Evening journal., 1915-09-01


banks of eight each, and two side
walk lifts to handle the business. 60
ing to the floors beneath the ground.
The total elevator trackage is nearly
four miles and some of the cars run
at speed of nearly eight miles an
hour. For example, If a tenant boards
car for the eighth floor and another
for the thirty-sixth floor. both will
arrive at their respective doors at
the same moment In other words. the
low floor tenants have no advantage
over those of the upper floors. This
Is made possible by sixteen low rise
and twelve high rise elevators.
In order to facilitate matters for
those who have business with tenants
IN the building, an information desk
is maintained where the visitor NAV
OBTAIN information concerning the ex-
act location of the tenants Office and
the elevator which reaches It. This
information is furnished almost in
stantly, in fact much quicker than
1t could be obtained by searching
through the names Of a directory
I board and making inquiries about
elevators.
The fire department of the building
is a marvel of efficiency and simplic-
lty. There are fire alarm stations
and four powerful lines of hose on
each floor, with competent men to
handle them where occasion re-
quires. While the building itself is
as nearly ireproof as the ingenuity
of man can make it, there is always
a danger that the contents of Offices
may, through some accident. become
ignited and it is to meet such a con-
tingency that this efficient system of
fire protection has been provided.
In most Office buildings all wires
telephone, telegraph and electric
| light-are placed in separate ducts
In one conduit In case of accident
or fire In any one duct, the others
are more or less endangered. Since
the telephone is the chief means of
intercommunication within the build
ing the telephone system of the build
ing is separate from all other wire
service.
The refrigerator plant has ca
pacity of twenty tons of clear ice
daily, besides maintaining the air in
the refrigerators at a proper low tenn
perature. The type of windows used
will give ventilation without Great
ing a draught and at the same time
act as an awning. obviating the ne
cessity of five thousand awnings.
For more than half a century an
Equitable building has been a con-
spicuous building on lower Broad
way When the society vas less than
six years old, committee was ap-
pointed to consider the expediency
of putting up a building. This COM
mittee recommended the immediate
purchase of a site and the erection
of a suitable home. Another building
was completed on May /, 1870, which
occupied the southeast corner of
Broadway and Cedar street. From
time to time it was enlarged and the
whole structure was completely re-
modelled and its height increased by
several stories in 1887. Eventually
the whole block came into the pos
session of the society and was con-
sidered the most valuable plot of real
estate, controlled by a single owner,
in New York.
When the old Equitable Building
was completed in 1870, passenger
elevators we're first installed for the
convenience of tenants; the upper
stories were quickly occupied by pro-
fessional men and corporations, and
then followed an unexpected revolu-
ton in building construction in New
York Skyscrapers became the or
der of the day, and while the Equi-
table building of forty-five years ago
can Justly be regarded as the parent
OF the skyscrapers, II was not many
years before 1t was completely dwarf
ed by towering business blocks. It
will be some time before the Equi-
table Building just finished will be
placed in a subordinate position
among New York business edifces.
Under the present business conditions
and the existing demand for such ac-
commodations 10 one would consider
the construction of a larger, or even
one so large, prudent investment;
and so the Equitable will, in all
probability. be the biggest Office
building" for many years.
The Equitable Building was con-
structed by, and together with the
land, is owned by the Equitable
Building Corporation, of which Cen
eral T. Coleman DUPONT is president.
There has never been an office build
ing of any consequence built in New
York city in which the chief owner
took a more active personal interest.
The hand of General dupont was
constantly on the throttle, and he
was the center from which all action
and enthusiasm radiated.