Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-09

have expected
Men turned pale and sick At the horrible
speotacles presented by the injured. Fortu-
nately there were no women employed in the
building, and it is thought that none we're
killed
Within an hour more than fifty people were
carried off to the hospitals. How many more
were buried none could tell
Medical Omcers Ordered Out.
The Secretary Of the Navy has ordered out
all the naval medical officers stationed here,
and has also opened the Naval Hospital to
receive the injured. The commandant at the
navy yard has been ordered to render all as
sistance In his power.
Gave q Warning Yesterday.
One Of the workmen, colored man. who
was employed in excavating the cellar, and
who escaped with only slight cuts, says: ~ told
them Yesterday that the archway would
fall, for every time any one walked over the
floor it would bend. I tell you I was scared,
and got out Just Is quick as could. There
were twenty men at work with me. Deed
don't know what became Of them"
A Builders Comment.
Mr.. William F. Funk Of the firm Of Funk &
Funk, contractors and builders, was one of the
first on the scene. To a STAR reporter he said
that he thought the wreck was caused
by the faulty manner in which
the work Of UNDERMINING seemed to have
been conducted He said he had noticed it
several times during the last few days and no
later than this morning had looked at it 1t did
carried on in . safe manner.
VIGOROUSLY Unsafe.
Mr.. Baier said the building has been
VIGOROUSLY unsafe for . long time and he
He said the rear wall Of the building has been
bowed out for long time.
WHEN THE BUILDING COLLAPSED.
A Graphic Story Told by One Of the Clerks
Who Escaped.
One Of the most striking accounts Of the
disaster is given by Mr.. ]. T. Exnicios, who
was on the second floor and stood on the very
edge Of the horrible crater that so suddenly
opened in the center Of the building.
He heard noise, he said, as II something
heavy had fallen ON the floor above. He
glanced up and was almost petriied to see the
entire floor coming down-slow and wavering
at first and then more swift in its progress
bearing to death its load Of humanity.
The floor started from the front wall. and
was at an angle as It went down. When he
first saw it the angle was not sharp enough to
disturb the desks, and the startled occupants in
what had happened.
As the floor came on in its awful progress he
saw 1t bend and wave and then it crashed down
on the occupants Of the floor beneath. He
called to the clerks about him to run to the
rear, and many was saved by their promptness
in getting away from the peril
STORIES OF SURVIVORS.
The Horrible Scene Presented When the
Building Collapsed.
Mr.. N. z. Sabin was one Of those who es-
capped from the third floor Fortunately for
him he was seated in the rear part Of the build
ing, but when the crash came he looked to the
front Of the building and witnessed sickening
sight.
In the midst Of the volumes Of dust that
arose he saw men crawling on their hands and
knees up the steep incline of the fitting floor to
the blessed region of safety.
How many escaped he did not know, but he
thinks not more than ten went down with the
floor. He with the others escaped from the
windows by means Of ladders which had been
hurriedly run up from the outside.
A thrilling story is told by Capt Troutman,
who occupied q desk near the south wall on the
first floor in tho wrecked area. He was, he says
engaged In looking at the case Of John CASTLE
of the one hundred and fortieth Indiana, when
he heard a noise, and the next minute he
was enveloped
II was on the lower floor in the hallway
when the crash came" said Mr.. Thos Adams,
Wuo WIS Al cnaTke VI tne uau Il nearu Woat
sounded like an explosion, and the door
slammed together and was SO tightly closed
that l could not open it. Then came the bricks
timbers and mortar. When the noise was fin-
ished could hear the groans Of the injured,
and those who were not injured were screaming
for assistance.
Thrrllfn~ S~anA
One Of the most thrilling scenes Of the whole
affair was the sight of dozen men who were
left in . corner Of the third story clambering
down . hose pipe to the ground
One Of these mon and the first to get down
was Mr.. E. Bsier, who worked in the center Of
the third floor. The story can best be told in
his own words
Il was at my desk" he said, "when heard
. great roar. There was no premonitory
trembling or any kind Of warning; Just Q
roar and crash, and the desks and tables seemed
to raise up in the center Of the floor and then
disappear in a binding cloud Of white dust.
81 sprang for the rear window and called to
my companions to follow. Those who were
right near me did SO, and we gained safe
place at the rear Of the building near the win
dows.
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