The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-06-10

in the neighborhood of the accident opened
their doors right gladly and the dead and
the wounded were buried In.
When the accident was over. and before
the rescuers could get inside TO their relief.
there were injured men who were caring
for their worse injured brothers. There
were men who did not rush for the street
60 save their own lives. Regardless of the
fact that the walls might fall ana bury
them once more, they stayed to succor
men who could not get away by them
selves A man whose arm was crushed
used his other arm 20 drag q man from that
place of death. Men stayed TO struggle
with beams and rafters that bore down
upon their fellows. They spoke brave
words of cheer when their struggles were
in vain.
When the first of the relief corps entered
the building they were especially struck
by the silence that prevailed. There were
no cries 10 be heard beneath the debris. III
any cries we're made they were stified by
DIRT and mortar that made almost solid
floor on which one might walk. Men did
not walk upon it more than they could
help. however. for no one knew but what
he might be standing directly above the
bodies of the dead. or above some man in
wnom life still existed. Nervously and ex-
cItedly they tore away beams and rafters
that IN ade O tomb. IL was q horrid task; it
was dirty tack. Men worked like demons,
with sweat pouring down their faces. The
faces. so that one could scarce tell the color
of the man.
NOBLE WORK OF THE FIREMEN.
The trim uniforms of the firemen were
ruined and battered. but never for a mo-
ment did they stop in their noble work.
Every moment the throwing aside of
wreokage exposed the bloody. and often
mutilated. form of some one of the victims.
Occasionally one of them revived suffi-
eientIy TO need but little assistance to the
outer air. but the majority of them-dusty.
bruised. with clothing torn almost In tat
ters-were Garfield into the clear stm0s-
phere and through the Borrowing crowd TO
the ambuIances and patrol wagons that
were in waiting. One man was found
sticking head first into the de-
Soon they had uncovered his legs.
which moved feeoly. showing that he was
still alive. As fast as human hands could
work those rescuers did, and s1on they bad
the unfortunate man out. He was alive
whom he was brought into the air, but he
died before he reached the ambulance in
the street This was but one of the many
shocking scenes attending the most horrI-
BILE and inexcusable accident that ever &C.
CURED In the city of Washington.
The general opinion is that the accident
was caused directly by the weakening
of the already shaky structure by reason
electric lighting system. 1t was stated this
afternoon that several days ago the
clerks 10 she building circulated petition
protesting against this work being con-
tinuei. az they considered that 1t i'm
periled the life of every man who was
working In the building. This afternoon
the firemen turned stream Of water into
the building. This was done TO lay the
dust so that the work of clearing away
could be better accomplished. A dyed-in-
the-wOol government clerk objected to the
procedure, because. be said, the place was
stored with important government papers,
which would be ruined by water. A man
was standing beside him who shouted back
excitedly, I'VE don't care o = for the pa.
pers of a government that lets it's clerks
work IN such n trap. It's men we are try
imp to save. not papers"
The last person to be rescued was DIR.
Nelson. He was buried beneath the tim
beers in the extreme front of the building.
and was removed shortly after o'clock.
The laborers did not cease their efforts un-
til about o'clock. By this time they had
the basement. and further search seemed
useless. as the debris in all parts of the build
ing had been entirely cleared away. Some
held that two lsborers who were at work
In the basement at the time of the accident
were still missing. but as the search had
been so thorough nothing To warrant its
continuance could be shown. The work
was, therefore. stopped. the streets roped
CLOSE 80 the DullulnR hnu u pOllco RubIQ
stationed there for the night.
At the morgue the sight was one horrible
TO behold. The little building, IN which
was zone ice chest and q dissecting table. w as
not near large enough to hold the dead
bodies brought from the wrecked building.
When the morgue was filled the stable was
turned into a reception room for the bodies.
Blankets were spread on the floor and the
remains were laid out as specially AZ pos
sible under the circumstances Blood from
the bodies formed large pool on the floor
aud the crushed skulls, broken arms and
legs made the scene indescribable. Then
there wac some of the victims W bo had IL OF
been crushed. They had been smothered
and the discoloration of their faces and
necks gave visible evidence of the cause of
death.
The President was informed of the sad
event just he reached the entrance of
the White House by one of the clerks. and
he at once Interested himself ~ -elIef meas
ures learning with satisfscl.0n what had
been done by Assistant Secretary of War
Grant.