The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-01-11
.,., Working In Ruins Of Burned
suIdinq at Risk Of Their Lives
to Clear Path to
the Vaults.
WALLS ARE ToTTERING
|u,lI. May Topple Over at Any Min
IT. and Crash Through the
Street Into the Subway
Beneath.

|t1rnited fress Leased Wire Service.]
i NEW YORK, Jan. 1.-Two hun
bred and fifty desperate men, warned
n advance that their lives would b.
in constant danger, today accepted
tha tempting wages offered and enter
ID the skeleton of the Equitable Life
building, in an effort to shore up the
offering walls and clear a path to-
ward the immense vaults that contain
two billion in securities. Wall street
otally staggered by its inability to
,se this fabulous sum in the daily
routine Of business, admitted today
hat fire for the first time in the
history Of the New York stock ex-
change. has practically paralyzed the
great financial center of the world.
Vault experts declared today that,
ho matter If the quivering walls held
irm and the wreckers managed to
clear way to the buried vaults, II
would be several weeks before IT.
would be safe to open them, because
bf the danger OF spontaneous combus-
ion This applies to the vaults OF
the Mercantile Safe Deposit Co., the
largest concern Of its kind in the
world in which are believed to be
securities to the value of $3.50, ,000,-
300 and the vaults Of Kountz Broth
krs, bankers, containing many MIL
ions in securities and money. The
aults OF the August Belmont banking
irm, and the Equitable Trust Co.
hay be opened sooner. because they
we're not subjected to the severe
PEAT. The officials of these latter
brms, declared today, however, they
would be assured by experts that all
hanger was past before they would
open their vaults.
There is, OF course, the ever pres.
fnt danger that the walls will topple
pyer, burying the vaults under thous-
ands of tons of debris, which could
pnly be removed by weeks of labor
Early today, fire and police. and
building department officials were dis
fussing the advisability Of calling off
Rll workers and dynamiting the walls,
ying up the mammoth fortunes, bul
safeguarding the lives of firemen, po-
lcemen and laborers.
Police today still refused to permit
tenants of the tall American Elk.
change National bank, across Cedar
street from the ruins, to enter their
pfhces, though the bank officials were
permitted to clear their vaults oil
securities and money, so that bust
ness might be resumed at temporary
offices.
Inc walls on the Cedar street side
pi the Equitable building had bulged
lve feet today and there was con
Rant danger that they would fall
Purying the Mercantile vaults. Tht
alling OF these walls, experts say
would greatly endanger their con
ehts The vibration, they feared
Fould crack the big chimney vaults
Pefmitting an thrush of the super
eated air that would char and burr
ne securities contained there. Will,
'nese securities could be duplicated
would be after endless advertiser,
laa trouble, occupying a year, dur
ns which time the delivery of stock
aa bonds on the stock exchang
YOU'D be seriously crippled.
me wreckers who entered TIL
'ulldlng today did so only after eac,
lao been warned that his life was i
ohstant danger Despite this war;
ns' the alluring wages offered Dire,
- army OF volunteers Several an
,u'ances were summoned by the pt
ICE and kept waiting. The worker
ne trying to clear passageway t
ne vaults, and to find the body {
Dauaiion Chief William X. Walsl
n'cn is believed to be buried on th
our'h floor No effort will be mad
vi several days to secure the bod
y William Campeon. special p
'oeman, which is encased in a fort,
W. iceherg near the front of til
uuiiaing. Books and records of tn
suitable Trust Co., kept in safe
,'.n ave oeen salvaged. but no effor
M,n s De made to enter the vaults
sla, ,s concern until they cool off. Of
s's OF the Equitable Life declare
s suay an examination had show
aa' 10, .he steel filing cases, which co
a.neo $4,000 policies on which II
.n'pans had loaned policy holde
Jury s'VeO au eAe"peu
subway officials expressed gra,