Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-01-10

through a partition into the elevator
shaft. The blaze leaped with a roar to
the top of the building and mushreomed
into the upper floors, spreading thence
rapidly down through the structure.
Aided by searchlights, trained down
upon the ruins from the lofty Singer
building, firemeu, tonight, began sys-
tematic search of the third floor for the
body of Battalion Chief Walsh. Compact
masses of ice covering the debris made
their work exceedingly difficult
Within two hours after the fire
broke out at $50, the building was
seething mass of flames, and tie fire
men working from the tops of sky
scrapers and from streets below. were
trying To prevent the flames from
spreading to the buildings on the OPP
posite side Of the street The Equita
BILE building occupied the block be-
tween Broadway and Nassau street
and Pine and Cedar streets. The fire
was first discovered on the ground
fioo~ in storeroom of the Cafe Sa
warm and carried by a draught of air,
shot upward through an elevator
shaft. setting fire to the upper floors.
A general alarm was turned in. and
when tine fire department reached the
scene the flames were bursting out the
windows III the southeast corner of
the building.
A gale of wind sweeping through the
streets drove the flames through the
building from end to end Firemen
dragged their hose to the tops of the
Chase National Bank on Pine street
and the Fourth National Bank on
Nassau street, while other lines of
hose were run up on n skyscra per op
posite the burning building on Broad
way. from which streams of water were
directed on the flames. Five alarms
were turned in and fire tugs from the
North and East rivers grouped them
selves at a convenient dock and
pumred volumes of water into the
building.
Three watchmen in the building
heroieally remained To fight the flames
with fire extinguishers but they We're
driven finally to the roof Firemen
made heroic attempt to save them
and scaling ladders were run up. Res
euers got as far as the fourth floor
when the three watchmen, their forms
outlined against the glare of the
flames, were seen kneeling in prayer
and then as the corner of the BALD
ing on which they were standing fell,
they jumped to the street. The firemen
on the scaling ladders had difficulty
in making their way back to the
street.
Fire Commissioner johnson discov-
cred man imprisoned in the vaults
the corner of Cedar street and Broad
way. The man could be seen from the
street and his legs We're pinned down
by mass of fixtures and debris which
had fallen from above. He was alive
and held out his hand to the firemen.
who made frantic efforts TO break
through the heavy steel door. Father
Mclean, of the fire department, gave
the last rites of the church to the dy
ing man.
Deputy Fire Chief William Walsh
and firemen were caught when sec
ton of the floor in an upper story
gave way. The firemen managed tn
reach a window ledge from which
they were rescued 10y means of "A life
line thrown to them, but when they
looked back Chief Walsh had disap-
peared in The smoking ruins. Efforts
were made to reach the spot where he
was buried but the fremen could not
find him.
Father Mclean nearly lost his life
when administering the last rites To
President Gjblin the fremen drag
ging him away Just as shower of
bricks and stones fen on the spot
y here he had been kneeling.
As the fireinen carried Father Nc
Gean away the dying man turned TO
him and said
For Gods sake Father. take me
out of here. / am dying. Can't you
get at me-
Two porters in the Safe Deposit Go.
Were rescued from the basement of
the building whom the sidewalk in
front OF the STRUCTURE caved in. They
were injured and removed To hos
pital
Parts Of the Brooklyn fire depart