New-York tribune., 1912-01-15
Wreckers Find William Campion
After Cutting Through Ice
Bank Is Feet Thick. -
KNELT AS IF ASKING AID
ALI Is Ready for Demolishing In
terror Walls That Seem Dam
gerous - 10000 Policies
Held for Loans Removed.


force Of Canavan wreckers, under the
direction of Supervising Inspector John
oConnor of the Bureau of Buildings,
worked from { o'clock in the morning
until after o'clock in the afternoon to
pierce the tomb and accomplish their
purpose.
When they had cut through n bank of
solid ice fifteen feet thick, which ex-
tended from the face of the building TO
the northbound car track in Broadway,
they were met by a heartrending sight.
Campon's burned hands were extended
through the steel barred grill of an outer
gate just below the curb near Cedar
streer, and he knelt, as II imploring the
aid that did not come in time. He had
crowded up so close to the steel grating
which held him prisoner in the trap that
his knees, too, were Jammed between the
bars to which they, as well as the
hands, were frozen.
A steel beam, descending with the
crash Of the floors above, must have
brought death instantly when it came.
for this beam had crushed in the skull.
A sheathing of ice covered the body.
mercifully hiding the distorted features,
and cemented it to tons of wreckage be-
hind. consisting Of hollow tile, bricks,
steel beams and all manner of building
debris. The mans joints, of course, were
frozen rigid
When the wreckers had carved their
way through the ice to the grill they
still had to cut the two-inch bars of
steel before Campion could be released.
since it was impossible 10 reach the body
from behind 1t was this same gate
through which Seneca Larke, the Indian
fireman. had dragged William Giblin,
after saving through one bar, the morn
ing of the fire. Campion had been
crushed before Giblin was extricated.
Takes Hours to Recover Body.
Four bars were severed. the four di-
rectly framing the ice-incased figure OF
the unfortunate watchman. 1t took
hours 10 do it. as 1t had AIKEN urs to
cut a path to the gate. The first two
bars were melted in half with the aid
of acetylene smelters but when this had
been accomplished the gas had given out
and the other two bars were attacked
with hack saws. Finally these, too
welded. Then came the labor of sepa-
rating the body from the bars and the
wreckage.
huge crowd of holiday sightseers
took advantage Of the lack Of police
lines TO bank the west sidewalk VI
Broadway all the way from Liberty
street 10 Wall, so that old Trinity locked
down on such sea of heads as II Is
wont IN see only on New Years Eve.
To crafty as little as possible the NOR
bid curiosity of the sghtseers the ponce
placed a section of matched board renee
across the path to the gate 10 screen
Campion's body from view. Then ABOUT
3.3O o'clock the congestion having be-
come dangerous. they cleared Broadway
entirely between Liberty and wan
streets A large number of men, women
and children were squeezed through INTO
Trinity church yard, where they hugged
the high iron fence along the Broadway
sidewalk. peering through the pahhSs
and stamping on the graves
At All o'clock the body was placed
aboard patrol wagon and, in the GUS
tody Of Patrolman Nelson M. Hart taken
10 the Old Slip station. There brother
in-law Of the watchman identified II, ana
at 4:45 o'clock il was delivered to Miles
Mexican. an undertaken of No. 4I9 '4th
street, Brooklyn, who will remove II later
10 Campions home, at No. "a I'd street
Brooklyn. Campion, who was sixty years
old leaves a wife and four chlidreh'
Now that an entrance has been effected
jnto the rooms Of the Mercantile Saie
Deposit Company It is hoped before lons
10 find also the body of Francis Joseph
Nieder, the other missing watchmah
supposed 10 have perished in the collapse
that cut of Campion. Nieder was an
other one Of those who went into the
vaults with Giblin when the building
was burning. II is supposed he lies
buried deep in the wreckage rising into
an irf covered pyramid Immediately be-
hind The spot whore Campion knelt.
Back IL the centre Of the ruin all IS
Ieady now for the pulling" of those
pear dangerous. This morning the
wTeak.rs VIII attach steel cables 70
;hcse walls. extend them through the
window boIes TO the street, and, when
sYsry one is out Of danger, start steam
engines pulling the walls down on top
.: tho Interior debris. The men of the
Bureau OF Buildings who have the dem
oliticn o: the building in charge con-
s'der tina they have removed enough
os the st,B:n from the floors inside to
r1sks this operation entirely safe.
Pump Water All Night.
Tks wreckers Quit the job at 3 O'Clock
last night. leaving behind small force
Of men engaged in pumping ont thC
water collected in the basement OF the
burned building and threatening III
foundations as well as the foundations
OF buildings in the immediate nelsh
bornood inspector Judge, o. the Bu
reau q Buildings. estimated that TN
water stood twelve feet deep under th'
wreckage. Two engines. one I'm Pine
street and the other in Cedar street
operated eight centrifugal pumps
throughout the night, pumping this wa
ter directly into the sewers.
The Bureau OF Buildings is surround
ing the ruin with q high fence .
matahed boards TO keep pedestrians iron
sasturing near enough TO the walls L