The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-01-09
kSIX DEAD IN BIG
FIRE IN NEW YORK

! Co, announced that the xanlts-uf the
company were intact and that no loss
es would result TO any clients.
! When the subway, surface and ele-
waited lines began disgorging the huge
army OF Office employees In the vicinity
! OF the fire. IL became necessary 10
/ call out the police reserves from all
the downtown districts and tighten
the police lines.
The rescue OF William Giblln. pres
ldent OF the Mercantile Safe Deposit
Co, with Offices in the reimbursement
at the northwest corner OF the build
ing. was spectacular. Notified at his
home OF the fire. Giblin rushed 10 the
scene 10 superintend the removal OF
securities worth many million dollars.
Ehree times he was driven from the
building by firemen, but each time he
returned 10 save the papers OF his
customers, The fourth time ne failed
TO re-appear and for an hour was
given up for dead
Then firemen, lodging through the
fallen debris along Broadway. saw
Giblin's face pressed against the bar
red window OF the vaults, which rises
TWO feet above the level of the side
walk. William Sheehan, a special po-
licemen. was with him, as was John
Campeon. Captain" OF the night
watchmen, who had entered with Glib
lin 10 assist in salvaging the secur-
tiles.
Falling floors had cut of their
egress from the rear and they We're
penned in the vault, with steel bars
between them and the sidewalk.
There was only one way the men
might be saved-through the great
steel bars that kept burglars away
from the basement windows which
lighted the vaults.
The building was a pyramid OF
flames. Fire Commissioner Joseph
Johnson jumped forward. Regardless
OF personal danger. he bent over the
grated windows and saw the agoniZed
face OF Giblin between the bars.
We'll get you out" he shouted. and
then turned TO order a steel-cutting
saw. Fireman James Dunn. rushed
up with the implement. Before he
could begin work in the inferno,
Father Mclean. chaplain OF the de-
partment, went TO the window. Over
his head a dozen streams OF icy wa
ter played against the seething walls.
Showers OF stone fell about the young
priest; chips struck and cut him.
Drenched to the skin, as the Ice form
ed about him, Father Mclean stood
calmly In the face OF death until he
had administered the last rites TO the
dying. Then he was dragged away,
and Dunn set to mis- work OF saving
through massive steel bars, while the
heat scorched his face and the wa
ter froze on his back.
A handsaw was never made TO saw
through two-inch steel bars under
such stress. AS Dunn froZe and bak'
ed and worked, the saw bit through
the steel. For half an hour the man
worked like q hero-and mailman.
Then his comrades dragged him
away and sent him to a hospital,
while Fireman Brown, of truck No. i,
took his place with the little saw at
the bars. AS he worked and froze
Brown shouted words OF encourage
ment to Giblin. Then Brown. after
n half hour, gave up the task. Fire
man Young took his place, and then
William Lark took up the task and
I'm 80 minutes the bars gave way.
Lark didn't relinquish his place. He
simply dived into the basement,
through the flames and smoke and
PASSED Giblin, q small man, apparently
dying, through the grating. Then.
cropping through the smoke, he found
Campeon, dead. He sent his body up.
and followed II with the unconscious
form OF william Sheehan.
Firemen suffered from heat and
cold: heat from the blazing structure
and coId from the bitter water that
froze about them. But 1t Is to the
credit OF the smoke eaters" that they
never wavered. They stood to their
tasks and suffered, fighting back the
maelstrom Of flames that, once out
az their power, would have swept
through the heart OF New York like
= ming possessed. And though they
suffered they won. They fought IRE
and water and cold and pain, and
A him wind that Appropriated
gaIs came sweeping through from the
west. Sucked into the narrow nues
caused by the great, towering build
tnga above the narrow streets, high
are hrands were carried blocks away.
Sons few nearly to the East River
ana landed on buildings. Telephone
Girls hastily appraised, notified night
WatCnmen III hll inc w."
Rrooklyn districts. instructing them to
stand by, with fire hose ready, on
the roofs of their own buildings, TO
extinguish any blaze started by ny
ing spark.
AS the morning progressed thou
sands OF men and women, employed
in the hives OF the financial district,
began disgorging from subways, ele-
waited and surface lines. With curios-
ity gone mad they tried to force their
way through the fire lines. though
crumbling walls were falling about
them and great masses OF granite and
marble were crashing onto the street.
More than a thousand policemen, with
fire lines drawn taut, fought them
back. for the danger was great, and
once that army broke through and
penetrated to the fire zone, the loss
OF life would have been great.
Scores OF buildings In the immedi-
ate vicinity OF the fire were ordered
closed by the policemen and hremen
and thousands OF men and women, de-
MED access TO their places Of business,
poured to the fire, trying by every
known method to get inside the fire
lines. Time and again mounted po-
licemen were compelled to charge
through the crowds and drive them
back.
One OF the most spectacular sights
Of the IRE was the spire OF Old Trim
ity church, half a block away, on
proa dwav ahininO hiOh ahova the