New-York tribune., 1912-01-12
millions MOVED FROM
THE EQUITABLE RUINS
Police Completely Surround the
Wagons Bearing Wealth Stag
gering Imagination.
NO BODIES YET RECOVERED
Society Votes $4,000 for Relief
Fund for Fire Victims-Not
to Build 62 Story Sky
scraper, 1t Is Said.

lITldGllldlloll
of the old Equitable Building Yesterday.
Two shabby little wagons each drawn
by a single steed Of dubious style, trans
ported the greater part Of more than
500 eco eco from the scene Of death and
devastation a few days ago to the new
office of the Equitable Trust Company,
at No 10 Broadway. and to the Bank
ers' Trust Company. at No. Wall street.
The only features of the transfer to at
tract the attention were the presence of
a policeman on the seat with the driver
and the escorts of police squads which
surrounded the wagons on
their short but stately trips.
In the heart of the ruins, in the mean
time. fifty firemen were dividing their
time between giving possible corners 4"
final wetting down and digging for Bat
TALON Chief Walsh. while seventy-nve
Iaborers hired by the Thompson-St Star
rett company and fifty employed by the
Canavan Wrecking Company worked
under Supervising Inspector 'Connor OF
the Bureau of Buildings snoring u7 the
dangerous walls and clearing away the
debris. Both firemen and wreCkers con
tinued az their perilous tasks all night
long last night, but at late hour none
Of the bodies of the missing men had
been found.
The Equitable Life Assurance Society,
through a committee Of the directors,
voted Yesterday afternoon TO contribute
q fund not to exceed $4,000 10 aid the
families of the men who lost their lives
in the fire and for the relief Of the men
who were injured. The fund will be dis
tributed without discrimination. The
family Of Battalion Chief Walsh will
share alike with the families Of the other
five men supposed 10 have pcrished. All
those who may have been seriously in
iured at the fire will receive an equal
share Of this relief fund.
Walls, Shored Up, Now Safe.
supcrintcndent Miller Of the Bureau ~
buildings. after the work of snoring up
the walls Of the burned building had
proceeded for some hours, decided any
further danger Of their collapse was very
remote. At word from him Police IN
spector Cahalane allowed the surface
cars 10 resume their trips through the
rcpcd-off block. Pedestrians, however,
we're stil subject 20 rigid exclusion,
partly because of the danger from fan
ing ice and partly also because a billion
dollars al! in a bunch. needed isolation.
President Alvin w Krcch Of the
Equitable Trust Company estimated
that the dingy little cart in his employ
and his stream Of clerks and other office
employees had carried through Pine
street and across Broadway S3OO,pO.Om
in securities and 100000 in cash, but
Secretary Rose was inclined to think
that his chief had been bit conserva-
tive.
Henry Donovan, assistant treasurer of
the Bankers Trust Company. said his
concern had taken out Of the safes Of
the Mercantile Trust Company, which -
owns. $7j,OoO,OOO in securities and So
OOO. 600 in cash.
the SG.OOO,OOO in $1,000 and $4,000 gold
certificates Vice President Strong tucked
under his arm and himself carried down
Broadway to the offices Of the Bankers
Trust Company, round the Wall street
corner. AS he started off with the money
Mr.. Donovan hustled after him "A squad
of private detectives, who escorted him
in a hollow square.
Greater Wealth Left in Ruins.
But all this wealth cannot equal what
still remains buried in the Mercantile
Safe Deposit vaults under tons of steam
ing ruins and In the great vault of the
Equitable Life Assurance Society, slap
up against the Broadway wall on the
second floor Several days must elapse
before the Equitable vault with it's store
of $25O,OOO,O00 can be tapped, and still
longer time before the Mercantile treas
ure may be reached.
The vaults of the Equitable Trust Com
pany, which occupied a separate building
at the Pine and Nassau street corner Of
the Equitable block, were found intact,
with the locks in working order So
were the vaults Cf August Belmont
Co. occupying the only other separate
building in the block, at Cedar and Mas
sau streets These two separate build
ings, which were really additions to the
main Equitable Life Building and owned
by the Equitable Life Assurance Society.
suffered very little damage from fire, but
were flooded with water, and must come
down with the burned structure.
August Belmont & Co have $150.000,-
ooO i'm securities in their vaults. which
William Luttgen, "A partner In the firm.
said would remain there until other
yaults could be rented. The company
has established temporary quarters in
the Trinity Building, across Broadway.
The Mercantile Trust Company occu-
nied quarters on the second floor Of the
Eouitable Life Building. directly above
the cafe Savarin. Strangely enough.
that part Of the building facing Pine
street and directly above the cafe suf-
ferod less damage from the fire than any
other section, although the fire started
I'm the cafe The Mercantile Trust kept
Cts sS1, 900, 900 in safes whose locks with
stood the intense heat Of the conflagra-
tion raging so near them.
Bank, Too. Moves Millions.
still another movement of millions took
nlace from the offices of the American
Exchange National Bank. across Cedar
street from the Equitable Building. ON
"wednesday Deputy Fire Chief Langford.
l., foor lest the Cedar street wall of the