Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-01-10
FLAMES ARE STILL BURNING
PRICELESS LIBRARY AND CLUB
HOMES UTTERLY DESTROY
I'D BN the FLAMES.
PITIFUL SCENES The Result
quick Freezing of Water Hampers
ilshtcrs-liuilding Wa, a Land
Mark In New York CITY.

NEW YORK, Jan. 9.-The immense
marble ana granite home OF the Equit.
able Life Assurance Society covering
whole block in lower Broadway.
ANA the history landmark of New
Nork's earliest period Of sltyscrapers
ana one Of the cities important finan-
clal centers was today DESTROYED by
llrr with loss of SIX lives and prob
ably S6,OO0,OOO in property. \ doz-
On persons were injured.
Rocords including the biography of
r. II, Hartman and two priceless Ii.
brarles which cannot be replaced
went up in flames, and the fate of
hundreds Of millions of dollars worth
OF securities, stored In safety deposit
vaults, was tonight in question. al.
though 1t Was believed fire proof con-
struction had saved them.
Right in the heart of the NlancIal
ulS'rlct' the fire upset the financial
machinery OF Wall street and business
prFtically was suspended throughout
the day.
Right Among Big Business"
The great structure, which besides
containing the main Offices OF the
Equitable Life Assurance Society was
the home of the Mercantile Trust
Company, The Equitable Trust Conn
pany, the Banking house of Kountz
brothers, August Belmont CO.. the
Hartman Railroad lines. the Mercan.
tile Safe Deposit Company, the law
ycrs' club and many of the city's most
prominent law firms, stands tonight a
shell OF .ce coated granite.
Besides involving heavy financial
loss ana serious disturbance OF the
business interests, the fire was spec
tacular. The intense cold acted al
most instantly upon the water poured
upon the Flames, and a thick Ice coat.
Ing speedily formed on the facades
or the towering skys"rapers adjacent
and upon pavements for blocks
around
Three Jump to Death.
The bulwark OF modern fire proof
structures according to Fire Com
missioner Johnson, tonight was inval-
uable AS a protection to the entire
district As IT WIS, the damage except
by water. was confined entirely to the
Equitable structure.
or those who lost their lives. three
men were killed by jumping from a
coping q the roof of the structure,
to which they were driven by the
flames They We're employees in the
building.
Three Others Are Dead.
Battalion chief William Walsh dis
appeared when cave in occurred
on the third floor No trace of his
body had been found tonight.
Two other men, William Camplon,
Captain of the watchmen in the Mer-
camille safe Deposit vaults. and
Frank J. Vcider special officer
whose bodies have not been discov-
cred, complete the list Of dead so far
as known.
The dead tolal MISREPRESENTATION
The dead total however may not be
definitely fixed until the flames,
which were still burning tonight. have
been eNtingushed
Among the injured Is President
William J. Gibln Of the Mercantile
Safe Deposit company, whose rescue
from the basement vaults. where he
was imprisoned. tftcr two hours Of
work by the flremen, was sensations
al episode of the fire. He had gone
into vault To save securities and
accidentally locked himself in with an
employe. Their cries were heard by
the fircmcn. who had to saw through
the steel bars Of a door leading to the
street before they could rescue the
imprisoned men. MIR. Giblln was re-
moved to a hospital suffering from
exhaustion and smoke.
one man in another vault of the
Mercantile safe Deposit Company be-
lieved to- he Campion, could be seen
from the i-eet with his legs pinned
down by mass OF debris but could
not be rescued because Of the heavy
steel doors which barred the way Of
the firemen.
Through small opening in tho
door he was given last rites by Chap
lain Mexican of the Fire Department
corps and he was swallowed from
view by the dense smoke.
Spectators told Of seeing others dis
appear when the roof caved in. but
the authorities believe the list ot
casualties already reported is hardly
likely to be added to.
frnntin,ted mn naoe Sl