The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-02-04
FIRE TRAP HOUSES
s59,oO0,OQO State
SECURITIES ALONE
Department Heads on Hin in
Doubt Whether the Vaults
Are Flame Resistant
LAND RECORDS IN DANGER
Livestock Brands and Dairy
Files Unsafe; Ruin Resulted
From Former Blaze

from FORMER 6l0ze
The house appropriations commit
tee Is on the point Of considering the
proposed .25-mill levy on all real
property in the state as means Of
raising the capitol building fund and
thereby making an earlier start on
the erection Of o new capitol possible.
The committee reached the bill just
as the luncheon hour arrived Satur-
day. In the meeting in the G. p. base
ment. so its consideration was post
poned.
Reference was made at the session
to the fire hazards all the state rec
cids undergo Gaily while they are
filed or stored In the present capitol
Not only state departmental records,
but almost 100000 Of securities
held by the state and kept in the
vault Of the state treasury are in
daily peril Of fire possibilities.
Taking Amazing Risks
Amazing risks are being taken by
the state with these valuable and
irreplaceablc records and securities as
long as the old capitol stands and Is
their repository. Each Of the depart.
mental offices has vault, but not
one Of the officials can tell whether
these vaults are supposed to be fire
proof or merely Of storage quality.
They do not look as though they
would be big protection against
flames raging IN the oak-paneled
outer offices, with their many desks
and chairs OF wood. In fact, each
office In the building would make
ideal fodder for q fire.
The treasurer's office, as said. Is
the repository for the states secur-
tiles. The Bank Of North Dakota
stores approximately $35 100000 Of
such securities there and the land
commissioners department. said Com
missioner Byerly, has about 500 ,OO0,-
600 similarly stored In Treasurer
Bakers vaults. The vault Is provided
with steel safe deposit boxes, steel
filing cases. roller shelving racks and
portable racks on wheels. When Ill
are inside, the compartment Ii quite
damned. It seems that q fire out
side could generate enough heat
nflammablc papers smoldering and
md with irreparable damage or de-
'truction OF the whole stored mass.
Agricultural Records Menaced
In the agricultural department are
kept all the livestock brand records Of
the state. Also the dairy department
records, with irreplaceable data, once
the confusion Of q fire had made q
mess Of them either from flame or
from water. Commissioner Kitchen
said several years ago the fire In the
carpenter shop at the capitol had
caused the ruin Of q lot Of stored rec
ords in the basement Of the capitol.
Water got in and soaked them. It
Is customary that when records ac-
cumulate beyond the capacity Of the
vaults, to box the older papers and
place them In basement storage.
There Is no other place to put them.
The department would be crippled by
Ylre. said the commissioner, II It rot
IN among tn office records.
A still more menacing condition
exists In the office Of w. E. Byerly.
land commissioner. While the secur.
tiles OF this department are in the
keeping Of the state treasurer's office.
the land office Is full Of land records
going back to and including the orig
inal land grants made to the state
~ the federal government. These
lands have been sold or are In process
OF being bought or paid, and q vast
card index system has been built up
on them. Each tract that brings In
some revenue has some particular
fund to which this revenue Is 70 Be
credited. The index cards show this.
but II . fire damaged or DESTROYED
the cards there would be permanent
confusion In the records. Some Of
the cards could be replaced BY
searches among the records Of the
various counties, says Commissioners
Byerly. but the task would be allow
and laborious and would b suro 70
leave many unbridgeable gaps.
Would DiRup; Bookkeeping
The whole system Of bookkeeping
Of the office would DO paralysed Il
the cards were destroyed BY fire, for
the departments records Of debts
and credits in land sales would
hardly escape damage or destruction.
TAcse offices and the tax commits
sioner's contain the records that
would b hardest hit by fire. But all
the offices IN the building IRE In .
similar state Of peril from fire pos
abilities. Papers Of the utmost ne
cesetty to the state and others Of
partly sentimental value would Be
meuaced. Most Of the historical &C.
emulation y in the Memorial build.
Ing. It Is the dollars-and-ceuts