The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-06-28
DISASTER WASHINGTON
TOTAL COLLAPSE OF FORD's
OLD THEATRE BUILDING.

Were Suddenly yPrec1pttated to tht
Cellar-Over a Score Killed anG
More Than Fifty Injured.
Ford's old theatre, in Washington, the
building in which Abraham Lincoln was as
sassinsted, and used by the Government fol
many years as part of the Office OF the Sur
geon-General Of the Army, collapsed few
mornings ago just efter 9 80 o'clock with 9
terrible result in loss of life and injury. II
is a coincidence which will not escape at
tention, that this second tragedy occurred on
the very day when the remains Of Edwin
Booth, the great tragedian, whose life was
80 darkened by his brothers crime that he
never visited Washington afterward, were
being borne to their last resting place In
Mou1t Auburn Cemetery. Massachusetts,.
In the building at the time were 534 Gov
ernment employees from the War Department
1876 clerks, eighteen messengers and
twenty lsborers.
Up to nightfall, when the eScavators in the
ruins had just taken out what was supposed
to be the last body, the number Of the dead
was twenty-five. OF the twenty-five identi-
fcations had then been made In regard to
the following:
George I. Allen, Pennsylvania, fifty years
George W. Arnold, Virginia, colored, clerk
Samuel P. Banes, Pennsylvania L. W.
Boody, New York John Bussius, thirty-four
Pennsylvania, died on the operating
table OF the Emergency Hospital
Arthur L. Dietrich, Kentucky; James R.
Fagan. Kansas, thirty-four yasrs. married,
Washington: Joseph B. Cage Michigan
M. NJ. Jarvis, Michigan j. Boyd Jones, Wis.,
consin David C. Jordan, Missouri: F. B.
Lotus, New York F. w. Maeder, married,
Washington: B. F. Miller, New York
Howard S. Miller. Ohio, NJ. 7. Mulledy,
Louisiana; J. H. M'Fall, Wisconsin, DR..
Nelson, William Schriever, Missouri; E. G.
Shui. Kansas H. 8. Wood, F. NJ. Williams,
Wisconsin unknown man, evidently a clerk.
The number reported as injured was fifty
two. some OF them fatally and many seriously
hurt.
The evidence. as found in official records,
appeared conclusive that as long ago as 1885
this building, which the Government pur-
chased after the assassination and used as an
army museum, was officially proclaimed by
Congress as unsafe. The excavations which
were the immediate cause OF the COL
lapse were being made at the in
stance OF the War Department for the
purpose Of putting in an electric Light plant.
accident IS the only one advanced Men who
were in the building say the crush came
without warning. Those on the top floor
were suddenly thrown to the floor below,
and the weight of falling timber and fur
Riture broke down the second and first
floors. Fortunately only the forward half
OF the floors gave way. The outer ends
of the floors and the rear part Of the
structure remained intact. The walls
did not fall. When the first rumbline warn
ing of the approaching collapse came, the
clerks on the third floor, to the number OF
eighty or 100, rushed to the windows and
Jumped for the roof OF q small building ad-
Joining on the northwest side. Many ofthem
escaped in this way.
The news that the building had fallen
spread with lightning-like rapidity. and soon
Tenth street and adjacent thoroughfares
were crowded with people. A general fire
alarm was turned in few minutes after the
crash, and then all the ambulances in the
city were summoned. As quickly as posi-
bic the police and fremen formed
O reserve brigade and ready hands as
sisted them to take out the killed and
wounded. In less than an hour about twen-
ty-hve persons had been taken out, and
every few minutes thereafter some still form
would be 10 ne on q stretcher from the
building. Police and army anbulances.
cabs, carriages and vehicles OF every de-
sc-iption we're .ressed into service for carry
ing tho dead and injured to the hospitals.
Both the military and naval authorities
took prompt action. General Schotleld
ordered two troops OF cavalry from Fort
Never, Just across the river, and two COM
panies OF infantry from the arsenal to the
scene OF the disaster. The Secretary OF the
Navy ordered out all the naval medical
officers, and also opened the Naval dcspl1ai
10 receive the I'M iured.
tn oa ri the 9pano
the body OF q colored man in the alley in the
rear OF the building where John Wilkes Booth
had his horse tethered the night he killed
President Lincoln. This was George III.
Arnold, colo-ed clerk. He had been seen at
third-story window. He had been warned
not to Jump. but despite the protestations OF
numbers or people, he climbed out, and,
lowering himself from the sill, let Sn. ne
fell upon covering at lower door and Slid
OFF into the cobb!e-stoned alley, striking Oh
bis head. He was instantly Killed:
One Of tho brLvest and most daring acts
was performed b.- Basil Lockwood, colored
boy, nineteen OR twenty years OF age AS
soon as the floors collapsed and the dust
cleared away realizing the danger OF those
mt the rear windows, who were wildly CLIMB
ing out and calling for aid. he climbed up, a
large telegraph pole rs high as the
third story and lashed ladder to
the pole. putting the other end in the window
4iy THIS means ten or fifteen were ASSISTED
down the ladder in safety. None Of those
who escaped injury could tell which Of the
floors first gave way.
There were many very narrow escapes
from desth. A number OF clerks whose desks
rested directly upon the line where tho floors
broke away, saved themselves, while the
desks at which theysat were precipitatsd down
the awful chasm. Others who were walking
across the room heard an oninous sound
and stopped just at the very threshold
OF death. When the crash came those who
survived heard great scream Of anguish
from their comrades as they sank out of
sight, and then cropping in the darkness,
they found their way to safety, trembling in
every limb, and with the pallor Of the dead
in their faces.
One OF the most thrilling scenes OF the
whole affair was the sight OF dozen men
who were left in O corner OF the third story
clamberinc down hose pipe to the ground.
Captain Dowd, Of Indiana, was found near
the southwest corner of the building, covered
to depth Of two or three feet with brick
and mortar. He had lain their for three
hours, but falling beam had lodged near
him in such position as to break the fall
Of the brick and timbers, and when lifted up
hs raised his hand. showing that he was con-
scious. When he was lifted into the Garfield
Hospital ambulance the crowd saw that he
was alive, and cheered again and again.
Every few minutes during the first two
hours after the accident, dead and wounded
men were taken out OF the debris. All the
carts and worknen that could be secured
were pressed into service to clear away the
debris The laborers did not cease
their efforts until about o'clock. By
This time they Ead reached the
bottom OF the excavation in the basement,
and further search seemed useless, rs the
debris in all parts OF the building had been
entirely cleared away. The work was there