The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-06-14

which one might walk. Men did not
walk upon it more than they could help,
however, for no one knew but what he
might be standing directly above the
bodies OF the dead, or above some man in
whom life still existed.
Nervously and excitedly they tore away
beams and raiters that made tomb. Ii
was hOrTid task; it was dirty task.
Men worked like demons, with sweat
| pouring down their faces The dust and
the dirt lay thick upon their faces. so
that one could scarce tell the color of the
man.
Efforts of the Firemen.
The trim uniforms of the firemen were
ruined and battered, but never for a mo-
ment did they stop in their noble work.
Every moment the throwing aside of
wreckage exposed the bloody, and often
mutilated form of some one of the VIC
| tins. Occasionally one of them revived
sufficiently to need but little assistanc
to the outer air, but the majority of them
dusty, bruised, with clothing torn al
most IN tatters- were carried into the
clear atmosphere and through the sorrow-
| ing crowd TO the smbulances and patrol
wagons that were in waiting. At frat the
| endeavors TO rescue were somewhat in
efficient. but in a little while system pre-
vailed and the work went ahead with the
utmost rapidity.
Weary rescuers gave place at every few
| minutes TO fresh and willing successors,
who worked with terrific energy in their
endeavor TO save some of the buried
ones.
AS the bleeding and mangled bodies
were brought out groans and outcries
arose on all hands. The surrounding
houses, drug stores and business places
were filled in a short time by bleeding and
grooming men. AS mangled body was
brought out in nine cases out of ten it
would be surrounded by weeping friends.
| The people who were evidedily dead were
LAID aside, while those who possessed life
were brought out. One man was found
sticking head first into the debris. His
feet were seen first. Soon they had I'M
covered his legs, which moved ieebly.
showing that he was still alive. As last
as human hands could work those res
cuers did. aud soon they had the unfor-
tunate man out. lie was alive when he
was brought into the air but he died be.
fore he reached the ambulance in the
street. This was but one of the many
shocking scenes attending the most horri-
bic and inexcusable accidents that ever
occurred in the city of Washington.
Cause of the Collapse.
The general opinion is that the accident
was caused directly by the weakening of
the already shaky structure by reason of
excavations made beneath it for an electric
system. Ii was stated this afternoon that
several days ago the clerks in the build
ing circulated petition protesting against
this work being continued as they con-
sidered that it impsrilled the life
OF every man who was working
in the building. This afternoon
the firemen turned a stream of water into
the building. This was done to lay the
dust so that the work OF clearing away
could be- better accomplished. \ dyed
in-the-Wool government clerk objected to
the procedure. because he said. the place
was stored with important government
papers which would be ruined by water.
A man was standing beside him who
shouted back excitedly, I'VE don't care a
On for the papers of q government that
let's its clerk work in such trap. It's
men we are trying 10 save; not papers"
At the Morgue.
At the morgue the sight was one horri-
BILE to behold. The little building, in
which was one ice chest and dissecting
|
the dead bodies brought from the wrecked
building When the morgue was filed
the stable was turned into a reception
room for the bodies. Blankets were
spread on the floor and the remains were
laid out as respectfully as possible under
the circumstances. Blood from the bodies
formed a large pool on the floor. and the
crushed skulls, broken arms and legs
made the scene indescribable. Then there
was some OF the victims who had not been
crushed. They had been smothered and
the discOlorRtiOn of their faces and necks
gave visible evidence of the cause of
death
The president was informed of the sad
event Just as he reached the entrance TO
the white house by one of the clerks and
he at once interested himself in relief
measures, hearing with satisfaction what
had been done by Assistant secretary OF
War Grant.
The List of Dead.
The following list of dead thus far re-
ported with the names of states from
which they were appointed contains TWEEN
ty-tWo names, including one unknown and
one probable duplication, only twenty-one
bodies having been taken from the ruins.
The list OF dead:
| unknown man kahtu rum tuc runs 81 y
o'clock this evening evidently a clerk.
GEORGE ALLEN, Pennsylvania
| GEORGE W. ARNOLD. Virginia.
J. w. BO0DY, New York.
SAMUEL p. BANES. Pennsylvania.
| JOHN BUSSIUS. District of Columbia.
ARTHUR L. DIETRICH, Kentucky.
JEREMIAH DALEY. Pennsylvania.
JAMES II. PAGAN, Kansas
| JOSEPH Il. GAGE, Michigan.
DAVID G. JORDAN, Missouri.
NJ. NJ. JARVIS, Michigan.
j. BOYD JONES Wisconsin.
r. b. LOTUS, New York.
i. w. MAEDER, -,
BF MILLER New York.
HOWARD S. MILLER, Ohio.
J. II. MFALL, Wisconsin.
J.. q. SKULL. Kansas.
: WILLIAM SCHRIENER, Maryland.
II. s. WOOD,
i. NJ. WILLIAMS Wisconsin.
c. II. Miller is reported killed. but it ia
! probable that the name Is meant for G.
K. Miller, who was supposed to have been
/ killed. but will recover. The names oil
q Planters Experience.