Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-01-11
Shoe H.&F. Store
C.A.Hagberg, 124E.Main

Gean away the dying man turned to
him and pitifully said:
For Gods sake, Father. take me
out Of here. I am dying. Can't you get
at me?"
The porters in the safety de-
post company were rescued from
the basement of the building when the
side walls in front Of the structure
caved in. They were injured, and were
removed to hospital.
The fire was finally confined to the
Equitable building though for a time
it seemed as if the flames would
sweep across the street and set fire to
the American Exchange National bank
at Cedar street and Broadway, on
which the sparks were falling in a
shower. This building was kept wet
down by streams Of water from the
skyscrapers on all sides. The flames
had the intensity of heat Of blast
furnace. The heavy floors of the build
ing buckled under the white hot fire
and fell in while the walls crumbled
and dropped piecemeal into the
streets.
Part of the Brooklyn fire depart
ment was sent to aid in preventing the
spread of the flames Business in the
financial section was brought prac-
tically to a standstill. Thousands of
clerks in banking and brokerage
houses, railroad and industrial corpor-
ations were held back by police lines
formed two blocks north of the fire
and traffic of every kind in the streets
near the burning building was forbid
Ion, l1rt hA 10
had been checked three men were re-
ported to be alive in the vaults OF the
Mercantile Safe Deposit Co., where
one man had already lost his life. and
the firemen tried to batter down the
steel doors. The falling stone and
brick and the heat had blocked and
warped the doors SO that they could
not be unlocked.
While the firemen were hammering
away a part of the coping fell and the
rescuers had narrow escape. After
the stone had fallen the firemen made
efforts to penetrate the
doors.
Three employees of the building
eaped from the third floor to the
street. They were taken to the hospital
seriously injured. After the fire had
been checked and the firemen were
able to get closer to the building it
was discovered that the Belmont
Joins the burning building, has been
saved, though the offices Of August
Belmont & Co. had been flooded with
water
Firemen at last succeeded in bat |
.ering in a steel door and rescuing |
;wo watchmen who were imprisoned
n vaults.
Ambulances from four hospitals |
we're on the scene to take care of the |
INJURED.
With the exception OF one insurance
the building Of the Equita-
Die Life Assurance society had great
er assessed valuation than any other
building in the financial distract, the
igures being $12,100,OO0.
Other occupants Of the Equitable |
besides the Hartman rail-
'oads We're the executive Offices of the
Western Maryland railroad together
With the law Office of Herbert Sat
erlee son-in-law Of J. P. Morgan and |
Alexander and Green.
Bank President Locked in Vault.
William Giblin, president of the
Mercantile Safe Deposit Co., was
escued from the vaults Of his company
lfter the firemen had Sawed through
everal steel bars. He was believed to
,e MORALLY wounded.
After President Giblin was rescued
rom the fire he was carried to the
,oiler room of the Trinity building.
Ambulance surgeons stripped off his
clothing and wrapped him in heavy
blankets. Stimulants were admins
cred After brief interval of rest
dr. Giblin said:
81 was sitting up last night with my