Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-06-10

necessary; Dr. q. " Mrssormaek. eses
lnlgre, and shoskesl b, tall
Relief siea~are@
The meeting II citizens hssri this after
no-an a. put into 0Psrsiaon aarasures tot
the relief NJ the victims a. srsiay's catas
tfoEa aud is results vas 4 sffskiag iri
butte 10 the toeer q the psees IL wEs
called 10 order bs csnnas--soner Ross
and Can.tnlssioosf faFser sSs chn~en
"a presisle. With bat Attke prriiminarses
the purrssse Il the gathering ~ss
achieved In the appointment u COM
nittee ~ tive 10 canvass the Hsstin, for
suh.rf,ptionH While this VAS being
done. hsief addresses were made ny Il.
A. warner. the Rev. Msisam A.
Ihomp-oo. clerk employei IN the col
lapsed building. asd b'shop j. r. Hurst.
DIR rartle,t's ringing srraisnurnt -
the government for ifs moral responsi
bility for the calamity me; With warm
commendasion of the gathering. He
ssid the chief officers ought in some
way 10 get together and provide the
means which shall secure 10 the suffer
lug. rorrow.ng ones that care and sup
port which niggarily policy bad made
necessary and mot saddle single dollar
upon this long suffering community"
Arraigns Ains~orsh.
Thompson's speech Was largely de
voted 20 abuse IL Colonel Ainsworth.
chief ~ the record and pension division.
whom he charged with being the direct.
active cause II the casualty. He said
large. fine. airy. safe rooms ia the war
department building were kept sacred
to the storing II inanimate rolls and
records. while Ford's theater. n building
utterly unfit for clerical uses. was
crowded with clerks. many of whose
lives bad been sacrificed by this one
mans dictum. The theater had been a
perfect "hell on earth" he said: no
prison or jail Was comparable 10 IL With
disagreeable features. while the strnct-
ure has been condemned NO less than
three times. Mr.. Thompson stated that
although 81 years of age he had been
sessful escape from the second story ~
the building by means Of , ladder.
The total amount of the subscrip-
tions obtained was announced as about
$3.50. the largest being 81 90 from TIE
dry goods firm IL Woodland 4 Iothrop.
President Cleveland, who had been
asked to preside over the meeting. but
was unable to do 40 because oi press
ing official business engagement. sent
his cheek for sl0o. and Secretary Thur
ber his for So.
In Charge Of the Press.
Several motions were made To con
tinue the work Of the meeting 10y the
appointment of u canvassing committee.
but il was the sense OF the meeting that
the newspapers ~ the city which had
already initiated relief funds. could do
the work more thoroughly aud satisfac-
torily than any committee. and il was
left with them To divide tho work with
the committee of fire which was ap
pointed at the meeting.
Ii was stated at the meeting that the
families IL those who had been killed in
tho wreck we're all left practically un-
provided for in a financial way.
A subscription was started in the war
department this afternoon for the re-
lief Of the sufferers, and this will prob
ably be followed 10y like movements in
the other government departments
Probable Cause ~ the Horror
Congress acted upon these statements
10 the extent Of removing the inanimate
contents al the museum to a new and
safe building But congress and tho
war department thought proper 10 ex-
pose government clerks to risks from
which they shielded skeletons and
medical books.
From a responsible gentleman who
yesterday took look at the work going
| on under the doomed building this state
men; is obtained: AS | passed the
building Capt VI. Il. Thorpe. chief ~
the bureau IL supplies ~ the war de
partment. seemed to be directing some
work and stopped to see what il was.
There was "A brick wall running from
the back IL the building 10 the middle
! 81 the lower floor. which il supported.
\ number OF workmen were excavating
under this wall for the purpose ] was
, told 81 putting in an independent cleo
tric light plant. and they were preparing
10 support il by under pinning. Ii now
seems very evident 10 me that as they
undermined this brick wall the first
floor gave way: the second floor. being
supported by columns which rested on
the first floor. collapsed also. and the
third floor collapsed in like manner"
Congress May Wake Up.
Captain Thorp. il may be stated has
tffD All ltN 80 tu-iis fiGdEtu dt tilr
wreck that no information or denial ~
this statement could be obtained from
. him. As soon az Secretary Lamont re
/ turns to Washington. steps will prob
I ably te taken 10 thoroughly investigate
+ the cause II the disaster and Ia fix the
responsibility. IL the couoner's jury does
T not anticipate the department in that
/ direction
The collapse ~ this building has Iii
rec'cd earnest attention 10 two other
great buildings believed Ia be in an
I almost equally unsafe condition one
! the government printing o'hcc whore
l.-tn persons are employed; the other
I is the rickcty shell known as the Win.
/ der building also belonging IL the war
/ department. and occupied 10y hundreds
/ ~ clerks n that department and os the
second auditors office. THE place IL
notor,ously dangerous and the floors are
overloaded. all 81 the facts being know u
Ia congress for years. but receiving 10
! attention.
captain Thorp's Statement.
Capt NJ. r. 1horp. chief ~ the IA
VISION - supplies, war department. WIS
sccn tonight To all questions pro.
( pounded ~ 90 the cause - the calamity.
Captain Thorp replied that he uas in nd
way connected with 'he actual work %
repairs on the building. his duty was
simply g. make contracts for the war
depart nent and hc was not presoni
Ia an Official cHpacits at any time during
during the sors The contractor who
securc'i the work q lepsira he said. was
4 f....r... N n.,s f'rr 49,. t.at...I 80,