New-York tribune., 1912-01-11

afternoon that Ernest II. Wakcman. an en-
pIoyo Of the Mcrcantil" Safe Deposit Com
rany, had made a superficial examination
or tho vaults Of his company az soon "S
.Hc walls had cooled sufficiently &" permit
clos, approach and had found 'n'm IN
tact
As the Equitable vault Was not so 'N-
pce,d to the action Of the flames. II lH
cooler now than the vaults ~ tn" Mercan-
tile compauy. and will therefore Weld up It's
hundreds Of millions or treasure sooner. II
IL oxpected But both chief Kcnon and
Fire Commissioner Johnson predicted that
number 81 da,s would clap-c h"foT"
either could be opened.
Tho Clearing House carried ON Its bust
ness I'm us temporary quarters ~ tn"
Chamber Of Commerce Building In Liberty
street without a hitch Yesterday. and with
NO more dolav than II II were IN its own
home In Cedar street from which II was
driven bv the Equitable FIRE. Repr"S"n-
tauycs of all the banks and trust com
panIes which are members were on tim"
when business started at 10 o'clock IN th"
morning William Shcrcr, manager oi IN"
Clearing House said payments were made
promptly and that even on Tuesday the
onIv delays I'm making cIoarances were du"
10 tho clerks Of the banks having dihicul'F
I'm getting through tho maze of hro lines.
The Clearing House VIII remain IN 'S
temporary home until the 0re and building
authorities say there is no danger "f IN"
Eoultable Building walls falling and dam
aging the Clearing House Building IN 'edAr
street.
In dangerous iccbound Cedar street,
under the shadow Of the threatening wal"
and I'm front of the building In broadway
crupIoves Of the Consolidated Gas COM
pany put In the night digging through lce'
aephaIt and earth TO disconncct the gas
mines entering the wrecked structure from
,he gas mains and stop the gas leaks
Above the heads of the Cedar street
delivers three hose nozzlcs. Etil fastened
10 window sills on the third floor Of the
American Exchange National Bank Build
ing continued 10 throw their streams
through the blind windows Of the Equita-
ble wall onto the stcaming roof OF the
| Mercantile vaults. a keen wind racing
M from the harbor whipped an icy spray
| from these streams I'm transit, Which
! settled in sleet on the backs OF the gas
men and cleaned I'm the glare OF their gas
| torches.
| chief Kcnlon gave out yesterday the
| estimated cost OF lighting the fire and saw
| ing the adjoining property. The total cost
| IN the city, az estimated by the Chief,
amounts to sS2, 100 for the two days work
| NJ the department. The estimated Items
are as follows:
Salaries two days. 1000 nrcmen. .......... .sI2, ,ooC
| ~. hundred tons OF coal .............s... N'F
iInso lengths destroyed 900 lengths)..... 1900
| Hose damaged (can bH repaired. .,.,.,.... S,IN
| Loss OF tools, implements etc............. 0W
/ Fixed charges ''''''''''' -''''
Total (estmated) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .s92, lot
| The Chief estimates that between ten
and fifteen million gallons of water were
thrown into the building and on the ad
Joining structures and that tho value o
m. apparatus called TO the fire was s375O0
The officers and directors OF the Equitable
| 7 ife Assurance Society held a series Of in
| formal conferences yesterday, and although
no official announcement came from them
Il was understood that the plan for a
sixty-two story skyscraper was thrown into
the discard
II was said the general impression among
| the officials was that the supposed adver-
tising value of such cloud brushers' was
vastly overrated, and the directors felt that
II would be wiser to build only such homo
office building as would adequately care fol
their business needs and follow the legti-
nste advertising field OF newspapers and
magazines for their publicity.
More than that, It was reported thai
there was feeling among the directors
that the society would do better to sell the
valuable block on which the old Equitable
building stood and build the new home Of
fee further uptown.
Meanwhile the Equitable has taken
tbree-year lease on the quarters rented
ON tuesday in the City Investing Building
and those, together with the Hazen Build
ing AT No. 2 Albany street, which is occu-
nIed solely by the Equitable, Will constitute
Tho headquarters of the company until the
question OF new home is definitely deciueu
".It is likely that the directors VIII no'
take lid the question OF new nome on'ee
h,,,lding for several weeks at the ieast'
aid +. T. Rittenhouse. speaking TOT INV
connany yesterday. "and II is also proodOi'
that not for several days will there DC amp