The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-01-09

on whether the vaults on the third and
fourth floors of the building have been
destroyed The records referred to in
cIude those of the comptrOller's depart
ment, the treasurer's Office and the
transfer department. President Day,
OF the Equitable, called meeting of the
executive committee at the cornpany's
new building in Greenwich street to
consider the matter of securing tenn
porary quarters. OF the 1000 clerks
employed by the society about 600 were
IN the main building while the others
We're engaged at work in the Green
wien street building. The Offices of the
Equitable Trust company luckily es-
capped the flames, but were damaged
Dy water, as were the offices of August
Belmont.
-Four Known Dead.
Four men are known to be dead and
1Ve injured in the fire and several per-
sons are missing, including Battalion
Chlef Walsh. The fire was still burn
ing In the debris in the basement of
the building this afternoon. Conserva-
tive estimates Of the damage this af-
ternoon placed the loss in the neigh
Dorhood of $1O,000,000 while others say
the loss will run as high as SIS 0OO 900.
according to an officer of the Equita-
Die the great safety deposit vaults in
the building contained last night Sc
curities aggregating between $3.50, O0O,-
/ 600 and $30O,O00OO0. The vaults are be-
ieved to be intact.
President Day, of the Equitable, said
this afternoon:
The burning Of the home office at
40 Broadway will cause but tmporary
inconvenience. Securities and import
ant records are protected by fire proof
vaults which are intact.
Most of the Office force and records
were removed some time ago to the
society's new building, 20. Albany
street.
The executive offices of the society
and the cashiers department have been
building. This will, for the time be-
ing, be the home Office of the society,"
G.. A Tarbel, a former vice presi-
dent of the Equitable said that the
company carried it's own insurance.
Many of the large New York banks
announced today that owing to the
fire they would not exercise their pre-
rogatiVe of calling loans today. The
money market was practically at
standstill.
Transfers Suspended.
Banking and brokerage business was
halted for time by the fire and the
governors of the Stock Exchange met
to determine what action should be ia
ken with respect to deliveries of seeuri-
ties purchased yesterday. The decision
reached was that transfers may be
suspended for day by mutual con-
sent.
The clearing house in the Chase Ma
tional bank was closed and temporary
quarters were opened at the Chamber
Of Commerce. Depositors and bank
customers of the burned out trust COM
panies as well as those Of financial in
situations located in the neighborhood |
Of the burned building were unable to
reach their banks, being held back by |
the police lines.
An officer of the Equitable Life AS
surance society said that the society
had duplicates of every record, which /
were stored in a building several blocks !
away from the burned structure. The |
fire he said. would not affect the COM
papys business with its policyholders |
the country.
officials of the Mercantile Safe De-
oosit company said the vaults were in /
-act and not a cent would be lost.