Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-13

The building was known rs the Army Medical
! Museum. IL was first occupied as a place OF
worship by a Baptist congregation. but some
forty years ago had been transformed into a
tneater 1t was In this place that Mr.. Lincoln
was assassinated The government closed the
theater and subsequently purchased the prop
erty, remodeling the interior for the use OF the
surgeon general. 1t was richly stored with
everything pertaining to surgical and medical
operations, including library not excelled by
any OF the kind in the world. The loss Of spec
linens, books and curiosities irreparabe as Il is,
is nothing compared with the loss of life and
the manning Of scores Of unfortunate and I'M
suspecting employees.
Had Been Condemned.
From the st. Louis Republic
1t seems that the old building which COL
lapsed with such disastrous results in Wash
ing.on yesterday had been condemned for sew
eral years as unsafe.
Proper Quarters.
From the Ohio State Journal
IL the awful accident at Ford's Theater
ouiioing yesterday awakens the government to
the absolute necessity Of preparing proper
quarters for the printing Office and other
bureaus the sacrifice Of life terrible though il
was, will not have been in vain.
who Was to Blame?
From the Kansas City Star
The saii Of the old Ford Thea,er in Washing
ton is ar illustration Of what laundering and
incompetent arrangement a government may
be- The Ford Theater was originally private
property. While it remained such il was cared
for by whoever owned it. Had it remained
private property it would probably have been
torn down long ago But the property passed
into the hands OF the United States govern
menf hASoVna cr,h{o a.. a. Al
what is everybodvs business is nobody's."
and that Is the reason il fell down and crushed
and killed and wounded SO many people 1t
was case, and viii 80 remain, of a division of
responsibility. 1t will never be known exactly
who was the responsible party for keeping in
human beings, for weakening it after it was
overweighted and for it's final fall
The Government Should Pay Damages.
From the Louisville Commercial.
The responsibility for the slaughter Of the
clerks In the old Ford Theater building is I'M
doubleday primarily upon Congress and second
arily upon the War Department The build
ing was notoriously unsafe and its condition
was brought forcibly TO the attention of Con-
eress as long ago a. 1885, on representation Of
Its insecurity and unftness as a repository for
valuable records. An appropriation was then
made TO provide better place for tine records
and surgical specimens, but the risks which
men were forced to undergo were not dimin-
ished- Congress never appropriates more than
Is asked for, and the War Department has been
more anxious for appropriations for other
things, and has required its clerks to go on risk
ing their lives in an old death trap private
owner or employer would be liable, legally and
morally, for similar negligence and reckless
ness and the government Is morally liable, and
ought to provide for the families Of the slain
and the disabled. and for those injured during
their illness. The government ought TO pay all
damages.