Evening star., 1912-01-09
EQU|TAbLE'S HOME
ISRU|NED BY FIRE;
FOUR LNESL0ST
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VIII 6u 6O 6VVI
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name do not know. The vault has a
spring lock- and left my keys out
side.
when the man and I started to
leave the door swung shut aud we were
both prisoners. The smoke was awful
We screamed and shouted. but it
seemed as though we were both
| doomed. The other poor fellow was
alive up to half an hour ago, but just
before 1 was carried out he tainted
and I think he must be dead by this
time"
Mr.. Giblin was then taken to the
Hudson Street Hospital. He was very
weak. but In no immediate danger.
The offices of the Hartman lines, which
were in the building, were being moved
to 165 Broadway. Everything had been
partment. Many valuable records, includ-
ing the autobiography of e. II. Hartman,
were there, and it was believed that these
| and other valuable records were de-
stroyed.
Its Securities Are Safe.
President Lovett of the Hartman lines
said that all Of the Union and Southern
Pacific securities, held in the treasury, were
HASPS oaSSA0O lhC SASJ oAN lhoS LILO AAoAiC-
tary loss to the railroads would be small
Mr.. Lovett said that the extent of incon-
venience suffered because of the loss Of
records will, Of course. depend upon
whether the vaults on the third and
fourth floors of the building have been
destroyed. The records referred to in
clude those of the controllers depart
| ment, the treasurers Office and the trans
fer department.
President Day of the Equitable called
a meeting of the executive committee at
the company's new building on Green
wich street. to consider the matter OF
securing temporary quarters or the Loo
clerks employed by the society about 600
were in the main building. while the
others were engaged at work in the
Greenwich street building.
The offices of the Equitable Trust Com
pany luckily escaped the flames, but were
damaged by water. as were the omces
of August Belmont, who said that his
offices were practically untouched by
flames, though well water-soaked.
Brings Business to Halt.
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 taken
with respect to deliveries Of securities
purchased yesterday. The decision
reached was that transfers may be sus-
pended for day by mutual consent.
The clearing house in the Chase Ma
tional Bank was closed, and temporary
quarters were opened at the Chamber Of
Commerce. DepOsitors and bank GUS
toners Of the burned-out trust compa-
nieS. as well az those Of financial insti-
tutions located in the neighborhood Of
the burned building, were unable to reach
their banks. being held back by the po-
lice 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 company 8
business with it's policyholders through
out the country.
officials Of the Mercantile Safe Deposit
Company said the vaults were intact
and not a cent would be lost.
Statement by President Day.
President Day. of the Equitable issued
the following statement this afternoon:
THE burning of the home office at
120 Broadway will cause but temporary
Inconvenience in the transaction Of our
business. Securities and important
records are saved by freproof vaults.
which are intact. Most of the Office
force and records were removed some
2 Albany street
1.-THE executive offices of the society and
the cashiers department have been estab-
lished In the City Investing building. The
society will occupy the second, third and
fourth floors of that building This will
for the time being be the home Office of
the society, where all business with the
public will be transacted"
Gage Tarbell, a former vice president of
the Equitable, said that the company car
ried its own insurance.
Four men are known to be dead and
five injured in the fire and several per-
sons are missing, including Deputy Fire
Chief Walsh. whose body has not been
found. The fire was still burning in the
debris in the basement Of the building
this afternoon. Conservative estimates Of
the damage this afternoon placed the loss
in the neighborhood Of $1O.0OO.OO0, while
others say that the loss will run as high
as S15,OOOOOO.
Millions in Securities.
According to an officer of the Equitable
the great safety deposit vaults in the
building contained last night securities
aggregating between $50. .OO0. 600 and $500. :
GOO, ,OOO The vaults are believed to be in
tact.
nounced today that, owing to the fire,
they would not exercise their prerogative
of calling loans today. The money mar
ket, owing to the action Of the stock ex-
change, was practically at standstill.
Says Duplicates Are Kept.
George C. Jordan, manager of the
Washington Office OF the Equitable Life.
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