Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-01-17
BIG FIRE IN NEW YORK,
Equitable Loses Splendid Home
Six Lives Lost in Fire.

|
marble and granite home OF the
Equitable Life Assurance Society,
covering whole. block in lower
Broadway, an historic landmark of
New iork's early period of skyscraD-
er buildings, and one OF the city's i'm
portant financial ccnters, was yester-
day destroyed by fire. with loss of
six lives and probably $6,000,000 in
property. A dozen persons were in
jurcd.
Valuable records, including the au-
| TOPOGRAPHY OF E. II. Hartman and
| two priceless libraries, which can
| not be replaced, went up in flames,
and the fate of hundreds of millions
| or dollars worth of securities, stored
in safety deposit vaults, was for sew
cral hours in question, although it
was believed freproof construction
had saved them.
Business Suspended.
Fought in the heart of the iinan-
cial district, the fire upset the finan-
cial machinery Of Wall street and
business practically was suspended
throughout the day.
The great structure, which, be-
sides containing the main offices of
the Equitable Life Assurance Society,
was the homo Of the Mercantile
Trust Company, the Equitable Trust
Company, the banking house Of
kountze Bros. August Belmont e.
Co.. the Hartman railroad lines, the
Mercantile Safe Deposit Company,
the Lawyers Club and many Of the
ctty's most prominent law firms,
stands tonight shell Of ice-coated
granite.
Besides involving heavy financial
business interests, The fire was spec
tacular.
The intense cold acted almost in
stantly upon the water poured on the
flames, and thick ice coating speed
lily formed on the facades Of tower
ing skyscrapers adjacent and upon
parements for blocks around.
Saved the District.
The bulwark Of modern fireproof
structures nearby, according to Fire
Commissioner Johnston, was invalua-
bic as a protection to the entire fl
nancial district. AS it was, the dam
age, 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 Of the roof Of the structure,
to which they were driven by the
lamcs. They were employees in the
building.
Battalion Chief VIM. j. Walsh dis
appeared when cave-in occurred on
the third floor. No trace Of his body
had been found at this hour.
Two other men, VIM. Campion,
captain OF the watchmen in the Mer-
camille Safe Deposit vaults, and f.
J. Neider, a special officer. whose
bodies have not been recovered. COM
plete the list OF dead so far as is
known.
Over Fifty Million Found.
More than $50, 100000 in stocks
and bonds was recovered from one
Of the smaller vaults in the burned
Equitable Life Assurance Society
building late to-day, but probably
will be wcck-perhaps longcr-be-
fore the great vaults Of the society
and the Mercantile Safe Deposit Co.
give up their half billion or more in
securities. Further examination Of
tho gaunt, icc-shrOuded building,
swept on Tuesday by fire, showed
more conclusively this afternoon that
the vaults are intact. In the opin-
ion Of those who made the inspection
their contents will suffl little, If at
all But, buried as they are under
hundreds Of tons Of ice and debris.
il may be matter Of weeks before
ii will be advisable to open them.
Guarded Day and Night.
Meanwhile securities variously es-
timatcd in value from half billion
to Il billion and a half dollars can
not be reached. Special guards have
been thrown about the building. and
day and night they will keep watch
to see that no unauthorized person
enter the ruins.
Tho smaller vaults OF the Mcrcan-
tile Trust Company were the ones
reached this afternoon. AS soon as
! it was seen that they could be en-
! tered, fifty clerks were dispatched
! from the Bankers Trust Company
a few blocks away, to transfer the