The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-10
FIRE DESTROYS BUILDING IN
 HEART OF FINANCIAL DISTRICT
CONTINUED FROM FACE D

~~S~~~~~~~~~~-~~~~~~~-~ ~~~~~~~~~~-->~>>-~~~~~~~~ a week ago 10 new offices in the City ln- vestment building, leaving behind only those of the eomptroler's department, treasurer's office, and transfer depart Elent.
 The loss to the Lawyers club on the fifth floor, one of the most luxnriously furnished clubs in the city. will be ire parab1c. A law library of more than 4oO0o volumes many of which were price less and cannot be replaced, was de- su oyed The flames consumed also the library of the Equitable society, said to be the most complete collection of insur- ance literature in the world.
 Pioneer of present day skyscraper con struction in New York city. the Equita- ble building was begun shortly after the civil war and extended and enlarged until in 1888 1t covered almost the entire block bounded by Broadway. Cedar, Pine and Nassau streets and stood eight stories high. Henry B. Hyde, former president of the Equitable, was responsi- bic for the "sltyscraper" of that day.
 Had 1t not bqSen for the fireproof con- struction of hSldings surrounding the Equitable, thet5 is little doubt, in the opinion of Fits Commissioner Johnson. that, with the 60 mile gale blowing a great conhagration would have result ed The adjoining buildings, however, proved effective vantage points from which to pour streams upon the burn ing roof.
 Dangers for Bremen
 One of the most dangerous ordeals the fremen had to face was showers of granite chips, any of them large enough to crush a man which peeled off tho building when subjected to the heat on one side and icy cold on the other.
 .-.I. It..I,4 Iaff Singer building, firemen began sys tematic search of the third floor for the body of Battalion Chief Walsh. Masses of ice covering the debris made their work exceedingly difficult with little prospect that the body could be found until the ice had been cut away.
 The coating of ice. according to Fire Chief Kenlon, was all that was hold ing the weakened walls of the build ing together in some places, and he expressed the fear that as soon as this icy cement melted the remainder of the building might collapse.
 As soon as was possible, news of the extent of the blaze was telephoned to Mrs. E. II. Hartman. who was informed that the records of the Hartman rail- way system had been destroyed.
 Are they all gone--I mean all that haven't been removed before?" asked Mrs. Hartman
 That part of the structure is de- stroyed." was the response.
 Well, let us be thankful that the fire has not destroyed the railroads" said Mrs. Hartman.
 Fire officials tonight made an examina- tion of the vaults of the Equitable Safe Deposit company and the Mercantile Trust company and found them all intact as far as outward examination could de- termne. The Equitable vault on the sec ond floor of the building is supported by six steel piers and resisted the weight of falling ruins from the upper floors. Whether the contents were damaged by water or heat will not be learned until the vaults can be opened. It was roughly estimated that the valuts contained over half billion dollars worth of securities.
 State Superintendent of Insurance Hotchkiss in a statement issued tonight said that the Equitable's loss was not real one as the building was not carried as an asset either by the company or the insurance department. The company's surplus therefore stood tonight, he said, substantially where 1t stood yesterday. The records of vital moment to the policy holders were safe in the companys an< nex building and those lost could prob- ably be largely replaced