The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-10
THE WORK or RkscUR.
0aimed forme Of the Llvlng and q
Mangled Dead Taken From Rutns.


Mangied Dead Taken From Ruins.
WASHINGTON CRY. Juno 9-Ambulances
were kept busy carrying away the dead
and injured. The faces Of many Of tho
victims were covered with pieces Of cloth.
coats. newspapers or whatever else could
be had. Some Of the manglcd bodies were
carried out with their faces exposed to the
gaze Of the great throng surrounding the
building. All during the long hours while
men were working with all their strength
to rescue such ~ were not past help, moth.
crs. sisters and daughters hovered around
In front Of the building. and. with stream.
ing eyes. inquired Of all whom they met Of
some tidings Of their dear ones. Some
could hardly be restrained from pushing
their way into the building and looking
into tho interior, which told the sick
ening tale Of how some we're over
taken by death. Desks were seen
halt toppling over the brink Of the broken
floors and others stood upright, but the
chair which stood beside it and its oc.
cupant had gone down with Q crash.
Records and papers were scattered every.
where. but - fast - possible they were
gathered mp and saved. Many Of them
were splattered with blood. That any one
should escape With life seems . miracle, ~
the dead and manned pcrsons we're brought
forth, presenting . spectacle that no one
seeing Il will ever forget. In many cases
the semblance Of humanity wss gone. Il
seemed - though tho helpers were carry.
ing out mere bags Of matter, smeared all
over with blood and filthy with dirt-dirt
ground into them and blood on their
faces. The hospitals were soon over
crowded and drug stores were
turned into temporary hospitals. People
in tho ncighborhood Of tho accidsns
opened their doors gladly and the dead
and wounded were hurried in. When the
accident was over and before the rescucrs
could get inside 70 their relief there wsro
injured men caring for their worse I'm
jured brothers. There were men who did
not try TO reach tho street to save their
own lives, regardless Of the fact that more
walls might fall and bury them once more.
They stayed to succor the men Who did
not get away by themselvea Ono man.
whose arm was crushed, used tho other
arm to drag . man from that place Of
death. Every momsut's throwing aside
OF wrecksgc exposed . bloody and often
mutilated form Of some victim. Occasion.
ally one Of them revived sufficiently to
need but little assistance TO the outer air,
but the majority Of them wcrc dusty and
bruised and, with their cloth
ing torn almost in tatters. were
carried into tho clear atmos-
phcre and through the sorroving
crowd to the ambulauces and patrol wag-
ons. At first the efforts to rescue were
most inefficient. but in . little while
system prevailed. and the work went
ahead with the utmost rapidity. Weary
rescucrs gave place every few minutes to
fresh and willing successors, who worked
with terrific energy In every endeavor to
save some Of the buried ones. As tho
bleeding and mangled bodies were brought
out gronns and oCtcries arose on all hands.
One man was found sticking head first In
the debris. His feet were seen first. Soon
his legs were uncovered. and he was seen
to move fcebly. showing that he was still
alive. As fas, as human hands could work
those of the rescucrs did, and soon they
had the unfortunate man out. He
was alive when brought into tho
air, but died before reaching
the ambulance in the street.
This is but one of the many shocking
scenes attending the most horrible and in
excusable Of accidents that ever occurred
IN the city Of Washington. At the morguo
the sight Was horrible TO behold. Blood
from bodies formed . large pool on the
f.oor, and crushed skuiis and broken arms
and iegs made the scene indescripable.
There were some Of the victims who bad
been crushed. There were others who had
been smothered and the discoiorations %
the faces and necks gave visible evidence
of tha eausa uf death