The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-01-18


building of the Equitable Life Assur-
ance Society.
-Four persons are known TO be dead
and three others are missing. believed
to be burned in the ruins of the his
tOriC marble sepulchre that made up
the entire block between Nassau, Pine
and Cedar Streets and Broadway.
The dead: Deputy Fire Chief Walsh.
ed by the Mercantile Safe Deposit
Company; John Cont, cook, employed
in the Cafe Savarin: John Sazzi, cook,
employed in the Cafe Savarin.
The injured. William Giblin. presi-
dent Of the Mercantile Safe Deposit
Company. severely burned and suffer
ing nom ss,.>k: Ieander Delk. porter.
overcome by smoke, Frederick Peter
sen, burned and overcome by smoke;
William Sheehan. Waterman. severely
burned. taken to Hudson Street Hos
pital.
Ctuola'S Of the Equitable Company
estimatCo the loss on the building at
$4,000.ooe and declared that the loss
on the contents will be 100000.
The nre is believed to have been
caused by spontaneous combustion, or
by crossed electric wires The fire
had a big Roadway when the fire de-
partment arrived on the scene as the
result OF failure OF the building en-
plOyes to turn in an alarm when the
flames were first discovered.
Began in Basement.
The fire, which was discovered in
the basement, spread with great swift
ness, especially after IL reached the
natural draught furnished by the ele-
tors shafts
A strong southwest gale hampered
the fireuen and threatened for a time
TO spread the holocaust over the en-
tire financial district, as the Equitable
building was located in the very heart
OF the section Streams Of water turn
ed upon the burning structure were
thrown clean across the street. and
live sparks and tongues of famo
were carried by the raging wind.
New York fire fighters were injured
by the flying debris.
One of the most thrilling and heart
rending scenes Of the confederation
was the death of three men who were
trapped in the cupola. All persisted
when the roof fell.
Giblin Had Narrow Escape
William Giblin, president Of the
Mercantile Safe Deposit Company.
which had offices in the Equitab BILE
building, had narrow escape from
death while trying to rescue precious
documents from the basement
Gtblin, after having been reported
killed several times, was finally car
ried out unconscious by firemen, and it
was said his fighting chance for life
was a slender one
Giblin was held a prisoner in the
safe deposit cage while names surged
about him and debris was hurled down
from the crumbling floors above. The
bars before they could get at Giblin
In the meantime the prisoner pleaded
out that he was being roasted. He was
unconscious when the rescuers finally
reached him.
Deputy Fire Chief Walsh and several
Bremen were trapped in the fourth
floor. The nremen escaped. but no
trace could be found of Walsh Fire
yestigation, but could not find his
deputy. and at 1880 o'clock Walsh was
given UP for dead.
The blaze was discovered about
o O'Clock this morning by a pc
deStrtan, who rushed up to Pa
,troInla1 Foley, patrolIing his beat
4 a short distance away. The man
told Foley that ne could see
bright blaze In the basement and
that he feared the fire was a big
one.
Flames Spread Rapidly.
after turning in an alarm
Foley rushed TO the scene. He
found Chief Engineer Davis, an
eInpIOye of the building. trying
10 eXtinguiSh the flames, which
were eating their way through
the basement with alarming
speed. Several assistants were
playing streams of water on the
blaze, but with no effect.
Within fifteen minutes the
flames had made their way TO
the elevator shafts, where the
wind draught whirled them up
ward Thus famed, the fire
gained Roadway and spread
Seeing that the entire building
was threatened, Foley dashed
back to the nearest fire alarm
box and turned in four more
alarms, one right after another
bringing out ali the fire-fghting
apparatus in the lower half of
tine city.
Burned FferceIy.
Despite the tremendous exer-
tons of the firemen TO keep the
flames confined 10 the lower
floors, the blaze Tapped its way
upward and within half an hour
the fifth and sixth floors were
enguIfed with fire.
The seventh and eighth caught
next, and shortly after $3.50 the
flames burst through the roof,
sending up showers OF sparks and
flames Ike the eruption of a huge
Volcano.
Famed by a high wind which
was driving in from the bay, the
tongues OF flame were carried
dangerously near to adjoining
structures and the frenlen had TO
keep playing water on them TO
prevent their burning.
The roof crashed In about z
o'clock.
The crash was accompanied with a
roar and a shower of flames
and sparks which spurted upward as
the debris was hurled into the seeth-
ing interior.
Thousands of spectators, who jam
med the streets near the fire, saw the
men on top of the building swallowed
Ip as the, roof fell.
The hremeh made daring efforts to
eScue them, but were powerless in
he face of the terrinc heat.
The carly apparatus on the scene /
arried ladders that reached only tot
he nth floor. Firemen worked. |
engthentng the extension ladders, |
nth the flames beating from the win |
owS into their faces. Many were Sc /
iousIy burned, but stuck to their posts.
At 8 o'clock the fire was still burn |
ng fiercely. though every resource OF |
he department was by this time being
uiized. Many nremen were injured
y flying debris, which was blown from
ne roof by high wind.
Housed Corporations.
The Equitable building, which was
ne CT the finest in the downtown dis
riot. housed the offices Of August Bel
lont, the Union Pacific Railroad and
lany other large enterprises.
Word OF the fire was quickly tele-
honed to officials Of enterprises |