The Mercantile Trust Co. - Charter and By-Laws.

Acts of Incorporation and By-Laws of The Mercantile Trust Company. NEW YORK: John C. Rankin Co., PRINTERS, 54 & 56 Dey Street., 1910.

Chapter 806. AN ACT TO INCORPORATE THE 'FIRE-PROOF WAREHOUSING COMPANY," Passed May 9, 1868.

Chapter 185. AN ACT TO AMEND AN ACT ENTITLED "AN ACT TO INCORPORATE THE FIREPROOF WAREHOUSING COMPANY." Passed April 14, 1869.

Chapter 121. AN ACT TO AMEND AN ACT ENTITLED "AN ACT TO INCORPORATE THE FIRE-PROOF WAREHOUSING COMPANY." Passed March 30, 1870.

Chapter 845. AN ACT TO AMEND AN ACT ENTITLED "AN ACT TO INCORPORATE THE FIRE-PROOF WAREHOUSING COMPANY," PASSED MAY NINTH, EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY-EIGHT, AS AMENDED BY AN ACT ENTITLED "AN ACT TO AMEND AN ACT ENTITLED "AN ACT TO INCORPORATE THE FIRE-PROOF WAREHOUSING COMPANY," PASSED MARCH THIRTIETH, EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY." Passed June 27, 1873; three-fifths being present.

Chapter 425. AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER EIGHT HUNDRED AND SIX OF THE LAWS OF EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY-EIGHT, ENTITLED "AN ACT TO INCORPORATE THE FIRE-PROOF WAREHOUSING COMPANY." Passed May 26, 1880.

November 9, 1868, Daily Alta California, Volume 20, Number 6811, Page 2 Advertisements Column 8,

THE EQUITABLE LIFE ASSURANCE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES,

No. 92 Broadway, New York.
WM. C. ALEXANDER President
HENRY B. HYDE Vice President
GEORGE W. PHILLIPS Actuary
JAMES W. ALEXANDER Secretary
CASH ASSETS $7,000,000
ANNUAL PREMIUM INCOME $5,000,000
Number of Policies Issued in One Year, 10,000.
Sum Assured (New Business) during the year ending January 31, 1868. $47,020,134.
ITS POLICIES AVERAGE THE LARGEST
Of any American Company. It is so declared by the N. Y. Insurance Department. This is an advantage, and is evidence that this Society is the most patronized by the capitalists. It issues all desirable Non-Forfeiting Policies
On a Single Life, from $250 to $25,000.
All Profits Divided among Policy Holders Annually from the Start.
Its percentage of loss to amount AT RISK is LESS THAN ANY OLDER COMPANY.
Its percentage of total "Out-go" to "Cash Premium Receipts" is less than any other Company whatsoever.
Its five modes of applying Dividends are: Permanent Increase of Policy, Term Increase of Policy, Permanent Reduction of Premium, Term Reduction of Premium, Limitation of Number of Premiums to be Paid. These concessions are made by no other Company.
Its comparative rank as to new business done since its organization, among all American Companies, stands as follows: In 1860 it was the ninth; in 1861, the eighth; in 1862 and 1863, the seventh; in 1864 and 1865, the sixth; in 1866, the fourth; in 1867 (fiscal year), the second.
It is the most successful Company ever organised, and, for its years,
The Largest Mutual Life Insurance Company In the World. To secure a Policy in the Equitable, apply at the Branch Office, No. 16 NEW MERCHANTS' EXCHANGE, no 7 California street.

Equitable Block Complete After Forty Years' Buying.

January 14, 1906, NYT,
EQUITABLE BLOCK COMPLETE AFTER FORTY YEARS' BUYING;
First News of Another Deal, Made Over a Year Ago, Brought Out by Purchase of 17 Nassau Street -- Prices Paid for Various Parcels in the Block

As marking the close of a real estate buying project that has covered forty years, last week's purchase of 17 Nassau Street by the Equitable Life was a happening of no little interest. It had become so much a matter of habit to speak of the "Equitable Block" that probably not one real estate man in a hundred knew before last Thursday morning that there was one small parcel which prevented this expression from being the exact, literal truth.

Furthermore, in the gossip which went the rounds last week as the result of the purchase of 17 Nassau Street the interesting fact was developed, but not hitherto made public, that it was only a little over a year ago that the Equitable bought the Nassau and Cedar Street corner of the block, a plot 45.5 by 87.7, upon which stands the building largely occupied by August Belmont & Co. This property was sold to the Equitable in September, 1904, through Horace S. Ely & Co., and was deeded to the society, but the instruments have never been recorded. Prior to that time title to the property was vested in Frederick G. Mead and another.

The announcement by John N. Golding concerning the sale of 17 Nassau Street was disappointingly silent on the subject of price. The lot measures 25 by 80---2,000 square feet---and there are few downtown experts prepared to believe that it brought less than $500,000, or $250 a square foot.

It is not likely that the Equitable Trustees have given any serious consideration to the scheme for erecting a new building on the block, an undertaking which was talked of a good deal two or three years ago at the time when the society bought the Trinity Building property. Indeed, the chief reason for the purchase of the latter site was said to be the necessity of providing quarters for the society while its older property was in process of improvement, but whatever the reason, it will be recalled that the Equitable tired of its Trinity Building bargain after a few months, and handed the property back to the United States Realty Company, thus ending for the time all talk of a new Equitable Building.

That the present massive and costly structure will sooner or later give way to a modern building seems beyond question. The remark made by one of the best known skyscraper constructors in the country, that the materials in the Equitable Building, if they could be recast into a modern steel skeleton structure, ought to inclose about three times as much space as they do to-day, puts the whole matter in a nutshell. The completion of the Trinity Building and its duplicate on the Boreel site may also serve to impress upon the Equitable offciers the possibilities of their plot on the opposite side of Broadway.

It is almost forty years to a day since the Equitable Life made its first purchase in the block bounded by Broadway, Nassau, Pine, and Cedar Streets.

The deed covering the properties, then known as 116 and 118 Broadway, was dated Jan. 5, 1866. These buildings had a Broadway frontage of about 53 feet, beginning 33.6 feet south of Cedar Street, and extending around the latter thoroughfare at the rear, with a frontage of 22 feet. The area of the plot was about 5,600 square feet, and the consideration stated in the deed was $375,000, or about $67 a square foot. The adjoining parcels on Cedar Street, on plot 44.4 by 71, were secured a few days later by a deed dated Jan. 17, 1866. The consideration was $90,000, or about $32 a square foot.

The immediate corner of Broadway and Cedar Street, 33 by 70, did not pass into the company's possession until 1868, the transfer being made for a nominal consideration. The company then controlled frontages of 86.8 feet on Broadway and about 137 feet on Cedar Street.

An interval of six years followed with no additions to the site. In 1874 Gen. Daniel Butterfield conveyed to the Equitable Life 112 and 114 Broadway, adjoining its previous holdings on the south and extending to within 43 feet of the Pine Street corner. Gen. Butterfield's property measured 38.3 by 143 by 35 by 150, and was sold for $302,887---at the rate of $35 a square foot.* [NOTE: Must be a, um, mistake. It is either one or the other dimension. Using the larger, 35 x 150, equals a plot of 5,250 square feet, which would come to a cost of $57.69 per, which is much more in keeping with such a large and fine building along Broadway, rather than mid-block sites on Cedar or Pine. This is not to say that the stated price paid the New York Life for the building is anything like honestly reported. Maybe they "slipped in a mortgage," to use Mr. Hyde's language, on some unrelated property to equalize the deal..] In the same year further purchases were also made on Cedar Street, as well as the first purchase on Pine Street. No. 12 Pine Street, about 80 feet west of Nassau Street, was bougt, together with an abutting parcel, having a frontage of 64 feet on the south side of Cedar Street. These properties were conveyed in April, 1874, by Theodore Weston, the consideration for them all being $319,000.

A year later as intervening property on Cedar Street was secured, completing the Equitable's ownership of all the buildings on the south side of that thoroughfare, extending east 221 feet from the Broadway corner and to within 88 feet of Nassau Street, or up to the plot which, as already stated, was bought only about a year ago.

In 1886, 19 and 21 Nassau Street, midway between Pine and Cedar Streets, where the Nassau Street entrance of the Equitable Building is to-day, were secured, the deeds in both cases containing only nominal prices. The then remaining properties in the block were the Nassau and Cedar Street corner, the old Clearing House on the Pine Street corner, and the adjoining building, 17 Nassau Street.

The Clearing House corner, 37.6 by 80.3, was transferred early in 1896, by the trustees of that institution, to James G. Wallace for $725,000, and conveyed by him a few months later to John E. Searles, then Treasurer of the American Sugar Refining Company, for $740,000. The transfer from Mr. Searles to the Equitable was made a year later, for a nominal consideration. On the basis of the price paid by Mr. Searles, the square foot rate for this corner figures down to about $253, or just about what was paid last week for the adjoining inside lot.

In this connection it may be pointed out that this inside parcel on Nassau Street brought over 50 per cent. more a square foot than did the corner of Broadway and Pine Street twenty years ago, and nearly five time as much as was paid for property on the Broadway side of the block twenty-eight years ago.



April 27, 1879, NYT,
RUINING BUSINESS STREETS; PROPERTY-OWNERS PROTESTING. THE DETERMINED OPPOSITION TO THE SCHEMES OF THE ELEVATED RAILROADS.
Down-town merchants and the owners of property in streets south of the City Hall are manifesting more feeling from day to day against the schemes of the elevated railway managers to confiscate thoroughfares in the lower part of the City for no other purpose than the benefiting of certain special interests. The lack of any public necessity for taking possession of more down-town streets has been apparent from the outset.
W. A. CAMP, manager New-York Clearing-house, owner, No. 15 Nassau-street.
JOHN SCHERMERHORN, owner, No. 17 Nassau-street.
F.W. BLOODGOOD, owner, No. 19 Nassau-street
W.H. GEBHARD, owner, No. 21 Nassau-street
G. MEAD TOOKER, Executor, owner, Nos. 23 and 25 Nassau-street (Belmont Building)


Jan. 13, 1906, The Weekly Underwriter, page 30,
By the purchase this week of the seven story office building at No. 17 Nassau street, owned by John E. Schermerhorn, the Equitable Life came into possession of the entire block bounded by Broadway, Nassau, Cedar and Pine streets, estimated to be worth $20,000,000. It has taken the society thirtyfive years to acquire the block. It is reported that the company contemplates building a big skyscraper on the site in the near future.

THE NATION: Key to American Life Insurance Companies. Life Insurance Chart for 1868

Nov. 12, 1868, The Nation, page 399, KEY TO AMERICAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANIES. LIFE INSURANCE CHART FOR 1868.




KEY TO AMERICAN LIFE INSURANCE COMPANIES. LIFE INSURANCE CHART FOR 1868.

Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1868, by J. B. Ecclesine, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern Distrct of New York.

ABSTRACTS OF CHARTER AND BY-LAW PROVISIONS AS TO "PROFITS," INTEREST ON CAPITAL, ETC.
MUTUAL, MIXED, AND STOCK COMPANIES.

The subject of the proper share of Life Insurance Surplus which should be apportioned to Stockholders is exciting public attention, and might as well now as ever be thoroughly sifted and criticised, thereby eliminating from the friction of conflicting interests such just rules of equity (juste milieu) as will be approved by the general public and by the maas of Stock and Policy-holders.—Hon. William Barnes's (Superintendent of the Insurance Department of the State of New York) Ninth Annual Report, 1868, p. lxxix.

THE PRINCIPAL PURELY MUTUAL COMPANIES OF THE UNITED STATES (All Profits Paid to Policy-holders).

The object of these Societies is to retain among the members themselves the whole benefits arising from their premiums. It is plain that, by this method alone, the public can derive the entire advantages which the present knowledge of the science of Life Assurance can confer. That knowledge enables men of integrity and intelligence to give the community every profit which can possibly arise from Life Assurance. If any cavil can be made about the rate of premiums, none can be possibly made about the just appropriation of the accumulations, until it can be proved that it is more beneficial for the assured to take a part rather than the whole of the bonuses and surpluses.—The Insurance GUIDE And Hand-book, London, 1868.

BERKSHIRE, Pittsfleld, Mass.—All profits paid to Policy-holders.
CHARTER OAK, Hartford, Conn.—All profits paid to Policy-holders.
CONNECTICUT MUTUAL, Hartford, Conn.—All profits paid to Policy-holders.
CRAFTSMEN'S. 214 Broadway, New York.—All profits payable to Policy-holders, annually, on contribution plan.
EQUITABLE. 92 Broadway, New York.—All profits paid to Policy-holders, annually, on contribution plan.
GUARDIAN. 102 Broadway, New York—All profits paid to Policy-holders.
HOMEOPATHIC MUTUAL. 231 Broadway. New York. —All profits credited Policy-holders annually.
JOHN HANCOCK, Boston. Mass.—All profits paid to Policy-holders; dividends applied second year, on contri
MASSACHUSETTS MUTUAL. Springfield. Mass.—All profits paid to Policy-holders. _ ,_
MUTUAL LIFE. 146 Broadway. New York.—All profits paid to Policy-holders, annually, on contribution plan.
MUTUAL BENEFIT, Newark, N. J.—All profits paid to Policy-holders. _ , _ ...
NATIONAL LIFE. Montpcller. Vt.—All profits paid to Policy-holders; dividends declared quinqucnnially.
NEW YORK LIFE. 112 Broadway. New York.—All profits paid to Policy-holders, annually, on contribution
NEW ENGLAND MUTUAL, Boston. Mass.—All profits paid to Policy-holders, annually, on congibution plan.
STANDARD. 202 Broadway, New York.—All profits paid to Policy-holders. „ . _ . „
UNION MUTUAL. Augusta. Me., and Boston. Mass.— All profitspaid to Policy-holders.
WIDOWS' AND ORPHANS'. 182Broadway, New York. —All profits paid to Policy-holders.
WASHINGTON. 155 Broadway. New York.—All profits paid to Policy-holders, annually, on contribution plan.

MIXED COMPANIES (A Part of whose Profits are Paid to Stockholders). "Stock Life Insurance, as an independent system, does not exist any longer. It only adheres in the barnacle way to the Mutual system."—Massachusetts Commissioners Report. 1868.

After the experimental stage of a Company is passed, and it will probably be in two or three years, If ever, the guarantee capital becomes perfectly unnecessary; and every cent which it costs more than the earnings of its investment is a bootless extravagance and waste of the Policy-holders' Money. — Massachusetts Insurance Commissioners' Report, page 63.

There can hardly be a Happier Set OF Capitalists on earth than one which has obtained a right, by Perpetual Charter, to Ensure Lives, receiving from the proceeds, first, Legal Interest, semi-annually, on Stock, As A Sure Thing, and secondly, 20 per cent, of what are called Profits, that is, Premiums proving to be surplus, for ever. — Massachusetts Insurance Commissioners' Report, page 158.

The capital stock of Companies of this class, when firmly established, are valued at from 400 to 500 per cent, over par value.

STOCKHOLDERS' PROFITS OVER LEGAL INTEREST ON CAPITAL.
AETNA. Hartford. Conn.—One and one-half per cent, on participating premiums; $78,654 paid Stockholders in 1867. being 134 44/100 per cent, on cash capital. No portion of profits secured to Policy-holders by charter or by-laws.
AMERICAN TONTINE. 149 Broadway, New York. Incorporated 1868.—Stockholders entitled to ten per cent, annual interest, payable semi-annually, and profits on any business done on stock plan.
ASBURY, 291 Broadway. New York. Incorporated 1867.—Interest on capital and 20 per cent, of profits payable semi-annually to Stockholders.
ATLANTIC MUTUAL. Albany, N. Y.—20 per cent, of profits credited to the Stockholders until guarantee capital redeemed.
BROOKLYN. 141 Broadway, N. Y.—20per cent, of profits payable to Stockholders. Only 12 per cent. Interest paid.
CONTINENTAL, 26 Nassau Street. New York —12 1-2 per cent, of profits over legal interest payable to Stockholders. $28,000 paid to Stockholders in 1868, being 28 per cent, on paid up capital.
ECONOMICAL, Providence, R, I.—By amendment of charter in June. 1868, Interest is limited to seven per cent, per annum on "each share of capital stock." Residue of profits, after providing for a reserve fund of $200,000, to go to policy-holders.
EXCELSIOR. 63 William Street, New York—10 per cent, of net profits payable to Stockholders.
FIRST NATIONAL ECLECTIC. 35 Union Square, New York. Incorporated 1868.—20 per cent, of profits to bo credited to Stockholders.
GERMANIA. 90 Broadway. New York.—Stockholders, after 1869, are limited to 5 per cent, on capital over legal interest.
GLOBE. 160 Fulton Street. New York.—Interest on capital of $100,000, at 7 per cent., payable semi-annually. '■ Twenty per cent, of the net profits to be set aside, to belong to the Policy-holders, and to be held by the Company as a permanent guarantee fund, not to exceed $500,000; but
the interest thereon to be paid annually to the Stockholders."
HOME, 258 Broadway. New York.—Stockholders are now limited to 12 per cent, on capital, payable half-yearly. A reserve fund of $200,000 is to be made up out of profits at discretion of Directors.
GREAT WESTERN. 20 Nassau Street. New York.—20 per cent, of profits payable to Stockholders.
HAHNEMANN. Cleveland, Ohio.—10per cent, set apart for retirement of paid up capital of $200,000. Interest paid annually at 7 8-10 per cent on $400,000 as the reeponsible capital, under Ohio general law.
KNICKEBBOCKER, 161 Broadway. N. Y.—Stockholders are entitled to twenty per cent, of the profits, besides an interest dividend on the capital. Dividends declared to Policy-holders annually, since 1861, after three payments made and applicable on tho fourth year. Interest and profit dividends paid to Stockholders on $100,009 capital, from 1858 to 1867, $139,810 75. Total premiums received since organization, up to Dec. 81. 1867. $4,074,521 74. and total dividends declared to Policy-holders, $116,571 29; paid or allowed, $42 087 29.
MANHATTAN. 156 Broadway. N. Y.—7 per cent, interest on $100,000 capital, and one-eighth of the profits payable to the Stockholders annually, in cash. Residue of profits paid Policy-holders annually after three payments made. Total interest and profit dividends paid Stockholders from 1853 to 1867, $286,000. Total dividends declared to Policy-holders. $906,868 77, up to Dec. 81, 1867.
METROPOLITAN, 243 Broadway, N. Y.—10 per cent, of profits payable to Stockholders.
MUTUAL PROTECTION. 162 Broadway, N. Y.—(Organized 1868.) Cash capital $100,000; 7 per cent, interest, payable semi-annually; twenty per cent, of net profits to be set apart and held by the Company as a permanent guarantee fund, subject to losses of the Company, interest upon which fund shall be paid annually, pro rata, to the Stockholders,
NATIONAL. 212 Broadway, N. Y.—10 per cent, of profits payable to Stockholders.
NEW JERSEY MUTUAL. Newark, N. J.—10 per cent, of profits payable to Stockholders.
NORTH AMERICA, 229 Broadway, N. Y.—Interest dividend of 7 per cent, per annum on $100,000 capital, payable semi-annually. Stockholders to bo also credited annually $2,000, as a reserve fund, payable to them upon retirement of the capital stock. One-eighth of remaining surplus payable to Stockholders annually, with interest dividend. Residue of profits credited to participating Policy-holders, and to be represented by scrip, redeemable, on reaching $500,000, to extent deemed advisable by board. Interest and profit dividend paid to Stockholders, 1864 to 1867, $15,000, exclusive of $8,000 reserve fund, credited to them. Amount of dividends declared to Policy-holders, outstanding and unapplied. $175,012 47.
PHCENIX MUTUAL, Hartford. Conn.-Stockholders received 6 per cent, on chartered capital of $100,000. only $16,000 being paid up. All residue of profits paid to the ensured.
SECURITY, 31 Pine street, N. Y.—20 per cent, of profits payable to Stockholders under original charter, but the Stockholders have signed agreements under amended charter limiting interest on capital to 12 per cent, per annum currency.
UNITED STATES, 40 Wall Street. N. Y.—20 per cent. of net profits paid to Stockholders, beside annual interest on capital. Capital lately increased to $200,000; charter authorizes increase to one million. Interest and dividends paid on stock, 1851 to 1868, $242,757.65. Amount of profit dividends declared to Policy-holders, now outstanding, reported to Mass.. at present value, $155,000. Policy-holders share in profits on Stock plan.
WORLD MUTUAL, 117 Broadway. N. Y.-121-2 per cent, of profits payable to Stockholders. None yet apportioned.

STOCK COMPANIES (The following is a list of the Stock Companies which pay all the profits of the business to the Stockholders):

To us, it docs not seem wise for any legislature to farm out to capitalists the business of collecting and managing the funds provided by the people for their widows and orphans.—Massachusetts Insurance Commissioners' Reports, page 157.

Human life is too sacred an interest, it has too many relations besides the pecuniary, too much of the value that transcends arithmetic, and we hear of too many exhuminations to test the validity of life policies, to trust it to the Stock Market like coal, copper, or petroleum."—MassachusettsCommissioners' Report, 1865.

The value of the stocks of all well-managed "Proprietary" companies in England during past years has run up to six or eight times their par value, while tho policies never increase in value. There can be but one explanation for this, namely, that there wore large profits in the business, which might have been, But Were Not, divided among the policy-holders, who contributed to produce such profits.

But the great objection, after all, to the Stock Plan, lies at the foundation of the system. After a man becomes a policy-holder in a Stock Company, he has no favors to expect from the Stockholders—their interests are diametrically opposed to his. The Public demand that their money shall produce something for themselves."—Anon.

NATIONAL LIFE INSURANCE CO., Washington, D. C. —(Jay Cooke * Co.)—chartered July 25, 1868. Capital one million, with power to increase on vote of Stockholders at annual or special meeting. None of the profits
to be paid to Policy-holders.
AMERICAN POPULAR, 417 Broadway. N. Y.—No dividends to the ensured are made by this company until the lapse of the period of expectation on the premium age of entry, and the amount of proportion of such dividends
then to be made is not specified in the charter or by law.--Barnes's Report, 1868, p. lxxxvi,
NEW YORK STATE, Syracuse, N. Y.—All profits payable to Stockholders.
UNIVERSAL. 69 Liberty Street, New York.—All surplus to be credited to the Stockholders, pro rata, but to remain in the hands of the company as a "guarantee surplus fund," for the security of Policy-holders, until such fund shall amount to $1,800,000. which, with the capital, will make the sum of two million dollars; thereafter all the profits may be divided among the Stockholders.
TRAVELLERS, Hartford. Conn.—All profits on proprietary tables paid to Stockholders, but the company have prepared tables to ensure also at mutual profit rates.

For all further particulars of Capital, Assets, Income, Expenditure, Premium, and Dividend System, see Underwriters' Life Insurance Chart, 1867 to 1868, Price 50 cents per copy. Published by J. B. ECCLESINE, Editor and Proprietor Wall Street Underwriter, OFFICE 100 BROADWAY NEW YORK, ROOM NO. 6.

A Half Century of service

Display Ad, widely published in January, 1922, in honor of The Equitable Trust Company of New York's "50th Anniversary," in business.

Scribner's magazine: Volume 71 - Page 130, January-June 1922, Equitable Trust Display Ad,
"A Half Century of Service - The Equitable Trust Company,"

The National geographic magazine: Volume 41, January, 1922, page xvii, Equitable Trust, Display Ad, "A Half Century of Service - The Equitable Trust Company,"

System, the Magazine of Business: Volume 41, January to June, 1922, page 123, Equitable Trust, Display Ad, "A Half Century of Service - The Equitable Trust Company,"

The Atlantic monthly: Volume 129, Part 1, January 1922, page 290, Equitable Trust, Display Ad, A Half Century of Service - The Equitable Trust Company,

A Piece of the Mansard from the Equitable Building

I was always curious about this piece of structural iron which underpinned a section of the Mansard roof (that would be the third version of the roof, circa 1887)

It's one of the few recognizable elements of debris.

However, after they cleaned the site up for inspection (just as they did at the Pentagon after September 11th) they left a stretch of iron framing where I count seven rectangular openings---but not the original length, which had eleven openings. Why would they take some and leave a section? HOW could they do it?

Then I realized it reminded me of this stretch of fire escape after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.

Crowds of young women who made it out onto the fire escape perished when it gave way under their weight.

It's not so hard to find the bodies at some fires.

Today I transcribed 10,114 words from the January 9, 1912, Final Edition of The Evening Telegram,

You can find the transcript here:

http://docs.google.com/View?id=dc52kcvf_2966x7j5wcv

But one brief article provided a single-source verification for something I'd known all along.

Page 3, (Column 7)

The Evening Telegram, January 9, 1912, Find Too Late That Victim Still Lived,

Believed to be dead, a man, supposed from a card in his pocket, to have been Massina Fratta, of No. 275 East Fifty-sixth street, lay two hours in the street amid the confusion of the Equitable Building fire to-day before Dr. Savage, of St. Gregory's Volunteer Hospital, discovered signs of life and hurried him into an ambulance. He died on the way to the hospital.
Hundreds of firemen, policemen and others ran to and fro past the man, who had been knocked off a ladder by falling debris and left where he fell, because every one believed him dead. Both legs were broken and he had suffered internal injuries. The dead man's trousers leg had a stripe down one side, and the police believed he was an employee in the burned building.

The fake narrative of the January 9, 1912, Equitable Building fire originated several stereotypes used with the later September 11th, 2001 building collapses.

One, like Battalion Chief Walsh, is a classic case of prepared hero ready to meet his media death. Unfortunately, not a single element of his fire-fighting story makes a bit of sense to me as a layman, and if you're a fire professional and you believe in it--than God help you.

Missing from the narrative is Captain Bass, who died in a sanitarium several months after the fire from a blow he had received to the back of the head. However, his sacrifice continued to be ignored, while his putative rescuers receive medals and commendations and media publicity.

But in the era before CGI, sometimes you just have to kill a few "innocents" to set the mood. The value of an immigrant's life is pretty clear in 1912. All the narrative elements concerning the three "kitchen workers" who died after falls from the roof or upper stories, points to being examples of cold blooded murder. I just never thought I'd find something published in that era's mainstream media that could make my case so elegantly.

Touché Evening Telegram.

This is the way the January 10, 1912, New-York Tribune put it, in "Biggest Fire in Years Destroys Equitable's Home,"

Seven o'clock saw the climax of the fire. Then it was that the roof and upper floors began to fall and carry with them the lower floors, accounting for the loss of Chief Walsh and also for the death of a Massena Fratta of No. 225 East 56th street. Fratta was found by firemen lying unconscious in Pine street, having jumped from the third floor. Dr. Savage, of the Volunteer Hospital, whose ambulance was handy, found that the porter was suffering from a fracture at the base of the skull. He lifted him into the ambulance and sped with him to the hospital, but Fratta died before the institution was reached.

Oops, there's that blow to the back of the skull again. So different than two broken legs with internal injuries.

The January 10, 1912, The Sun, "6 Dead, 1 Missing, 23 Hurt," Page 1, Column 6, gets very specific about the attending physicians and the destination hospitals:

List Made Up by the Police of Casualties at the Fire.
This is the best list the police could get of the dead, missing and injured:
THE DEAD.
CAMPION, JOHN: watchman for the Mercantile Safe Deposit Company. It is his body which is visible through the iron grating of the safe deposit company.
CONDI, GIUSEPPE: address unknown. 38 tears old, an Italian. employed as a kitchen man in Savarin's restaurant. Killed by fall from the eighth floor to the Broadway sidewalk. Body at the Morgue.
FRATTA, MASSENA; 225 East Fifty-sixth street, a porter at Savarin's: fell from cupola at the corner of Pine and Nassau streets and died of his injuries on the way to the Volunteer Hospital. Body taken to the Morgue.
SAZZIO. JOHN, address unknown. 35 years old. an Italian employed at Savarin's as a kitchenman. Killed by fall from eighth floor to sidewalk. Body removed to Greenwich street station and then to the Morgue.
WALSH. WILLIAM J.; chief of the Second Battalion, living at 1170 Forty-second street Brooklyn.
An unidentified man. probably employed in Savarin's, who fell into the building from the eighth floor.
THE MISSING.
NEIDER, FRANK J.: watchman for the Mercantile Safe Deposit Company. 155th street and Melrose avenue. The Bronx.
SEIBERT, CONRAD: watchman for the Mercantile Safe Deposit Company
BASS, JOHN: 309 West 160th street, captain of Engine 4. Hands, face and head burned; attended at the Old Slip police station and later taken to the Hudson Street Hospital.
BROWN, WILLIAM: fireman from Engine 10: lacerated right arm: treated on the spot by Dr. Savage of the Volunteer Hospital and resumed work.
CARREN. THOMAS; a painter living at 420 East 127th street: left leg fractured by falling over a hose line; taken to the Hudson Street hospital.
DELK. LEANDER. a colored porter in the building; overcome by smoke; treated by Dr. Worthen of the Hudson Street Hospital and taken home.
DIAMOND. SAMUEL; fireman from Engine 17; right eye injured; treated by Dr. Savage and continued at work.
DONOVAN. WILLIAM: fireman from Engine 11; overcome by smoke and returned to work after being treated.
FLANNERY, JOSEPH L..; firemen from Engine 55; right hand cut; treated by Dr. Rosenberg from White Cross Hospital in Brooklyn; went home.
GIBLIN, WILLIAM, 350 West Seventy-second street, president of the Mercantile Safe Deposit Company: taken to the Hudson street hospital by Dr. Garrett, suffering from exposure.
GROTHERE NICHOLAS M.; a patrolman of the Old Slip station; back injured and scalp lacerated by falling bricks at Broadway and Pine street: treated and sent home on sick leave.
HEALEY, TIMOTHY; fireman of Tower 2; lacerated left arm; continued work after receiving treatment.
HERBERT. HENRY B.; insurance clerk; received a lacerated scalp and injuries to his right leg by falling over a hose; treated and went home.
HICKEY. JOHN J.: fell on the ice in front of building and received contusions of back.
HUDSON, ALLEN; a fireman living at 207 Eighth avenue: treated for face wounds and continued to work.
HUMPHREYS. L.; of 104 Duane street. Fell on sidewalk and received abrasions on the left leg. Removed to his home.
JOHNSON, LINDSEY H., a lawyer. Sprained back and right arm in fall.
LODDEN, MARK. 71 years old of 113 Oak street. Brooklyn. Taken to the Hudson street hospital suffering from shock.
MANNING, TIMOTHY P., fireman of Truck 6. Taken to the Hudson street hospital, suffering from hysteria. Condition serious.
McVEY. DANIEL, a fireman from Engine 107. Treated at the fire for injured knees Continued work.
MOYNAHAN, BARTHOLOMEY; a tenant of the building. Treated by Dr. Savage of the Volunteer Hospital. Ankle strained.
PETERSON, FRED. 602 East 101th street, a watchman. Overcome by smoke and treated by Dr. Worthen of the Hudson street hospital. Taken home.
SHEEHAN. WILLIAM, 367 West Fifty-second street. Right arm broken. Set by Dr. Worthen at the fire. Patient sent home,
SCHEIHLING, GEORGE, of 2116 Eighth avenue. Received gash over right eye from a falling brick. Treated and sent home.
STEINBERG. JOE. 95 Suffolk street. Broken knee. Was taken home.

According to The Evening Post, William Sheehan had to have his hand amputated to remove him from the debris. Dr. Worthen must be a genius to set it at the scene and send him home.

George Ovanny, Chief Kenlon, Lt. Rankin, Dr. Archer

Chief Kenlon's New Fire Engine