The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-06-12

WASHINGTON, ID. o., June 2l.-The re-
mains OF the dead victims OF the horri-
BILE wreck at Forda theatre Friday
have nearly all been disposed OF.
Washington was to-day a city OF fun
erals and all day long mourners have
gone about tho streets. Every one
knew what the sad procession meant,
and the sympathy Of all was extended,
albeit uneXpressed in many cases to the
sorrowing ones, Inquiry confirms the
statement that none Of the victims were
men OF property. Most OF them lived
on their salaries which furnished means
of livelihood, but left little for a day
like this, Most OF them were married
and some left large families who are
now left if not entirely dependent upon
friends and relatives, at least lacking
in funds for immediate use.
Much Of the talk upon the disaster is
now OF relief measures, and the circula-
tors OF subscription papers in the de-
partments and the Washington news
papers in their efforts to get funds for
tho relief OF the victims and their fami-
lies are meeting with success TO q de-
gree that doeH credit to the benevolence
OF the city. The government clerks are
not generally we'll to do, and expenses
Of living here absorb most OF their sala-
ries. But few, indeed, were too poor to
contribute sum that appeared to be
generous in view OF their menus for the
relief OF the widows and orphans.
The injured in Fridays catastrophe
now in the hospitals are, with the eX-
ception Of two, in fair way to recover.
The serious cases are those OF ]. P. Nc
Cormack, OF Wisconsin, and Frank Met
calf, of Massachusetts.
Deputy Coroner Shattor was engaged
to-day in making preparations for tho
inquest, which will be resumed to-
morrow. He has subpmnpd several
witnesses, and it is his intention to se-
cure all the eyewitnesses to the affair
he can. Patrick Doyle, contractor
for forty years. in Washington. says
that five months ago he was sent for
by the officials Of the record and pen
sion division Of the War department.
"They wanted me-" said Mr.. Doyle,
ito take the job OF undermining the
old structure for the purpose OF put
ting in an electric light plant ! told
them ] would not touch the job. / had
several reasons for this refusal. The
first was that 1t was risky and dan
gerous undertaking; secondly, that
they did not have any plans or speci6-
cations for the work; thirdly, there
was no civil engineer or expert to super
wise the operations, and the contractor
was supposed to go ahead at random
or in a haphazard manner; fourthly,
they wero niggardly about the amount
they wanted to pay for the work and
evidently desired to have 1t done in
"cheap John" fashion" For these
very good reasons have kept my
hands of the work, and in the light Of
recent events lam glad / did, or to-day,
perhaps, l would feel like an assassin. !"
"If the coroner's jury finds verdict
involving criminality it will be my duty
to report the matter to the grand jury
for investigation and action" said Dis
trict Attorney Birnie. Indictments
will probably follow, unless it is found
that tho blame is so much distributed
as to make such course impossible.
This might be the case if it was the be.
lief of the jury that Congress, for in
stance, is the blameworthy party"
II have taken no action in this un.
fortunate matter as yet" continued Mr..
Birnie, and cannot do SO until after
the inquest. l shall, however, send
one OF my assistants to attend the cor
oner's inquiry and mako such sugges.
tions as appear necessary as to the
course of the investigation and the wit
nesses to be examined. You may be
suro that we shall follow the case close
ly. l see that the war department is to
have an investigation Of Its own. The
result of this, taken with the findings
OF the coroner's inquest, will bo OF value
to me in case OF criminality being es-
tablished against any one. Between
the two investigations it ought to be
possible to fix the blame, ii there is