Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-09

I-..- &CABkr1No THEN CCT~;r ga .tyay
which one might walk. Men did not walk
upon it more than they eonld help, however,
for no one knew but what he might be stand
ing directly above the bodies OF the dead or
above man in whom life still existed.
Nervously and excitedly they tore away
beams and rafters that made q tomb.
1t was . horrid 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, 80 that one could
scarce tell the color Of the man. The trim uni
forms'of the fremen were ruined and battered,
but never for moment did they stop in their
noble work. Occasionally one would hear a
cry for water, and Instantly . bucket
would be passed through to the work
ers inside. Sometimes the water was wanted
for the relief Of the injured. q, Sometimes il
was needed by the workers themselves, who
were almost exhausted BY the heat and the
dust Of the place.
The Horror Of the Scene.
The scene within tho wrecked structure was
something that has never been .paralsllsd in
the history Of all that il horrible in this city.
As soon ~ it was possible for outside help to
enter and commence operations upon the mass
Of brickwork and plaster and fallen tim
bers and dstorted iron the work Of rescue was
commenced. Hudreds Of willing hands tore
away he membranes that prevented living,
but badly injured beings from helping them
selves, and eager sympathizers were careless a.
to their own exertions or exposure to danger
that the bodies which were covered by the vast
quantity Of debris might be brought out to
where succor was possible for those not IA
tally injured.
Every moment the throwing aside Of wreck
age exposed the bloody, and often mutilated,
form Of some one Of the victims. Occasionally
one of them revived sufficiently to
need but little assistance to the outer
air, but the majority Of them-dusty, bruised,
with clothing torn almost in tatters-were car
ried into the'clear atmosphere and through the
Borrowing crowd to the ambulancss and
patrol wagons that were in waiting. At
frst the endeavors to rescue were
somewhat inefficient, but in little
while system prevailed and the work won't
ahead'wlth the utmost rapidity. Weary res
cuerssgave place every few minutes to fresh
and willing successors, who worked
with terrific energy in their endsavor
to save some Of the buried ones Such scene
has never before been beheid in this region,
and no catastrophe in the city's century of ex-
issence ever promised SO much Of all that ID
horrible. as the one which has.stopped all bust
ness in this part Of the city, and which
crowded every thoroughfare in the neighbor-
hood Of the old theater.
The scene was one Of indescrdbable confusion.
but the police did good work in keeping the
crowds back from the front of'the building.
Such. looking objects as the men were who
were carried out from the building frst IL
would be an impossibility to.describe
They were covered with dust and blood, but
up to 10 o'clock no dead bodies had been
recovered. Men were almost unrecognizable
a. a result.of their injuries.
The ambulances were kept busy carrying
the injured to hospitals and to other places
where they could receive attention.
A large force Of police were soon on hand
and Maj. Moore at once took command of
them. Chief Paris took command Of the fire
department.
A Horrihed Crowd.
The frout0 the building presented har-
rowing aSaA. ThGraN - w. Anest~ spread