exchange de-
partment is equipped with every modern appIl-
ance, including the telautograph, the dlctoSrdph
and other devices.
In accordance with the desires of President
StiIman many of the principal architectural
features of the old Custom House were left IN
the treatment Of the new banks interior also
The series of great Ionic columns were lett
standing. and many other details remain intact
The interior finish of the building is for the
most part of marble and mahogany, the marble
being mainly salvage from the old building. The
paving of the area for public the main
floor is from the Hauteville region of France
Inside the working cage and in other parts Of
+l,o ofFic he covering
is of compressed cork an inch thick Eight ele-
vators are maintained for the of the public
and as many more for the of the working
staff.
An average person standing in the middle of
the great main floor and gazing upward at the
"coffered" ceiling, sixty feet above or at the Dig
dome twenty-three feet higher, would not THINK
that tucked away in the angles of the big build
ing, are three mezZanine floors, 50 skilfully are
the connecting passages, some Of which cross
the high arched windows placed in inconspicu-
ous places and in scme Instances hidden by
friezes and panels.
On the first of these mezZanine floors the
bookkeepers of the departments of bonds and
foreign exchange will work at the Wall street
front of the building in the angles directly over
the corresponding departments, on the main floor
below Rooms for the directors and for other
official use are also on this floor. The second
meZZanlne floor is largely gwen over u IIIe
work of the banks big clerical force. An un-
usual piece of apparatus. as bank equipment
goes. is found on this floor in the bookkeeping
department The room. which is in the south
east angle of the building, is equipped with a
complete cash carrier or traveller system, which
will be used for the transfer of checks and Is
intended to do away with the small army OF
messengers. otherwise necessary. to transfer
the average of forty-ive thousand checks han
died daily by the bank.
Still further facilitate this part of the work
two clearing rooms have been established in
the basement of the building, where the
checks are to be sorted before being placed in
the traveller system and shot away upstairs to
the bookkeeping department No messenger is
to be allowed upon the banking floor all being
confined to the basement and none of the big
army of bookkecpers will meet the public.
portion of the third meZzanine floor is de-
voted to clerical uses but it is mainly utilized