Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-04-21
THE ARMY HALL DISASTER
Further Details Of the Lamentable Acct
dent Of Thursday Night.

gave an accommodating at 5 A. Moi the
terrible accident of Thursday night, in which
Tx persons lost their lives in Sanger Halle
saloon, one-story brick building, on the
north side of K street. between Fifth and
Sixth streets. The saloon was kept, as al.
ready stated, by Zieglsr & Hitzenberger.
Next to their saloon, on the east, is
GRAND ARMY HALIA
A two-story brick building. Shortly after
while the fremen were extinguish
ing slight fire that occurred in the rear part
of restaurant directly under the west
part of the hall, and next to the saloon, the
entire upper story wall of the hall fell over
upon the roof of the saloon. and carrying
it down to the floor, crushed that in also, and
the entire ruins fell into the cellar, carrying
a number of persons among the debris, six
of whom were killed, a large number being
more or less injured.
THE KILLED AND WOUNDED
Are John Hitzsnberger, aged q; Henry
HOPPE, in his forthwith year Henry T.
Schweitzer, aged "a; J. G. Rademacher,
about SO; Lawrence Miller, aged "a; I. G.
Brelsford, aged about 80. The wounded are
Herbert Bilse, James Lambert, Charles Ev-
anp, james McNulty, Frank Bragg, L. w.
Lucas, j. Woodbridge, Joseph Reddy 1.-THE
rumor that the latter is dead Is without foun.
datior) }, John Higgins, John Sullivan. George
l. der, John McAllister. William Myers. In
addition number IF others received slight
wounds aud LETT the sczne before their names
could be ascertained. II is not believed that
any of the wounded are fatally, though sew
eral are seriously, injured.
THE STORY OF THE ACCIDENT.
A great many conflicting stories SO to the
accident have been circulated. The truth
appears to be, as nearly as can now be ascer-
tanned, that number of the members OF the
Artillery band of the First Regiment, who
had been playing at an entertainment, came
down K street to the saloon, which was quite
a popular resort for musicians, Hitzenberger,
one OF the proprietors, being member of the
band. They left their instruments on the
billiard table and went on to Second street tc
lunch. On their return they heard, as they
neared the saloon, the cry of fire. They rar
to the saloon, and found the doors closed
Hitzenberger's partner having locked up ano
gone home. Hitzenberger hastily unlocked
the doors, and some frsmen went through Il
ascertain if the fire next door affected or haC
time others in the rear from the alley broke
in rear door of the saloon-probablY they
were fremen. Hitzenberger went back to seS
what was being dones and other people en-
tered the saloon, many probably thinking thu
fire was in there, and others from mere curl
osity, as crowd was now gathering, and The
streams from the hose were being played intC
the restaurant.
AT THIS MOMENT,
And probably not to exceed five minutes after
the arrival of the fire department. and not t.
exceed eight or ten minutes after the alarm
was given, the wall of Army Hall fell in
Chief Engineer Sullivan arrived at the fir,
just as one of the engines got to the scene
He went down the alley and gave his ORDER
as to the streams in the rear, ran on to Fifti
street and around to K and the front of tn,
restaurant. La doing go he had to pass tn
saloon, and seeing it open stepped into tn
door to see il there were any evidences of FIR
there. At that instant, and while his foo
was on the threshold, the wall fell and he say
the people on the inside swept down by tn
bricks and timbers.
FOR TINE
The cries of the unhappy victims could
heard as they moaned in their agony, bu
very soon their voices were s.illed. A larg
crowd soon assembled; the Chief OF Polio
and his officers and Chief Sullivan and hi
men took charge, and in an incredibly shor
space of time as many men as could possibl
work to advantage were in the ruins, doin
their utmost to remove the mass of timber
and brick from the men beneath. This worl
was engaged in by many volunteers, and it
worthy of record that no men ever worke
harder or with greater earnestness than tn
officers OF the police and fire department
and the citizsns who volunteered. They hav
the consciousness of having exhibited spiri
praiseworthy in the highest degree, and tina
is credit to their manhood and humanity
Toward daybreak it became necessary to
ORDER THE WORKERS
Out of the ruins, as the walls on either sid
gave signs of weakness, and it was fearet
they might fall in, but by this time all TIL
wounded had been removed aud vera unde
the care of physicians, ss related in yester
days account, and two of the dead bodies
those of Hitzsnberger aud Brelssord-haC
been recovered. AS soon as possible to secur
the lumber and men with tools. the side wall
were shored up, and early yesterday morning
work was resumed by gangs of men, unde
direction of Chief of Police Karcher, anC
was continued until all the debsis had beer
overhauled and the other four bodies haC
been recovered. It is not believed that any
others are beneath the ruins, as the search
has been thorough, but of course the entire
mass of timber and brick will be cast cut 81
speedily, and the certainty of no othel
bodies being in the CELLAR will be established
WHAT CAUSED THE ACCIDENT.
All day yesterday the street in front of th'
place was crowded by people, but only few
were permitted to pass the roped- of section O
sidewalk and approach so as to look into the
cellar. The bodies removed to the morgue OF
Fourth street were decently laid out, and al
day long stream of people poured through
the building to look upon the dead. One o
these presented horrible sight-the body O
Brelsford-his skull being crushed in and hi
face mashed into an almost unrecognizablt
mass. The one theme for expression yester
day was speculation as to the cause of the &C
cident 1t was related by m any that an ex
plosion occurred the instant before the wal
fell, and that it was the cause of its being
thrown out Many people aver that they
heard the explosion. It is evident that there
was no explosion. There are no evidence:
about Army Hall to show that any force from
within threw down the wall. WHAT the wit
nesses heard was the sound of the wall wheI
it struck the roof, succeeded by the crash,
when the floor, Roof and wall went thunder
ing down into the cellar. Another theory
was that the wall was heated by the fire il
the saloon. and that when the hose stream
was played on the wall it warped, and thus
threw the upper wall out of line. Another
theory, and the one which is altogether prob
able, and receives the support of those who
have examined most closely into the matter,
is that the roof Joists sinking into the walls on
eli her side were not set 10 deep enough
that they had perhaps for a long time been
drawing out by the settling of one or the
other of the bulldogs (the walls on both sides
being psrti- walls, and the saloon proper
having no distinctive side wsllsl. it being
simply rooted and hoored in between Army
Hall on the east and the Weisel building on
the west; that the crowd in the
saloon running through shook the
floor sufficiently to defect the walls
of the Wesel building on the west,
and allow the roof timbers to fall down OF
that side, or enough of them to draw out
to render the remainder unable to support the
roof that in this descent the timber'
acted as powerful levers in the indentionl
they fitted into in the Armory Hall wall. snc
lifted up its upper half and threw it out
of its perpendicular. and thus it was cast OIL
pulled over ,lpon the falling roof There ART