The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-06-10

| Police and army ambulsnccs, cabs. car
riages and vehicles OF every description
were pressed into service for taking
away the dead and injured. All the
| hospitals IN the city were utilized In
caring FOR the injured, aud scores OF
physicians volunteered their services for
| this work. The Commissioners OF the
| District OF Columbia took possession OF
the building and the vicinity In person
and helped to direct the police and res
cuers.
Colonel Corbin. Assistant Adjutant-
| General OF the Army. was sent by Major
General Schoneld 20 represent the War
Department. and 10 decide. n necessary
10 call out the troops. owing TO the ex-
cellent police regulations. the rescuers
were not hindercd IN their work by the
anxious crowds and u Was not long ne
fore the debris had been cleared away
TO such an extent that the work ol'rescue
could be carried on without hindrance.
Roth military and naval authorities
took pronpt action General Schoheld
ordered two troops OF cavalry from Fort
Mver. iust across the river ana TWO
companies Of infantry from the Arsenal
10 the scene Of disaster. The Secretary
Of the Navy ordered out oil the haVal
medical officers stationed here ana also
opened the naval hospital 70 receive the
Il.
ward was ordered 10 render all assist
ance I'm his power Every hospital In
the city was called into reQuisiuon, am
bulauccs. carriages and other vehicles
filled with the wounded quickly taVer-
sing the city in every direction.
Those who were early on the scene
found n body Of a colored man I'm the
alley in the rear Of the building Wneie
John Wilkes Booth had his horse tethered
the night he killed Lincoln This was
George 81. Arnold. the well-known col
owed clerk appointed from Virginia. lie
had been seen at third story window
lie was warned not 90 jump, but despite
the protcstations Of the numbers OF peo-
pIo he climbed out and lowering himself
from sill. let 80. He fen upon COW
cring nj the lower n0or and slid of into
the cOlble-stonod alley, striking on ms
head. instantly killing him Ills head
was mashed TO q jelly, and the cobbles
for distance OF several yaids were DC
spottorcd with blood.
one Of the hravcst and most daring
incidents connected with the calamity
was performed by a cOlored boy nineteen
or twenty years of age. named Basil
Lockwood. As soon as the floors collapsed
and the dust cleared away, realizing the
danger OF those az the rear windows
who were wildly climbing out and calling
| for aid. he climbed up the large telegraph
| pole as high as the third story and lashed
a ladder to the pole, putting the other
| end I'm the window. by this means ten
| o- fifteen were assisted down the ladder
| I'm safety
None of those who escaped injury could
| tell which Of the floors FIRST gave way.
| To the occupants Of each floor there was
! but one crash heard, and instantly the
whole building filled with binding lime
dust Running directly through all OF the
floors and I'm the middle Of the bmldlns
was light we'll ten feet or more long
| and nearly as many wide. Fatal area
was in front Of this, having a space oil
| six or seven feet in width undisturbed
on either side. The entire back part OF
| the building. containing more than halt
! Of the floor space, remained Intact.
| There were many very narrow escapes
| from death. a number Of clerks. whose
| desks rested directly upon the line' WheIe
| floors broke away saved themselves
while the desks at which they sat were
precipitnted down the awful chasm.
Others who were walking across the room
heard the omnous sound and stopped just
at the very threshold Of death. When the
crash came those who survived heard
mighty scream Of anguish from their
comrades as they sank out Of sight. and
then cropping i'm the darkness they found
their way 20 safety. trembling IN every
joint with the palor Of the dead I'm their
faces No women were employed I'm the
building. but I'm n few minutes after the
crash came the wives mothers and
daughters OF the victims began 10 arrive.
Within a very few moments a hundred or
more men stripped for hot work jumped
into the building and began throwing
out the wreckage I'm front and under the
floors which remained standing in the
rear.
Most Of those first taken out Of the
ruins were carried to the Emergency
hospital
About 1880 A. NJ the dead and injured
began 90 arrive faster than the corps Of
surgeons could attend TO the injuries.
Carried I'm on stretchers they were
dumped at the most convenient places.
Those who were most seriously injured
were attended TO while the others groan-
ing and crying from pain OF broken limbs
lay lmplCss beseeching the doctors 10
dress their wounds. Shortly after the
arrival Of the first unfortunate crowds
began to assemble in front Of the hospital,
many Of them being wives. daughters
and relatives Of the dead and injured.
Their weeping and frantic cries for in
formation were heartrending. They
greatly interfered with the work of the
the hospital. determined 10 put them out
Load after load Of the wounded. blind
from debris. and with limbs broken and
manned were dumped at the door They
had TO remain outside for some time
as the force and facilities OF the hospital
were unequal to the emergency As
quickly as the surgeons who were shortly
reinforced by young men. graduates OF
the city, could do so they examined and
dressed the wounds and they were then
sent upstairs TO more comfortable quar-
ters. 10 was with great difficulty that
the policemen could keep the relatives Of
tho injured out OF the building and while
outside their agonlzing cries could be
distinctly heard by the poor unfortunates
who lay helpless. Priests and ministers
were soon on the spot and being at once
admitted. repaired to the cots of the
injured. where they administered spiritual
consolation Two men reached the hos
pltal In dying condition. so badly in
jured that they were taken from the
dressing-roOm and sent 20 the m0rgue.
whore they shortly expired. Charles II.
Miller and j. Brad. Jones were among
them, while the other was a young man
Of handsome appearance and about
twenty FIVE years Of age. The first two
were horribly mutilated but the last one
did not bear apparent trace OF even an
abrasion
AT other hospitals and I'm drug stores |
adjacent 10 the accident similar scenes |
we're being enacted.
In the meantime the work OF rescue |
was going bravely on at the ruins.