Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-13
WHO is RESPONSIBLE?
What the Newspapers Say About
the Ford's Theater Disaster.
KILLED BY DEMAGOGUES.
The Government Clerks Compelled to Work
in Unsafe Buildings-A Call for Damages
From the Government A Warning That
Should Be Heeded-The Inquest.
Fixing the Responsibilitv.

THO AsoSpOnSlDlllIYs
From the New York Times (today)
The coroner's inquest into the cause of the
death Of the victims OF the Ford's Theater col
lapse in Washington will be followed by an in
vestigation by military court of inquiry, and
between the two the facts in the case
ought to be SO clearly established that
there will be no difficulty in fix
ing the responsibility for the disaster.
The facts to be determined should answer
number of questions about which the
public is in moro or less doubt. BY whose
authority was this building occupied and
used by large force of clerks engaged
upon the work of the division of records
and pensions of the War Department?
While SO occupied and used was it in an
unsafe condition Independent Of the exca-
! walton that was being made at the time Of the
calamity? Ii so, by whose authority was the
occupation and Use continued and who had the
power to discontinue it and to have the build
ing put in a safe condition or abandoned? If ii
was not unsafe before the excavation began, by
whose authority was that work done and whose
duty was 1t to see that it was done in such a
manner as not to endanSer the building and its
occupants?
During the excitement caused by disaster
OF this kind there are aiways many wild
statements upon which it is unsafe to base any
Judgment. Many persons are apt to know then
great many things which they never
tAou6As VI UcIOTc, anu tUer6 Ii a ROOO
deal Of eagerness to cast the blame
upon somebody whose Judgment had not
been previously Questioned. The immediate
cause OF the collapse in the Washington build
ing Ii already tolerably plain. In the excava-
ton that was going on beneath it the main sup
removed or seriously weakened before any
proper substitute was put in its place. The
fact that only that part OF the flooring which
rested upon this support gave way, and that
the walls Of the building renamed intact,
would seem to indicate that the fault lay
chiefly, II not wholly, in failure to give proper
| temporary support to the floors while the per-
msnent support was being replaced. though it
may be that, apart from the work going on be-
meath the building. it was in an unsafe condi-
ton and unfit for the use to which it was put
Any casual strain or shock might perhaps have
| caused disaster.
Whatever the facts in this particular case
may show, it seems to be generally admitted
that the public service is inadequately provided
for i'll Washington and that there is no proper
| supervision over the buildings occupied by the
government outside of those specially con-
structed for the use of the departments. There
are several old buildings used for different
branches OF the service which were not
constructed for the purpose and are i'll adapted
for the uses to which they put, and others
that were specially constructed for their pres
ent use are unequal to the strain now put upon
them. The local authorities have no control
over these buildings; Congress has
been niggardly in providing for the
| needs OF the public service as
| its requirements have increased, and
responsibility seems to have been lodged no
where for the general safety Of the premises in
| which the government employees are compelled
| to work. Something more than coroner's in
| quest and q court of inquiry seems to be called
for to remedy an evil which was by no mesns
confined to the old theater building on 10th
street.