FIRE IN SKY-SCRAPER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17009, 16 April 1926, Page 5

FIRE IN SKY-SCRAPER.

EXCITING SCENES,

NEW YORK. Feb. 2Q.-What firemen described as the highest fire in their experience occurred on the thirty-fourth and thirty-fifth floors' of a well-known sky-scraper in the business districtknown ns Hie Equitable Building. When the firemen arrived they were delayed in reaching the fire by. scores of charwomen who came rushing out of the building. They carried the hose up the stairs to the top of the building, and the lire was put out with little difficulty. It had started in the basement and proceeded up a shaft which contained water pipes and electric wires to the top of the highest storey. The loss is estimated at £12,000, and tho damage has been mainly caused by wafer. There was no loss of life.

The Equitable Building is situated on Broadway at the south end of Manhattan Island, in the heart of the business district. It is quite one of the largest buildings-in New York, and was reputed to be fireproof. It is surrounded on hit sides by famous hanking houses, and is itself the home of many wellknown stoekbroking concerns. The building has thirty-seven storeys, with a total height of 486 ft. With the land on which it stands it- is assessed for' taxation at about £6,300,000.