Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1893-06-23
DIShSTIRIN WASHINGTON
TOTAL COLLAPSE OF FORD'S
OLD THEATRE BUILDING.
While Crowded With Nearly 500
Government Clerks Three Floors
Were Suddenly PTecipitated to the
CeIlar-Over a Score Killed and
More Than Fifty Injured.

my
Ford's old theatre, in Washington, the
building in which Abraham Lincoln was as
sassinate3, and used by the Government for
many years as part Of the Office Of the Sur
geon-Cieneral Of the Army, collapsed a few
mornings ago just after 8 80 o'clock with a
terrible result in loss of life and injury. It
is coincidence which will not escape at
tention, that this second tragedy occurred on
the very day when the remains of Edwin
Booth, the great tragedian, whose life was
so darkened by his brothers crime that be
never visited Washington afterward, We're
being borne to their last resting place In
Mount Auburn Cemetery. Massachusetts.
In the building at the time We're 534 Gov
eminent employees from the War Department
1856 clerks, eighteen messengers and
twenty labOrers.
Up to nightfau. when the excavators in the
ruins had just taken out what was supposed
to be the last body, the number Of the dead
was twenty-five. OF the twenty-five identi-
fications had then been made in regard 20
the following
George 1. Allen, Pennsylvania, fifty years
George W. Arnold, Virginia, colored, CLERK
Samuel P Banes. Pennsylvania; L. W.
Body, New York John Bussius, thirty-Four
years, Washington: jeremiah Daley,
PENNSYLVANIA. died on the operating
table Of the Emergency Hospital:
Arthur L. Dietrich, Kentucky: James r.
Pagan. Kansas. thirty-four y@ars. married,
Washington. Joseph 3. Gage, Michigan
NJ NJ. Jarvis Michigan J. Boyd Jones. Wis
consin; David c. Jordan, Missouri; F. B.
Lotus. New YO-E F. w Maeder, married,
Washington y. F. Miller, New York
Howard s. Mi.ler. Ohio. NJ. T. Mulledy,
Louisiana; J. II. MFau, Wisconsin DR..
Nelson William Schriever, Missouri; f. G.
ShuiI, Kansas II. S. Wood, F. NJ. Williams,
Wisconsin unknown man, evidently clerk.
The number reported as injured was fifty
two, some Of them fatally and many seriously
hurt.
The evidence. as found in official records,
appeared conclusive that as fong ago as 1850
this building, which the Government pur-
chased after the assassination and used as
army museum, was officially proclaimed by
Congress- as unsafe. The excavations which
were the immediate cause OF the col
lapse were being mad0 at the in
stance of the War Department for the
nurDOse of putting in an electric light plant.
This explanation of the cause OF the
accident is the only one advanced Men who
were in the building say the crash came
without warning. Those on the top floor
were suddenly thrown to the floor below,
and the weight of falling timber and fur
niture broke down the second and first
floors. Fortunately only the forward half
of the floors gave way The outer ends
of the floors and the rear part Of the
structure remained intact. The walls
did not fall When the first rumbline warn
ing of the approaching collapse came, the
clerks on the third floor to the number Of
Jumped for the roof of small building adj
Joining on the northwest side. Many ofthem
escaped in this way.
The news that the building had fallen
spread with lightning-like rapidity, and soon
Tenth street and adjacent thoroughfares
were crowded with people. general fire
alarm was turned in few minutes after the
crash and then all the ambulances in the
city were summoned AS quickly as posi-
BILE the police and firemen formed
a reserve brigade and ready hands as
sisted them to take out the killed aud
wounded. In less than hour about TWEEN
ty-fye persons had been taken out, and
every few minutes thereafter some still form
would be borne on a strescher from the
building. Police and army ambulances.
cabs carriages and vehicles OF every de-
scriptiOn were pressed into service Tor carry
inc the dead and in jured to the hospitals.
Both the military and naval authorities
took prompt action. General Schotteid
ordered two troops Of cavalry from Fort
Meyer, Just across the river: and two com
paniee OF infantry from the arsenal to the
scene OF the disaster. The Secretary Of the
Navy ordered out al the naval medical
officers, and also opened the Naval Hospital
tC receive the nIured-
Those who were early on the scene found
the body of a cOiOrcd man in the alley in the
rear Of the iuiiLiLg where John Wilkes Booth
had his horse tcthered the night be Killed
President Lincoln. This was George u.
Arnold a coIoced clerk He had been seen 1t
not to Jump but iespitet the prOtestatlons OF
numbers of people, he climbed out, and,
lowering himself from the sill. let go lie
fell upon covering at 4 lower door and SID
OIL mt he CODhie-StOncd alley. striking o l
H. ,.st lie Was Instantly killed.
t1.e OF the brlvest and most daring acts
was performed b,' Bash Lockwood, a cOlOrad
bov, nineteen or twenty years Of age. AS
soon as the floors collapsed and the dust
cleared away. realizing the danger OF those
at the rear windows. who were Wildly chInD-
ingOu and calling for aid. he climbed up
lasSe telegraph pole as high as the
third story and dashed ladder to
the pole putting the other end in the window.
BY TINS means ten or fifteen were ass Stel
down the ladder III safety. None OF those
who escaped in Jury could tell which of the
floors first gave way.
There were many very narrow escape:
from death. A number Of clerks whose desk:
rested directly upon the line where the floors
broke away. saved themselves. while the
desks at which they sat were precipitated dowr
the awful chasm. Others who were walking
across the room heard an ominous sOunC
and stopped just at the very threshold
OF death. When the crash came those who
survived heard a great scream of anguish
IRON their comrades they sank out OF
sight, and then cropping in the darkness
they found their way to safety, trembling in
every limb, and with the pallor of the dead
IN their faces.
One of the most thrilling scenes of the
whole affair the sight of a dozen men
who were left in corner of the third story
ciambering down hose pipe to the ground.
Captain Dowd, of Indiana, was found near
me southwest corner OF the building covered
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