Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-08-04


HorEL-THE REAR WALLS OF THE BUILpISG cRuMBLE
TO THE EARTH-RESCUERs WORKING BY ELECTRIC
LIGHT-TWO PEOPLE KILLED AND FT.E INJURED.
Last evening about 7:30 o'clock the rear portion
OF the United States hotel building, on Pennsyl-
vania avenue, between Sd and Az streets, fell to
the ground without a moments warning. burying
eight persons In the mass OF ruins. The building,
Whlch Is one OF the Oldest In the city, has frontage
OF 10 teet on the Avenue and depth OF 1S5 feet,
running back to a wide alley extending from Sd to
~ streets 1t was the rear part Of the structure
which collapsed, and an alarm OF fire was immedi
ately turned In from box ii, to which the firemen
ana police answered quichiy. finding. when they
reached the place OF the accident. huge cloud OF
dust. but neither smoke nor d me. IL was quickly
made known that a number OF persons We're buried
In the debris, and
THE WORK OF RESCUE
was hurriedly begun. A general alarm was sent
out, and the entire reserve force Of the police and
fire departments was speedily on the ground. The
part of the building which fell contained the
Kitchen, the dinlng-room and forty-fve rooms for
guests 1t. It's weak spot was near the kitchen, in
Whlch We're Mrs. w. j. BelGing wife OF tine propre-
tor Of the hotel; Harriet Anna Dickson, assistant
chambermaid; Annie Dickson, colored, pastry cook;
Add1e Fletcher, coiOred. head chamberlnaid; Henry
boy, and Charles Whiting, colored. waiter.
Not guest was in the dining the supper
hour having closed at O'Clock, and almost miracu
lously, not boarder was In any OF the rooms The
nrst the occupants OF the kitchen heard was rum
bling noise, followed by q crash.
THE WAY THE BUILDING FELL.
The way in which the building fell is described
by Charles w. Fisher, a boy who was in the coal
cellar, under the kitchen. He Says:-I was getting
coal for the kitchen fire when the wall in front of
me began to press outward like the letter v lying
on It's side. In second saw daylight through the
hole. and the bricks came tumbling down. ran
for my life then. The coal cellar was way back by
the alley, and had to run the entire length OF the
RAM EoN f,.l .lirfr hnl,{,>
me. l kept ahead OF the crash. and was only
touched as Twas entering the front part OF the
building Then some Joists struck my knees, but
not hard enough to stop Inc. That was the way
the building fell''
Chief Cronin. commissioners Edmonds and West,
and Mr.. John j. Burrows, superintendent Of
streets, gave their personal attention the rescue
or the victims land in short time TWO large electric
lights were In position, facilitating the labor OF the
workers.
TAKING INJURED PERSONS FROM THE WRECK.
The first person rescued was Anna Dickson, the
colored chambermaid She was sitting In the
kitchen door when the building fell, and was found
near the outer edge OF the debris Her wrist was
broken and she had one or two cuts on the head,
but not severe, and she was at no time uncon-
sciouS. She was taken to the Providence Hospital
Ernest Shook, lad II years old, and a son OF Lu-
c1us w. Shook, VINO keeps restaurant next door
to the hotel, was next rescued. He was sitting on
fence next TO the building when 1t fell and start
ing to run was pinned In between portion OF the
fence which slanted above him. and the wall Of the
would otherwise have crushed him. and he was
taken out with two slight cuts on his head.
M mrs; $. belding was next taken out from under
fering from bruises, and had bad cut over her
right eye. She was pinned down ty her clothing,
which IL was necessary TO cut before she could be
rescued.
AT about lao a., M, after being in the ruins over
SIX hours, Annie Dickson, the pastry cook, was
found lying In cramped position, and was taken
out more dead than alive She also was sent to the
hospital.
who was caught near the woman. was released.
HIS Injuries are not serious, although he was much
exhausted
When Mrs Belding was rescued Chief Cronin was
overcome Dy the sitting dust and his violent exer-
tioas and rain,ed, but he soon recovered AM re-
Suined his post directing the work.
THE WORK CONTINUED THIS MORNING.
Mr. j. j. Burrows, superintendent OF repairs Of
streets, about 4:3O o'clock this morning had his en-
tire force-One hundred men-at the scene but it
was found that they were working in one another's
way. and forty OF them Were sent to other work.
Mr. Burrows, assisted by Mr. McMurray remaining
in charge Mr. I. 3. Entwisle. Inspector of build.
ngs, was also On the ground giving his advice as
removing the walls, &c. A large number of police
work steadily progressed. 1t was noticed that the
bricks were almost bare OF mortar, and many OF
them were soft.
BODY DIs1NTERRED.
The body OF Mrs. Addie Fletcher the chamber
maid, was found about $50 o'clock this morning in
the debris, near the Site OF the Kitchen with face
downward and about ten o'clock the body was
placed on mattress and moved TO Joseph c. Lees
Mrs. Fletcher is the wife Of Rufus Fletcher, who
was head-pOrter at the hotel until two months ago.
She was light colored. trn-ooking woman, Of
about IS years, and native Of Knoxville, Tenn,
from which place she came in December last to
accept the place at the hotel. She leaves beside
her husband but one Child, daughter Of 10 years
old. living In Knoxville, to which place the body OF
the deceased will be taken for interment.
She was found lying on her back, with a basket
the site of the laundry. Her skull was fractured,
and her left arm was badly crushed. The body
Will be embaimed.
1t is supposed that Mrs. Fletcher. from her posi-
tl0n, was making her Way out and was caught and
Killed instantly, her abdomen having been fearfully
crushed.
AN INQUEST TO BE HELD.
DR.. Patterson, the coroner, who, with DR.. Hick-
ling, made cursory examination OF the body, ex-
poets to hold the inquest tomorrow. Her hus-
band, who Is the porter OF the Harris house, is
desrous OF starting with the body tomorrow
morning, and the coroner, DIR. Patterson. has d.
remains at MI. Lees this evening The jury will
De selected from good, practical men, and 1t is
vestigation of the accident, and for that purpose
they Will likely adjourn from this evening TIL the
work OF removing the debris Is completed.
REPAIRS NECESSARY MONTHS AGO.
The attention OF Judge Cox was called to the
necessity OF repairing the spoutng OF the building
some months ago, and Mr.. Follansbee, with Mr.
Beld ng, made On inspection OF the building few
weeks ago, and it was found that on the east side
the wall was out OF plumb The Indications are
however. that the wall gave way on the west side
and IL is believed that it was weakened by the per-
collation. OF WATER owing TO the spoutS being out Of
repair
WHAT THE BUILDING INSPECTOR SAYS.
Mr EntWiSle states that his attention was never
called to the part OF the hotel building which fell
He received note from Mr.. F. Browning about
midday Saturday to look at a wall separate en-
tirey from this portion OF the building, directed
one OF his assistants, Mr.. King, to look after it.
Mr King received the note about O'Clock D. M.
Saturday, and as he had prior orders. which con-
sumed the balance OF the day, intended give this
call his nrSt attention this morning These calls
70 examine Old and dangerous buildings are coming
into his Office all the time, and are generally at
tended to In the order they arrive.
THE SCENE TO-DAY.
Crowds OF people pressed about the scene Of the
accident to-day. Barricades We're erected in the
alleys so that the spectators could not get near
enough the building to interfere with the workmen
The bricks and RUBBISH taken IRON the ruins were
heaped up IN the alley In the rear, and filled the
passage Tor long distance The portion OF the
oH,iung .nat leu Gotnprsed about one,haf OF the
entire structure. 1t appeared as though the build
Ing mad been cut in Two parts nicely and evenly.
Inere were 45 bedrooms In the wrecked portion OF
tne building. Which was four stories high, besides
the d1nng-roOm, laundry room. kitchen and acceS-
SOrieS. Some OF the bed rooms were occupied and
were taken out Of the debris and the police
nehiQuarterS A pet dog was found crushed to
death.
HENRY HALLS BODY REMOVED.
little before two O'Clock the workmen reached
the body OF Henry Hall and sooa removed 1t from