The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-06-10

''"'i"iA oHu uotu as an army museum,
was officially proclaimed by congress an
unsafe depository for even the inanimate
skeletons, mummies and books of the
army medical museum, for which a safer
place OF storage was provided by act Of
congress. But, Notwithstanding the fact
that in the public press, and in congress,
also, continued attention was called
TO the building and its darkness and
its general unsuitabilitv and unsafe
condition, it continued to be used for the
daily employment Of nearly 500 clerks of
the pension record division of the war
Office. With refinement of discrimina-
tion, however, between what could be re-
placed and what could not be so easily
supplied, while the clerks were trusted in
the unsafe building the original records
We're retained in the substantial fireproof
war department building proper. So the
comforting official assurance is given that
while thirty clerks may have been killed
the pension records are all saved and un-
injured. The building collapsed in the
midst of an ill-iudged effort to remedy
some of its defects. The moral of the dis
aster, if there is any, is emphasized by
the fact that there are known to be at
least two great government buildings, the
printing office and winder building annex
Of the war department, each containing
many more employees than were Gagged in
the Ford's theater death trap, which are
in an equally dangerous condition. The
hour of disaster was very shortly after
the departments had settled down for the
days work. The worl1men, whose opera
tions under the building were the imme-
diate cause of the catastrophe, had been
tinkering upon it for two hours or more
Half an hour earlier and few lives would
have been lost.
There were 475 persons, mostly govern
ment clerks, employed in the building
and nearly all of these were at work when
the building fell. An excavation for an
electric light plant was being
made in the cellar of the structure, a
3-story affair, and, according to the best
information obtainable, the workmen this
morning had dug underneath the founda-
tion supports in front of the building, weak
ening 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 it seems somewhat strange, in view of
the fact that the top floor gave away
first. Men who were in the building say
the crash came without warning. Those
on the top floor were suddenly precipitated
to the floor below, and the weight of fall
ing timbers and furniture carried the Sec
ond and first floors with it. Fortunately
only the forward half of the
floors gave way. The outer edges of the
floors and the rear part of the structure
remained intact, and the walls did not
fall.
SPREAD OF THE NEWS.
The news that the building had fallen
spread with ightning-like rapidity and
soon Tenth street and the adjacent thor
oughfares were crowded with people
Within an hour the news was known all
over Washington, and hundreds of anx-
ious relatives and friends swamed to the
vicinity of the old theater. Women ap-
pealed anxiously to every bystander for
information about some particular person,
while men came with tears in their eyes
and imploringly besought policemen to
let them through the police lines that they
might obtain some knowledge of their
friends and relatives. A general fire
alarm was turned in a few minutes
after the crash and then all
the ambulances in the city were sum-
moned as quickly as possible. The police
and fremen formed rescue brigades, and
ready hands assisted them to take out the
killed and wounded.
THE FIRST REsCUEs.
In less than an hour about twenty-five
people had been taken out and every few
minutes thereafter some still form would
be borne on a stretcher from the build
ing. The police and army ambulance,
cabs, carriages and vehicles of every de-
scription 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 physi-
clans volunteered their services for this
work.
The commissioners of the District of
Columbia took possession of the building
and its vicinity in person and helped di-
rect the police and rescuers.
Col. Corbin, assistant adiutant general
of the army, was sent by Maj. Gen. Scho-
field to represent the war department to
decide if it was necessary to call out
troops.
Owing to the excellent police
regulations the rescuers were not
hindered in their work by the anX-
ious crowds. and it was not long
before the debris had been cleared away
to such an extent that the work of rescue
could be carried on without hindrance.
Both the military and naval authorities
took prompt action. Gen. Schofleld ordered
two troops Of cavalry from Fort Myer
lust across the river, and two companies
of infantry from the arsenal to the scene
of the disaster The Secretary of the
NAVY ordered out all the naval medical
officers stationed here, and also opened
the naval hospital to receive the injured.
The commandant at the navy yard was
ordered to render all the assistance in his
power.
Every hospital in the city was called into
reouisition and ambulances, carriages
and other vehicles filed with wounded
were quickly traversiug the city in every
direction.
THE FIRST CORPSE.
Those who were early on the scene
found the body of a colored man in the
alley in the rear of the building, where