The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-06-10


the building. but in few min utes after
she crash came. the wives. mothers and
daughters or the victims began to arrive.
Within very few moments q hundred or
more men. stripped for hot work. jumped
into the building, and began throwing
out the wreckage In front and under the
floors which remained standing in the
rear.
THE AUTHORITIES To THE RESCUE.
general fire alarm was turned IN a few
minutes after the crash. and then all the
ambulances In the city were summoned
AS quickly as possible the police and fire.
men formed reserve brigade. and ready
hands assisted them 70 take out the killed
and wounded. In less than hour sbous
twenty-five persons had been taken out,
and every few minutes thereafter some
Still form would be borne on stretchef
from the building. Police snd army ambu-
iances cabs. carriages and vehicles of every
description were pressed into service 20
carry the dead and injured. All the hos
pitfalls In the city were utilized in caring for
the injured, and scores OF physicians vol
unteered their services for this work. The
Commissioners of the District of ColumbIs
took possession OF the building and vicin.
ity in person. and helped direct the police
ed .ns asaersd 1%s ,roeDs snsfa
airy from Fort Meyer. Just across
tie river, and two companies of infantry
from the arsenal 70 the scene of the disss-
ter. The Secretary of the Navy ordered
out all the al medical officers stationed
here and also opened the naval hospital TO
receive the injured. The commandant at
the navy yard was ordered To render all as
sistance in his power.
Most of those first taken out of the ruins
were carried TO the Emergency Hospital
About 1890 the dead and injured began 10
arrive faster than the corps of surgeons
could attend to their injuries Carried IN
m Inn nad af
most convenient places. Those who were
most seriously injured were attended TO,
while the others, groanilg and crying from
the pain of broken limbs. lay be-
seecbiDg the doctors TO dress theil
wounds Shortly after the arrival OF
the first unfortunates. q crowd began 70
assemble in and ont of the hospital. many
of them being the wives. daughters and
relatives of the dead and injured. Their
weeping and frantic cries for information
were heartrending. They greatly inter-
fered with the work of the ply ystcians,
and DR.. Kerr, who is in charge Of the hos
after load of those wounded, blind from the
debris. and with limbs broken and MANNED,
were dumped at the door. They had 10 re-
main outside for some time. as the force
and facilities OF the hospital were unequal
90 the emergency. AS quickly as the sur
geons. who were shortly reinforced by the
younR graduates of the city. could do so,
they examined and dressed the wounds.
comfortable quarters. It was with great
difficulty that the policemen could keep
the relatives OF the injured out Of tho
building, while outside their agoniZing
cries could he distinctly heard.
Priests and ministers were soon on the
spot. and. being at once admitted, repaired
to the cots of the injured. where they adj
ministered spiritual consolation. Three
men reached the hospital In dying condi-
tion. so badly injured that they were taken
from the dressing room and sent to tho
morgue. where they shortly expired.
Charles s. Miller and J.. b. Jones were
among them. while the other was Q young
The first two were horribly mutilated. but
the last one did not show even an abrasion.
His vitals had been crushed. At the other
hospitals and in the drug stores adjacent to
the accident similar scenes were being Gu.
acted.
SAVING THE RECORDS.
In the meantime the work of re scue wos
going bravelv on at the ruins About 1l:s0
o'clock company of the Fourth United
States Artillery. from the Wsshing gton bar
racks. arrived on the scene of the accident.
and the men were distributed about the
structure to guard against interference
with the workmen. Shortly after the cav
airy from Fort Meyer. Va, reached the
spot and assisted the regulars in maintain
INK oI0cIs no m6iu uuty Ol tuc bOluicIo
was to guard the rebellion records stored
in the building. Clerks who escaped were
pressed into service and went willingly to
work removing bundles of valuable doou-
ments. A great deal of the work OF the
Pension Office is dependent upon these rec
ords. and their value to the governments
and 70 individuals Is lneetlmable. They
cannot be replaced.
Every few minutes during the frat two
hours after the accident dead and wounded
ma A 90. rnn pufn of had dn.r To fho
on-lookers all the bruised. manned and
dust-c0vered bodies seemed bereft of life.
One man. whose face was covered with
blood. and who was seemingly dead. sud-
denly raised up in the ambulance in which
he was placed and swallowed q glass of
whisky. This brought q cheer from the
crowd, and thereafter every rescue as ac-
companied by applause. All the carts and
pressed into service to clear away the
debris. The worBmen shoveled plaster,
brick, documents and broken furniture
into the carts and each load was taken
away to dumping ground near by. There
was much danger 60 the rescuing gangs.
for the edges of the fallen floors hung
threateningly downward over the heads
of the workers. 1t seemed that little
progress could be made in clearing away
the immense mass OF fallen rubbish but
the work. nevertheless. progressed rapidly.
The fremen rescued all those who had
not escaped by jumping from the windows.
1Io last man taken out OF The DullQlnG
alive was Captain Dowd. of Indiana. He
was found near the southwest corner. cow
cred to q depth of two or three feet with
brick and mortar. He had lain there for
three hours bat falling beam had lodged
near him in snch position as TO break the
fall Of the brick and timbers When he
was lifted into the Garfield Hospital ambu-
lance the crowd saw that he was alive and
cheered again and again.
The ambulances were kept busy carrying
away the dead and injured. The faces OF
many of the victims were covered with
pieces OF cloth, an old coat. q newspaper,
or whatever else could be had,
and some of the mangled bodies
were carried out with their faces
exposed TO the gaze OF the great tbrona
that surrounded the building. All during
the long hours while the workmen were
working with all their strength to rescue
such as were not past help the mothers,
sisters and daughters of those that had
gone down lowered around the front of the
building. and with streaming eyes ln-
quired of all whom they met of some tid-
lngs of their dear ones. Some could hardly
be restrained from pushing their way into
the building.
A sICKENING SPECTACLE.
A look into the interior told o sickening
tale of how some were taken and others
left. Desks were seen half topping over
the brink of the broken floor. others stood
upright. but the chair which etood beside