Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-29
Special corresrondence Of The Evening star
NFw NoRE AuguSt u 1901


WHO WAS TO hLsxr-rHE RELIEF FUND
So, o.
" M nv INN, az ,so,
rv,urpp mac 49,, - .,, -. -, =,
"N' DIN NJ oNb TWIN VT
talk ana thought this week-the unparal-
leled ca amity in Park place. No element %
horror was lacking 20 MAKE th,. ,or,,l.,. and
the worst os Il, ,,o-b.,. r.. -, ..,.;,,.,1
=, ~ -" '"'
""u e'en growing terror OF the disaster. IL 10
something 10 nave an agony over and past. but
in this case each dav has macnifed and intensi-
fed the disaster. I, ma. moo, q, SATURDAY.
-. a. ~ w
=, '"o canning ie''' Aho even no" AZ "t'o
Ni.to A'e SOHO Masses OF people fastened by the
awtul magnetism Of the scene TO every spot
suicn commands view OF that terrible gap IN
VIC oui'aihs hne
.aousshos nave been standing In the mud,
night. loolins % ,ha S Jay Snn nlsns ssse.
after another out Of that biackc,.a .ng .mal
ing pit or waiting with the silc,,, ,,.,,.,co a,
dread expectation for the next terrible item 20
appear. Every few hours screams az desp.ir
have gone up from those who recognizei in
the charred and smoldering masses brought 20
light the remains of their nearest and dearest
Women have gone crazv from grief ana hnttled
In a frenzy with the police who were ouly
seeking TO do their awful duty as kindly -
possible.
Nopprn ,rr W.T. x.r,-,.. ...
T. - -
Ni' ANI"i Tragedy not only nave
'he streets which AFFORD view been crowded
night and day by Thousands but .yery windov
and balcony ia aIl.a NTH .,,oo,.,,r, -.
down on the same bor-id ,r,assc,,o,. IL -
easy 20 condemn ,bis cnriosit, q. ,na,h,a "a
vet il IL h.r,ll,, f,;- -, e. ,,s,,,,i.,,,, "a -.
~ There Is in the spectacle something that
souynes our common humanity too deeply 10
nso,,Io ~ I I "siue' Inc great majority oil
selves are .,nosed 40 re - a.,,... t,.,
swallowed up a hundred unfortunate victims.
iHeir late might easily have been the same.
az y - 'ne one touch OF nature that makes
Of s,o.,.,S. M, hih tnal orluss lhose sNhI ms
f'N'''e =" '"e euses OF TINS PIT OF desth.
THERE ARE SCORES or BUILDINGS
In this town that are in quite as bad a condi-
ton as the structurs that f,l ~ i,s o,r, ,;,h,
anil bp,aros :, .. -,
- "'' 'u'usAnus' ol human oe-
.'es are oaiis exposed 10 Just such frightful
tate as came upon the hRpless victims Of Satur-
days disaster. Hundreds of buildings in TIM.
city are overloaded and unsafe Manv are
known TO be so. The Park place structure was
acknowledged 20 be unsafe by the board Of fire
underwriters 10 the extent that risks ON in were
doubled, and other buildings are rated lust an
badly ia their books. Possibly we shall nave n
spasm Of vigilance that will prevent A repetition
OF the Park place disaster tor a time but more
likely nothing will be done beyond some vigor-
Gus but empty talk.
know of fire insurance agent who visited
the BARRIERS shop In the basement of the doomed
building that very day and decided not TO write
policy on the mans stock on account of the
| condition Of tire building. He had not left the
| shop five minutes before his prudence was
| awiully verified. for the building had fallen in
chaos.
NUMEROUS MARROW ESCAPES.
The place where the accident occurred was
one of the most crowded on the swarmine
island and the time was one of the busiest IN
the day. That being SO the number of narrow
escapes. OF which have given one EXAMPLE. ia
almost beyond computation. Ii seems as IL
everybody had either just been past the place
or was just about TO do | myself passed
and repassed that immediate locality within
half an hour before the disaster. One OF the
| narrowest escapes was that OF MIR. Z. J. Ed
wards, the newspaper correspondent, who 10
well remembered IN Washington. He and his
vile ana one OF his children were passing
| through Park place ON their way TO Wsshing
ton market ana had Just crossed Greenwich
| street. about hfty feet beyond the editce. when
| they we're stunned by the crash. and looking
| back saw the street smoking ruin.
| Inc papers are nlled OF course with similar
anecdotes, some OF them as marvellous se the
| escapes we read OF on the battlefield. Two pa
| irons OF the restaurant left their untasted meal
| through their hurry 10 catch a suburban train.
Ahother fortunate youngster was sent out on
| some trivial errand around the corner and
| came back TO hnd the building In ruins. On
t,ie o'ner manu- we nave some very pathetic
Div 10 the bniIaing One sncb c... ~ %
young girl whose mother begged her 20 ,t.y NJ
home that day. but who said she must get a pair
oi snoes ana eould not spare the time from work.
| "nu so "en' W her oeath'
WHO Is TO BLAME?
Now that the first shudder is over the opa..
tion of responsibilitv i. as.pnino ,ro,,;,....
., :, a., -, -. =
- ~ 'i0 'o' ''' VIC se' eNiAine ehatnpie
Oh human nature, ana more especially human
selfshness. There have arisen Immediately two
parties each II would seem poyernea mara
nv saIf interest tba,, Ian, n ,l;.,,,, a..,a ;.-
~ oct AZ Tho facts TIL hnilai,,, ,,...:.
in.1s, TIA, ,b. f.II of a. h,,;isis = ~.
to inberent w.alness NIL snais ;,,.,,. nos
them bnt 70 nm e,nIa.,a, W., a,.n,,.'ss
thew have for tbis thad,y Az M, ar,D..-
hnt IL is main,ainad s,r.nnonsI, "Ppo"i'
IN ,ba o,Lar ha,a 81 g. ;,,-. -
,,a,,:as - = -, g. l-is;-'ls 81. ..t YIN
Ps,li',s;a,' :, III -, -. ~ ;1 s e'e vas no
- !, NO. ,.a5,oaii, ia,.,i,a lbs ien oe
H. ,,,nr., ~, ,r',,h h,,, -, a. -. W
must remamber tb.t !, - IarS,.,S 90, ,h he
-, in,aros, .. - - ,.-. I'm.
alonted. because they are AZ once relieved
from all liability for payment In this quarrel,
which reminds one OF the proverbial Disagree
men. % tne ue.,s, o.sI 'ne lying Patent
a. - -, = :. -, -. 80 =. ~