Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-01-09

! "llu CHEERS, inc DiiFt III eihfi LouSht
their way and dragged Giblm. dying
10 the street.
II was learned that at 10 O'Clock
while the fire was raging several ol
The officers of the Equitable Trust
| Company, escorted by tiremen and
ipolice officers. entered the building on
! the southeast corner and were sue
cessrnl in opening the vaults. They
put securities money and legal pa
/ pcrs valued at millions of dollars into
waste paper baskets and policemen
carried these TO the vaults OF The
Hanover Trust Company. In this
way the great Equitable Trust Com
panv's vaults were emptied Of all
tyaluables.
Buildings in the immediate ricin-
ity and adjoining the Equitable,
among others. are: The two Trinity
Ibuildinss;-tL Mutual Life: the New
York Clearing House; and the Chase
National Bank.
The famous Lawyers Club occu-
pied 4 floor of the building, and 1t is
feared its wonderful library OF so
great an intrinsic value that il is
not believed it can be replaced. has
been totally destroyed.
The grea, walls on the Broadway
side OF the building fell at $50,
hurting thousands of tons OF granite
and marble in the street. II is not
known whether any firemcn perished
but all are believed TO have been
called away on time.
Another section OF the walls on
Broadway fell in at S:35. The flames
were then sweeping over the entire
block bounded by Cedar, Pine. Nassau
and Broadway.
When the Broadway side walls fell
in one Of the three firemen who were
imprisoned in the basement vaults
was looking our through a grating,
talking with his companions, who
were trying like mad 10 saw him
OUT. He declared his two compan-
ions were already dead. lie himself
unqucstionably was killed By the
falling walls.
The fire was in the heart of the
lower Broadway skyscraper district.
Seven or more men are belie"ed 70
have been killed. their bodies bur
led in the debris Of the immense fire
proof" structure.
Shortly after the fire got under
way, four porters were seen in the
glare OF the blaze TO leap from Il
fifth story window Tons of debris
fell Immediately upon the spot where
their bodies landed Fircmen nave
not been able 10 approach the scene,
but there seemed little doubt that
the men were instantly killed.
During the frishtful heat Of the
blaze. 4 fireman emerged from The
building and told the fire chiefs that
three Of his companions. driven by
the heat from the sixth floor had re-
treated into empty fire proof vaults
in the basement OF The building and
had taken refuge there. The doors
were clogged by tons Of debris. Al
though great marble blocks fell about
them hundred volunteer firemen
poured tons Of water into the vaults.
while others with axes and crow
bars dashed in and out among the
falling debris. trying 10 chop out
the men.
At eight o'clock fireman emcrg-
ing from the scene declared the vaults
were now half full of water. endan-
gering the men By drowning, but that
it was necessary TO keep pouring i'll
water TO keep the heat from suffocat-
ing them. He expressed little hope
that the three men would be saved
but the volunteers kept at their her
oic task. facing death every second.
All the records of the Equitable
Life are believed TO have been des-
troyed, cntailing a loss that will be
staggering in its greatness.
Nothing was known Al this hour
as to the fate Of the vaults OF the
Equitable Trust Company, on the
Pine street side OF the building, or of
the Mercantile Trust Company, in
the Broadway side.
At $50 it was rumored that sev-
eral employees in restaurant on the
eighth floor of the building may have
lost their lives.
The Equitable Life Building is one
of the largest in the world in point OF
area, covering the entire block which
is bounded by Broadway. Cedar, Pine
and Nassau streets. in the very
haarr Of rho great financial and sky