The Detroit times., 1912-01-10
BODY OF MAN WHO DIED
With Six OTHERS IN FIRE
IS IN HUGE CAKE OF ICE
Hands of Waterman In Equit-
able Building Are Stretched
Forward Appealingly.
RUINS ARE SMoULDERING.
Iiremen Still Pouring Water On
Debris So They Can Search
For Missing Bodies.

NEW YORK, Jan. 10.-Firemen today
continued pouring water on the
tmoaidering ruins of the Equitable
building, endeavoring to effect an en-
trance to search for the bodies OF
Battalion Fire Chief William X
Walsh and several others. IL Is known
that, at least, seven persons lost their
lives In the fire
Out on the icy streets. Drawing the
kitter wind. financiers and brokers
stood impatiently waiting for chance
TO penetrate to the big vaults OF the
Equitable Life the Equitable Trust and
the Mercantile Safe Deposit Co,
where money, securities and jewels to
the value OF 81 900 900, 900 are held
Business i'm Wall-st was still ham
pered today by inability TO secure the
tolume of securities necessary for
the transaction OF business
There is grave danger today that
the massive walls OF the wrecked
building, now thoroughly water-soak-
ed. will be thrown into the streets by
the force of expanding ice
Although the billion or more dol
lars worth of securities In the Mer-
camille vaults are believed to be per
i,Artly safe, Deputy Fire Chief John
linns today expressed grave fears
that the old.fashioned brick vaults OF
The Equitable, containing securities
and money TO the value OF $500 ,0OO,-
000. may fall from the second floor
Of tho building into the basement.
Fire is still raging I'm the basement
OF the building in the vicinity OF the
vaults of the Mercantile Safe Depos-
II Co, over which a huge ice roof
'has formed, SO that the fremen can
not pour any more water on IT, Fire
men. however, do not believe the heat
viii injure the contents OF the vaults.
Even II the vaults OF the Equitable
arc saved intact II will probably be
two OF three weeks before they or
the vaults OF the Mercantile can be
opened, the intense heat making IL
unsafe. because of danger OF spon-
taneous combustion.
The body OF Conrad Siebert, night
Waterman, killed in the basement OF
TIE Mercantile, is buried today In a
solid sheet Of ice, 30 feet deep. Up
10 last night, Siebert's hands were
seen through the ice, stretched APP
Eealingly forward 10 the bars through
Which President William Giblin. OF
the Mercantile had been dragged TO
safety.
The building today is an almost
solid mass of ice, which the fremen
say holds the walls together like ce-
nent The weight OF this ice threat
ems to hurl the weakened floor into
the basement and streets. The force
u The ice has already bulged the
walls facing Broadway, and when the
ice begins TO thaw. the walls will slip
Lack into place, setting up vibra'
ton. wreckers say, that may throw
them down. I'm that event, II is feared
ile weight will crush through the
thin shell OF Broadway and be pre-
cipitated into the subway beneath
All night long, under dozens OF
searchlights. fremen dug on the main
stairway on the second floor OF the
building. for the body OF Battalion
chief Walsh. Though they took their
lives In their hands, the men refused
10 stop. There remains about 200 tons
of ice and debris over the spot where
Walsh is thought TO be dead, and 1t
viii be several days before the body
can be recovered
President william Giblin who was
taken from the basement of the build
ing was reported as much better to-
day He suffered severely from shook
and exposure in saving S6,0OO,OOO
worth of securities, and for time IL
was feared pneumonia would develop.