The following article from the January 21, 1906, Arkansas Democrat describes the condition of the contents of the Bank of Russellville’s vault after the surrounding building burned and hot bricks buried it in the Russellville fire of January 15–16, 1906.

BIG BANK VAULT UNHURT IN FIRE
Contents at Russellville in Perfect Condition.
DEFIED HARDEST TEST
Institution Resumes Business in the Old Postoffice Building—Will Rebuild.

Russellville, Jan. 20.—(Special.)—The center of interest in the burned district of Russellville since the fire of Monday night has been the great vault of the Bank of Russellville, which stands in the midst of the ruins. The heat around this had been intense, and the walls were white with heat. As the vault began to cool, many conjectures were heard as to whether the contents had been injured.

Cashier W. G. Neal, in the presence of a great crowd of curious and anxious spectators, yesterday turned the combination on the outside door, which worked easily, and then with little effort, the bolts were drawn back, and the great door swung open.

On the inside everything was just as when the vault was closed on Monday night. Not a paper indicated that a large two-story brick building had burned over the contents, and that the vault had been buried for hours beneath tons of red-hot brick.

The inside doors of the vault unlocked as easily as though no fire had occurred, and the safe was as in fine condition as when it was placed there years ago.

The vault and safe were built especially for this bank, and placed in position in 1890. The test was severe, but the condition of the contents was perfect.

The Bank of Russellville is one of the soundest banking institutions in the state. It was reopened in the old post-office building at the usual hour on Tuesday morning, and did not miss an hour from business, although it had lost everything in the way of fixtures and furniture, besides a $10,000 building.

Before noon on Tuesday the bank officials had wired to Ft. Smith for material, and were figuring with local contractors for the erection of a better and larger bank building on the same site. Men are now at work clearing away the debris preparatory for rebuilding.

Background:

Other contemporary accounts reported that shortly before midnight on Monday, January 15, 1906, fire was discovered in the Chronister Brothers grocery in downtown Russellville. Fanned by wind and confronted by a town with no waterworks system, functioning fire department, or firefighting apparatus, the blaze swept through nearly two blocks of the business district and burned until daylight. Contemporary estimates placed the loss at between $150,000 and $250,000. Residents formed bucket brigades, even releasing prisoners from the county jail on their honor to help fight the flames. Every prisoner reportedly returned to the jail after the danger had passed.

The photograph above did not accompany the Arkansas Democrat article. It shows the vault described in the article almost exactly as the newspaper’s readers would have imagined it—standing essentially intact while the Bank of Russellville building around it had ceased to exist.

After initially publishing this account, I discovered that the original newspaper page also carried a photograph on the far left, while the vault story appeared on the far right. The newspaper identified the man as Col. T. M. Neal, president of the Bank of Russellville, standing beside the vault that survived the fire.

THEY WENT UNSCATHED THROUGH BIG FIRE

(Photograph Taken By J. H. Ganner.)

This picture shows Col. T. M. Neal, president of the Bank of Russellville, standing beside the vault which defied the flames. The vault saved all the bank’s most valuable property.

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