The Washington herald., 1911-01-04

marble stairway, four feet wide. pro-
tected by q handsome Siena marble bal
ustrade Of turned marble. This stairway
leads to the mammoth vault and safe
deposit department in the basement.
Door Weighs Ten Tons.
The vault proper is twelve by thirty
three feet, made of concrete and iron,
with steel lining. The door Is four by
lnht feet. and is ten inches thick and
ten tons. The vault is divided into
d compartments. separated with steel
q hxk. On the left is the section set
ap the money, securities, sc.
In immediate front Are the safe
deposit boxes, IA in number. To the
right Of the entrance is q compartment
about ten by twelve feet for the purpose
Of safely storing boxes, trunks. and other
packages. containing valuables. too bulky
for the safe deposit boxes.
The trucks for money, securities, &C..
Of the bank are SO constructed that they
become a part Of the desk room of the
cages in which they are needed. Mounted
upon wheels, they are, each evening,
rolled upon an electric elevator, which
runs from the banking floor to the base
ment, or to the vault, in which 1t is
locked for the night, to be returned in
the same way to the proper cages at the
beginning Of the days work each morn
ing.
In the basement. there is also the clerks
toilet and dressing room, each employe
being supplied with a metal locker for
hat. coat, &C. Adjoining this are the
stockrooms, for storing machinery, books,
and other property of the bank.
Directors Room Unique.
The directors room is on the mezza-
nine floor. and in this room the conven-
tional directors table is conspicuous by
its absence. There is, however. pro-
vided for each director a comfortable
mahogany arm chair. These, with a
table for the president and secretary, con-
stitute the furniture of the room.
In the rear wall of the banking room
is a large stained or cathedral glass win
dow, in which the banks seal, consisting
of the Washington Monument, surround
ed by the name Of the bank and date of
Organization, is worked in with artistic
precision and beauty. Another conspicu-
Gus feature is the twelve large chande-
lierS suspended from the ceiling of the
banking room. representing to degree
of perfection an acorn.
The upper part Of the building is con-
into lightweight Office rooms. trimmed in
stained oak. with walls painted a light
buff. The lighting fixtures are square
four-light electrics. The hardware is
Sargeant's dead black throughout. Each
room is wired for electricity and tele-
phones and piped for gas. and. in addition
to these. supplied with vacuum clean
ing, busting. and washing system through
out.
There will be access to the roof by an
iron stairway. From the roof there is a
grand panoramic view Of the city. Poto-
mac River. and Virginia hills.
Organized in 1909.
The original idea for organizing the
District National Bank was conceived
in the summer of 1909. Within six weeks,
the applications for stock amounted to
nearly $6oO,O0o to be sold at $40 per
share.
The bank was capitalized for $4,000
with a paid-in surplus OF $4,000. and the
doors thrown open for business in tenn
porary quarters at l415 street north
west, on September 20. 1909.
Its president. Robert n. Harper, is also
president of the Farmers and Mechan-
les Banking and Trust Cimpany, OF
Leesburg. Va.
The directors of the bank, are r. n.
Harper. H. B. F. Mcfarland, W. S.
Hoge. J. NJ. Kenyon. R. L. O'Brien, W.
P. Lipscomb, J. T. Devine, H. Daniel
T. B. Huyck. A. Shannon. John W.
Childress. Martin Weigand. Joseph Ber-
berich, c. F. Carusi, A. T. Henscy,
James NJ. Hoge. Sidney West, 3. r. Wal
tiers. N. S. Sansbury, Lewis Holmes. Dr.
]. J. Richardson. Ellie Sheetz, c. c. Rog-
ers, and E. NJ. Merrick.
After the reception the directors ten