Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-01-11
TEMPTED To
ENTER RUINS.
New York Firemen Risk Their Lives
by Penetrating Skeleton OF
Equitable.
,roRrry CCETQE pARAI WE'D
MONEY CENTRE PARALYZED
several Weeks VIII Have Elapsed Be
fire Vaults Can be Opened-Seekins
Body of Chief.

New 1Ork Jan. IL VIZ hui
and fifty desperate men, warned III
advance that their lives would be ID
constant danger, today accepted tae
tempting wages offered and entered
the skeleton Of the Equitable Lille
Building in an effort to shore up the
tottering walls and clear pain TO-
ward the immense vaults that con-
tain $4,000, 100000 in securities.
Wall Street. totally staggered Dy
its inability TO use this fabulous SUI"
in the daily routine Of its business
admitted today that 4 fire for the
first time in the history of the New
York Stock Exchange. has practlc-
ally paralyzed the greatest financial
center in the world.
Vault experts declared today that'
no matter if the Quivering walls hela
firm and the wreckers managed 10
clear way to the buried vaults, II
would be several weeks before II
would be safe to open them. because
Of the danger Of spontaneous COM
bustion. This applies 10 the vaults
OF the Mercantile Safe Deposit Com
pany, the largest concern OF It's klho
in the world, in which are oelleVeo
TO be securities to the value OF 81
250,00O.OOO and the vaults oi
IyN
Kountze Brothers, bankers. contain
ing many millions in securities ana
money. The vaults of the August
Belmont banking firm and the Equit-
able Trust Company may be opened
sooner, because they were not suo-
iected to the severe heat. The OH
cials of these latter firms declared
rodag. however. they would be as
sured by experts that all danger was
past before they would open their
vaults
Tho vaults Of William A. Read
banker, at Cedar and Nassau streets
were opened today by experts. The
contents were found to be intact and
sl5.0OO,O00. in money and securities
were taken out and removed to sale
quarters.
There is. OF course. the ever pres
ent danger that the walls will topple
over. burying the vaults under thous'
ands OF tons OF debris which could
only be removed by weeks of labor.
Only today fire and police and
building department officials were dis
cussing the advisability Of calling of
all workers and dynamiting the walls
tying up the mammoth fortunes, but
safeguarding the lives of firemen and
policemen and laborers.
Police today still refuse to permit
tenants OF the tall American En-
change National Bank. across Cedar
street from the ruins, to enter their
offices, though the bank officials were
permitted 10 clear their vaults OF
books and money, so that business
might be resumed at temporary Of
fees.
The walls on tho Cedar street side
of the Equitable building had bulged
10 five feet today ald there was con-
stant danger that they would fall
burying the Mercantile vaults. The
falling of these walls. experts said,
would greatly endarger their con.
tents. The shock and vibration. they
feared. would crack the big, chimney
vaults, permitting an inrusi Of SUI
perheated air that would CHAR and
burn the securities contaiued While
these securities could be DUPLICATED
il would be after endless ADVERTISING
and trouble, occupying ye.r, dur
ing which time the delivery o Stock
and bonds on the Stock EShang'
would be seriously crippled.
The wreckers who enterI th'
building today did so only aftF eacl
had been warned that his litewoul'
be in constant danger. Despfe tnl
warning the alluring wages shere'
drew an army of volunteers. Sever
al ambulances were summonu D.
the police and kept waiting! In
workers are trying TO clear passage
way to the vaults and to tiH tn
body OF battalion chief Willim X
Walsh. which is believed to be (urie'
on the fourth floor. No effort 3ill b
made for several days TO secut tn
body Of William Campeon, a slecia
policeman, which is encassd in q 1
foo, iceberg near the front o! th
building.
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