The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1912-01-09
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COntlnucU INEt Oiits
Assurance society No. 10 Broadway
entaiing loss early reported by fire
underwriters TO be S2o,GOoO0O. The build
ing itself was valued at $7,OOc,0OO. II
Is a total wreck. Fire brands, swept
Ly the wind, are being scattered all
over the downtown districts and
grave confagration is feared. The fire
is in the heart az the lower Broadway
81 ysctaper district.
Seven or more men ore believed TO
have been killed, their bodies buried
Ia the debris OF the immense "ire-
proof structure.
shortly after the fire got under
hcadwGy, four porters were seen, In
the glare Of the blaze, TO leap from
fifth story window. Tons Of debris
fen Immediately upon the spot where
q cir bodies landed
Firemcn have not been able TO APP
roach the scene, but there seemed
little doubt that the men were in
stuntly killed.
During the frightrul heat Of the
blaze. a nreman emerged from the
building and told the fire chiefs that
three f his companions driven by the
heat from the sixth floor, had retreat
cd into empty hrcproof vaults i'm the
basement Of the building ana had TAX
en- refuge there. The doors were clog
ged by tons of debris. Although great
marble blocks fell about them, "A
hundred volunteer firemen poured tons
cc water into the vaults while others,
with axes and crowbars, dashed in
and out among. the falling debris. try
ing to chop out the men.
At s o'clock a fireman emerging
from the scene. docllred the vaults
We're now half fun Of water. endang-
ering the lives Of the imprisoned fire.
men.
Records Destroyed.
All the records Of the Equitable Life
! are believed to have been destroyed.
entalling a loss that may be staggering
e.. its greatness. Nothing was known
at this hour as to the fate OF the
vaults Of the Equitable Trust COM
panv. In the Pine street side OF the
, building or Of the Mercantile Trust
company, in the Broadway side.
At 500 It was rumored that several
employees in o, restaurant on the eighth
floor Of the building may have lost
their lives. The Equitable Life build
ing is one Of the le 'gost in the world
IN point of area, covering the entire
block bounded by Broadway, Cedar
Pine and Nassau streets, in the very
heart Of the great financial end sky
lscraper district.
II was eight stories tall on the Pine
ste eet side while 1t lowered twelyy
stories on the Nassau street side
housing the entire home offices Of the
Equitable together with offices of at
tornevs. insurance brokers, trust COM
panies and brokers.
The building was supposed to be o.
"freproof" construction and Yves de
clared TO lie one of the most massive
lr the lower Broadway region. 1t wa
of steel granite and marble construc
ton and its original cost Is said 4
have been $7,O0O,0O0.
Among other offices IN the building
In edition to those Of the Equitable
were those Of the Union Pacific iail
way, Kountz B-others & Company
August Belmont tle famous care pa
verin. Alexander s. Green, and Pierre
and Greer. noted law firms, the Equi
table Trust company the Mercantil
Trust company william A. Read
Company. bankers, the Western Mary
land railway and the Mercantile SAT
Deposit company,
Men Are Trapped.
At $50 the iiremen learned that tn
three men entrapped in the basemen
Haults were not iiremen, but were
President WiTiam Glblln. Of the Mer
camille Safe Deposit company. pa
= two companions, who had been driyel
from the building twice by nremer
: but who returned the third time 4
g an effort 10 rescue papers. dlblh
! had lust told tp hremen his compan
ions we're dead dnd himself serlousi
injured. The 1oofs supporting IN