St. Paul daily globe., 1893-06-11
Clerks Employed in Ford's
Theater Aware of It's Con-
dition.
Loud Expressions Of Con-
demnation Of Officials of
the Government.
Many Other Public Buildings
Said to Be More or Less
Unsafe.
One Of the Wounded CIer ks
Dies From His Fearful In
juries.

WASHINGTON, June 10.-The sad re
suits of the downfall of the old Ford's
theater furnished the principal topic of
conversation all day. There was little
else talked about. and on every side one
might see little groups of men standing
on corners and discussing the latest
news from the bedsides Of the injured
men. The opinion was unanimous that
there was blame somewhere for this
shocking fatality, and many a man
echoed the words of DR.. Bartlett that he
uttered at the relief meeting yesterday
AFTERNOON. that the accident was not
one the responsibility for which
could be laid upon God. 1t was a pre-
ventable accident. The more the matter
is discussed and the farther along the
work of clearing away the debris pro-
crosses the more evident this becomes.
Every man employed about the building
realized the danger that was caused by
the undermining of the building. This
is shown. because petition was circu-
lated among the clerks some days ago
protesting against the work being done.
While it was under way, rope was
stretched about certain parts of the
structure, and the clerks were given to
understand that it would be better for
them to walk carefully.
Officials Condemned.
AThis morning the clerks in the
doomed building. that is to say so many
of them as were not dead or confined to
their beds by the injuries. were about
the scene of the disaster discussing the
situation and holding little indignation
meetings. 1t was evident that feeling
ran very strong among them, and many
of them were loud in their expressions
OF condemnation for the officials of the
government who had herded them to-
gether in such building.
Col. Stewart, the superintendent of
construction of the new city postoffice
building, was among those who made a
careful survey of the situation. He ex-
amined the defective underpinning of
the building with great interest, under
the direction of Lieut.. AmiSs. He
seemed to think, as others do, that the
whole trouble came from the weaken
ing OF the structure caused by the eX-
cavationS In the front part of the base
ment Today all the debris that yester-
day filled the lower part of the building
and formed a tomb for more than score
of men, was removed, and one could
better tell the nature of the accident
The ceiling and floors looked to the Or
dinary to have been altogether too thin
to support such weights as those which
they were compelled to bear. The con-
struction Is of the old style known as
cast iron construction, with the support
ing cast iron pillars placed one above
the other in direct line.
Crowds About the Ruins.
All day long there was large and curl
Gus crowds gathered about the ruins. In
the crowd were many men whose escape
from the falling floors and rafterS yes
terday was little short Of miraculous.
They were being pointed out to their
friends and members of their families
who were with them just where they
were when the crash came, and how it
was that they managed to make their
way out Of the mass of falling debris.
Sadder still, there were in the crowds
people whose friends or relatives were
in the building. but who were not so
fortunate as to escape. These were
there today to have pointed out to them
just where it was and how their loved
ones met their fate. There was no de-
crease in the general feeling of indlgna-
ton that fills the city over the awful
disaster. There is much comment over
the fact that not flag on any public
building was half-maSted today.
With few exceptions those who were
fortunate enough to escape the fate
which met their dead or manned COM
radeS know only that they escaped. and,
as rule, they know in what manner
they managed to do so, but of the move
ments OF others and of the collapse of
the building they are more ignorant
of the general scheme of the whole con-
hict.
Talks With the Survivors
show that the wonder is that even more
of the persons within the building were
not injured, for many of the escapes
were hardly short Of the miraculous.
All the survivors unite in this. That
the crash came with hardly an lnstant's
warning, and there was not time enough |
for them to comprehend what had
than the slightest steps toward
self preservation; that following |
the crash the interior of the building |
became so thick and dense with dust |
that not thing could be seen for any |
distance; that some persons must have |
been suffocated In this dust-clouded d at |
moSphere, and their escapes were due |
to their fortunate position in the build |
ing or to some miracle for which they
are thankful, but cannot account.
Secretary Lamont arrived here this |
afternoon. Soon after he reached the |
city he expressed desire to see Acting |
Secretary Grant and Col. Ainsworth,
and those officials visited him at the |
hotel in the afternoon and had confer |
ence in regard to the future action of |
the department concerning the calam-
ity. In report made to congress |
about the condition OF the Ford theater |
building, as long ago as 1883, this pas.
sage occurs:
Reported to Congress.
"It is at present in very shaky con-
dition. The back wall is far out of |
plumb, and probably if it had not been |
relieved by the iron columns the whole |
building would have fallen. The north |
wall is also in bad condition"
The records of tile war department
show that the collapsed theater build |
ing was for years known officially to be
unfit for human Occupancy, by reason
not only OF structural weakness, but i
also because of its sanitary condition.
This frlghtful accident has called to |
the attention of officials the condition of |
other public buildings, which are said
to be more or less unsafe. An official |
of the treasury department, whose
duties require him to be much of the
time in the department of justice. said |
that the weight resting upon the floors
of that building was alarming to a man
OF nerves. The building was con- |