Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-06-15
DEAD IN THE RUINS
FOrdS Old Opera House, in
Washington, COllapSeS.
THERESULT APPALLING
Twenty-Five People Dead and
Many Injured.
'ERY FLOOR FELL DOWN
'HfyinS the More Than Five Hundred
Inmates In the Ruins.
REMOVING DEAD AND WOUNDED
All the City Hospitals Used
for the Emergency.
'HryinS the More Than Five Hundred
Inmates In the Ruins.
REMOVING DEAD AND WOUNDED
All the City Hospitals Used
for the Emergency.
WHERE LINCOLN WAS ASSASSINATEO

The Building Was the Old Theatre Where
President Lincoln Was Shot by J. WILKES
Booth--OcCupicd by Over 800 Govern
ment Clerks, All Mcneil Had Been Con-
demned as Unsafe, But Sentiment Kept
it Unchanged Weakened by IA Cellar
Excavation, the Floors Gave Way
Terrible Scenes Attend the Catastrophe
---MHny Victims Spring from the VIM
Taking Uut the Dead and Injured,
WAsHfNGToY, June g.-Ford's old Opera
House, on Tenth street, in which President
Lincoln was assassnated, has fallen i'll.
About five hundred government clerks
were in the building at the time, and u
great loss of life is feared.
SCARCELY ONE ESCAPED injury.
There we're over 500 clerks in the build
ing, Scarcely one has escaped more or
less injury. Twenty-elght persons had
been taken out OF the ruins up to lO.l5
o'clock. The emergency Hospital is
crowded with the dead and injured.
The injuries, from the very nature Of
the accident are Of the Severest character
crushed and broken limbs and internal in
juries prevailing,
The excitement Of the relatives and
friends is naturally intense, thousands sur
rounding the scene, and the excitement
has spread all over the city,
EXPLANATION OF THE ACCIDENT.
The building stood on Tenth street,
northwest between T. and + streets, and
not far from pennsylvania avenue. 1t
had been cOn,N..slcd years agp--sOne
claim ms many rs 10 or 2O--and had been
repaired prOpped up and renovated from
wear to wear There were 415 persons,
| mostly government clerks employed in
| the building, and nearly all of these were
at work when the building fell. An exca-
vatun for an electric light plant was being
made in the cellar OF the structure, athree-
story affair and, according to the best in
4 formation obtanable, the workmen this
morning had dug beneath the foundMtion
supports in the from. of the building,
weakening them to such an extent that
the walls gave way before they could be
/ lacked This explanation Of the cause for
| The accident is the only one advanced, but
il seems somewhat strange in view OF the
fact that the top floor gave way first.
ZANE WITHOUT WARNING.
u Men who were in the building say the
crash came without warning. Those on
the ton floor were suddenly preCipitated
10 the floor below and the weight Of fall
ing timbcrs and Iurnitures carried the
second and first floors with il. Forum
ately only the forward hall OF the toors
gave way. The outer edges Of the floors
and the rear part of the structure remained
intact. The walls did not Tall.
The news that the building had fallen
spread with lightnlng.likc rapdity, and
soon Tenth street and adjacent thorough
fares were crowded with people. Within
an hour the news was known all over
n Washington and hundreds of anxious
relatives and Eriends swarmed to the
vicinity of the structure. The women APP
pealed an xiously to every bystander for in
u formation about some particular person,
L while men came with tears IN Their eyes
/ and implOringly begged the policemen to
lei them through the police lines that they
/ might obtain some knowledge OF their
| friends and relatives.
THE WORK OF RESCUE.
A general fire alarm was turned in 2 lew
I minutes after the crash ana then all the
! ambuances in the city were summoned.
As quickly as possible the police ana ire
men formed a rescue brigade and ready
hands assisted them to take out the killed
and wounded. In less than hour about p
| people had been taken out and every few
minutes thereafter some still form would
- be borne on d strGtcher from the building
Police and army ambllances, cabs, car
riIlres and vehicles of every description
were pressed into service Tor taking away
the dead and injured. All the hospitals II
the city were utilized in caring for the in
iured and scores of physicians volunteered
their services IOr this work. OWING To eS
cellent police regulations the resGuefs were
not hindered in their work ny the an Xloh
crowds, and II was liul loHB buiolS 't'S NS
iris had been cleared away TO such an eN
ent that the work OF rescue could be car
led on without hindrance.
The crash occurred at 800 O'Clock.
CAUSES or rHE COLLAPSE.
Connected accounts Us 10 the cause o
he accident are now partially obtainatle
The excavations, which were the I'm
mediate cause of the collapse. we're beinj
made at the Instance of the War Depart
ment for the purpose ot putting III an ar
iipht plant As already stated, the III
y security Of the building had been re
neatedIy reported. For Il long time pas
Whenever a heavy loaded wagon has gon
bv the building seemed to sway backwar
and forward, as the clerks describe tn
sensatl N.
,sSitNY ESCAPED BN JUMPING.
When the first rumOlnE, warning Z
+, The approaching collapse came, the clerk
on the third floor TO the number ol " Z
] 100 rushed to the windows and lumpr
for the roof of a small building adJnlhlii
Nh the northwest side. Many OF them
saf G Ird in this way.
IVA THE HOSPITAL CROWDED.
Most of those first taken out of the run
kUere carried to the Emergency Hosplti
&About 1880 O'Clock the dead and lnlnre
,eran to arrive faster than the corps
A,nTgeons could attend to their inlurie