The state chronicle., 1893-06-10
BY Southern Associated Press.

BY Southern Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, D. c., June g.
Ford's old theatre building ir
which Abraham Lincoln was assas
sinated, and used BY the Govern.
ment for many years as part of the
office of the Surgeon General of tins
army, collapsed this morning al
$3.50 o'clock with terrible results in
loss OF life and injury. The build.
ing stood on 10th street, northwest
between e and F streets, and not
far from Pennsylvania avenue
1t was condemned years ago
Some claim as many as fifteen O,
twenty, and has been repaired
propped up and renovated from
year to year.
Ihere were 475 persons, mostly
government clerks, employed in the
building, and nearly all of these
were at work when the buildino
fell. An excavation for an electric
light plant was being made in the
cellar Of the structure-a three
story affair-and according to the
best information obtaineble, the
workmen this morning had dug be-
meath the foundation supports in
front OF the building, weakening
them to such an extend that the
walls gave way before they could be
lacked. This explanation of the
cause of the accident is the only
one advanced, but it seems some
what strange in view of the fact
that the top floor gave way first.
The men who were in the build
ing say the crash came without
warning. Those on the top floor
were suddenly precipitated to the
door below, and the weight of the
falling tinbers and furniture car
ried the second and first floors with
it. Fortunately only the forward
half of the floors gave way. The
outer edges of the floors and the
near part of the structure remained
intact. The walls did not fall.
The news that the building had
fallen spread with lightning like
~apidity, and soon Tenth street and
adjacent throughfares were crow
ded with people. Within an hour
the ne awas known all over Wash
ington, d hundreds of anxious
relatives 81 friends swarmed the
vicinity of the old theatre. Womer
appealed anxiously to every by
stander for information about some
particular person, while men with
tears in their eyes, implorin gly
besought the policemen to let them
through the police lines, that they
might obtain some knowledge of
their friends and relatives. The
general fire alarm was turned in a
few minutes after the crash, and
then all ambulances in the city were
summoned. As quickly as possible
the police and fremen formed a
rescue brigade and ready hands as
sisted them TO take out the killed
and wounded.
In less than an hour about 25
people had been taken out and ev-
cry few minutes thereafter some
still form would be borne on a
stretcher from the building. Po-
lice and army ambulances, cabs,
carriages and vehicles of every
description were pressed into ser
vice for taking away the dead and
injured. Ali hospitals in the city
were utilized in caring for the in
jured, and scores of physicians vol
unteered their services for this
work.
The Commissioners of the Dis
trict of Columbia took possession of
the building and vicinity in person
and helped direct the police and
rescuers. Col. Corbin, Assistant
Adjutant General of the Army, was
sent by Major General Schofeld to
represent the War Department and
to decide, if necessary, to call out
the troops. Owing to excellent po-
lice regulations the rescuers were
not hindered in their work by the
anxious crowd, and it was not long
before the debris had been cleared
away to such an extent that the
work of rescue could be carried on
without hinderance.
Both military and naval authori-
ties took prompt action. Gen Scho-
field ordered two troops of cavalry
from Fort Myer, just across the
river, and two companies of infantry
from the arsenal to the scene of the
disaster. The Secretary OF the Navy
ordered out all the naval medical
officers here, and also opened the
naval hospital to receive the injured:
The commandant at the navy yard
was ordered to render all the as
sistance in his power. Every nos
pital in the city was called into