Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-06-10


stores adjacent to tho accident similar
scenes were being enacted. In the near
time the work OF rescue was going bravely
on at tho ruins.
About half.past II O'Clock company O,
the Eortieth United Statcs Artillery. from
the Washington barracks, arrived at Tho
scene of the accident, and the men were
distributed about the ruined structure tc
guard against interference with the work.
men. Shortly afterward body Of cavalry
from Fort Never, Va. reached the spot
and assisted tho other regulars III main
tanning order.
| VALUABLE WAR PAprBs.
The main duty of the soldiers was 10
| guard the war records stored in the build
1 ing. Tho clerks who escaped we're pressed
into service and went willingly TO work re-
| moving the bundles of valuable docu.
ments. A great deal of the work Of the
Pension Offce is dependent on these re-
cords. and their value to the government
and 70 individuals i5 IDestimable. They
cannot DO replaced.
EvEnY RESCUE cHErRED.
Every few inmates during tho first two
hours after the accident dead and wounded
men were taken out of the debris. To tho
onl0okerS all. bruised. manned, and dust
| covered, seemed bereft OF life. One man,
/
who was seemingly dead. suddenly raised
up IN the ambulance in which he was
| placed and swallowed glass OF wbiskey.
| This brought cheer from the crowd. and
I thereafter every rescue was accompanied
| by applause.
| All carts and workmen that could be
| secured were pressed into service to clear
| plaster. brick, documents. and broken
furniture into carts, and each load was
| taken away TO dumping ground near by.
| There was much danger to the rescung
| gangs. for the edges of the fallen doors
hung threateningly downward over the
| heads OF the workers. IL seemed that
| little progress could DO made III clearing
! away the immense mass Of fallen rubbish,
| but the work nevertheless progressed
| rapidly.
cLrRGYMES BRAVE DANGER.
An incident of the day was the number
| OF clergy who, on hearing OF the disaster.
| fiocked to the scene. Utterly regardless
of their own safety they entered the build
ing. the rear walls of which were warn
| iIgly bulging out, and mIDistered 10 the
| dying and injured. Ministers of all creeds
were present.
The hairbreadth escapes experienced by
survivors were numberless. One of tho
| most thrilling scenes of the whole affair
was the sight OF dozen men VINO were
left in the corner of the third story clam
bering down a hose-pipe to the ground.
LAST MAN OUT ALIVE.
The last man taken out Of the building
alive up to 1880 was Captain Dowd. of
Indiana. He was found near the south
west corner of the building, covered to =
depth of two or three feet with brick aud
mortar lie had lain there three hours.
but falling beam bad lodged near him in
such a position as TO break the fall OF
brick and timbers. and when lifted up he
raised his hand, showing that he was con-
scious. When he was lifted into Gar
field Hospital ambulance the crowd saw
that he was alive and cheered again and
again.
Between 10 o'clock and noon ambulances
were kept busy carrying away the dead
and injured. The faces of many OF the
victims were covered with pieces OF cloth.
an old coat a newspaper. or whatever
else could be had, but some of the man.
gled bodies were carried out with their
faces exposed to the gaze of the great
throng that surrounded the building.
HYARTRESDMG SCENES.
As can we'll DO understood there were
many appalling scenes. On the front seat
of one of the ambulances rode away one
of those who had gone down in the crash.
His face hands, hair, md clothing were
completely covered with blood. He did
not seem TO be seriously hurt, but the
spectacle was revolving in the extreme.
All during the long hours. while the
workmen were working with oil their
strength TO rescue such az were most help
less the mothers. sisters, and daughters
of those who had gone down lowered
around the front of the building, and with
streaming eyes inquired OF Gil whom they
met for some tidings OF their dear ones.
Some could hardly be restrained from
pushing their way INTO the building.
A look into the interior tells the sIcken-
inc tale of how some were taken and
others left Some desks are seen topping
over the brink of tho broken floors
Others stand upright, but the chairs which
stood beside them and their occupants
went down witn the crash. Records aud
papers are scattered everywhere, but as
fast as possible they are beng gathered
up and saved. Many of them are spotted
with blood. and all are more or less OBJ
liberated.
The PRESIDENTS INTEREST.
The President was informed of the sad
event Just rs he reached the entrance of
the White House by one of the clerks, and
he at once interested himself IN relief
measures, learning with satisfaction what
had been done by notwithstanding
War Grant, who had come over to the
White House before noon.
Surgeon General Sternborg went at once
to the scene of the disaster upon hearing
the news, as did DR.. Ainsworth, who is
Chief of the Records and Pension Divl-
sion. One company Of TROOPERS was placed
under the direction OF Chlet-of- Police
Moore. second company assisted III the
work of rescue and bringing out OF bodies.
General Grant received reports from
time to time, and on these he based a
hope aud belief that the calamity would
prove to be less in extent than had been at
first feared.
NUMBER II THE BUILDING.
He saws that the rolls showed that the
full force employed ia the building num-
bered 5l4 persons. A number OF these were
absent on leave or because OF illness. SO
that probably not moro than 400 or 4jO
persons were in tho building whom the
crash came. Then, as only half of tho
floors fell, thenumber Of persons who went
down was further reduced, and OF those
who actually fell many escaped with slight
injuries or without harm.
DR.. shannon, of the personal stan OF the
Surgeon-General. is In charge OF all the
government medical officers. and ovsry
such officer was promptly ordered 10 the
scene of the accident or 10 the various
hospitals. The ambulances of the Red
Cross Society rendered conspicuous SER
vice.
The rescuing parties worked incossantly
IN the intense heat. but there was one part
of the ruins left TIL the last. few feet
back of tbe front wall. when the day was
far advanced. there was still a large guam
tity of wreckage which had not yet been
explored. 1t is nearly in tho centre OF
section OF the floor that fell. and that fact
led to the belief that number OF bodies
would be found beneath 1t. IL is out IN
an open space, where no falling timber, ar
rested in its fail. might shield unfortu-
mates from the weight of the falling door.
AS there seemed to be no hope of SAVING
the lives of any whom might have fallen
there the Efforts of the workmen were hrst
directed to exploring the sides of the
building
When the crash came there were sup
posed to be in the building 4e6 clerks: l8
messengers, and 20 laborers-a total OF 53i
persons.
Ar THE HOSPITALS.
A tour of the city hospitals. completed
at lao, resulted in obtaining the following
additional details respecting the arrivals OF
dead and injured:
Emergency Hospital-Iniured. 22. Dead,
IL. S. Wood. Nj. w. Jervis. and two whose
names were not taken. x
Providence Hospital-E. Leger. OF Mis-