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

CAhhflNo THEM OUT.
which one might walk. Men did not walk
upon it more than they could help, however,
for no one knew but what he might be stand
ing directly above the bodies of the dead OF
above man in whom life still existed.
Nervously and excitedly they tore away
beams and rafters that made q tomb.
1t was q horrid task; it was Q dirty task.
Men worked like demons, with sweat
pouring down their faces. The dust and the dirt
lay thick upon their faces, so that one could
scarce tell the color Of the man. The trim uni
forms Of the firemen were ruined and battered.
but never for a moment did they stop in their
noble work. Occasionally one would hear a
cry for water, and instantly . bucket
would be passed through to the work.
ers inside. Sometimes the water was wanted
for the relief Of the injured. Sometimes it
was needed by the workers themselves, who
were almost exhausted by the heat and the
dust of the place.
The Horror Of the Scene.
The scene within the wrecked structure was
something that has never been paralelled in
the history of all that is horrible in this city.
As soon as it was possible for outside help to
enter and commence operations upon the mass
of brickwork and plaster and fallen tim
beers and detorted iron the work of rescue was
commenced. Hudreds Of willing hands tore
away the membranes that prevented living,
but badly injured beings from helping them
selves, and eager sympathizers were careless as
to their own exertions or exposure to danger
that the bodies which were covered by the vast
quantity Of debris might be brought out to
where succor was possible for those not IA
tally injured.
Every moment the throwing aside of wreck
age exposed the bloody, and often mutilated,
form of some one of the victims Occasionally
one Of them revived sufficiently to
need but little assistance to the outer
air, but the majority Of them-dusty, bruised,
with clothing torn almost in tatters-were car
ried into the clear atmosphere and through the
Borrowing crowd to the ambulances and
patrol wagons that were in waiting. At
first the endeavors to rescue were
somewhat inefficient, but in little
while system prevailed and the work went
ahead with tho utmost rapidity. Weary res
cuers gave place every few minutes to fresh
and willing successors, who worked
with terrific energy in their endeavor
tn an va sop,a of tho hnr;ad oo.. or.l ....
has never before been beheld in this region
and no catastrophe in the city's century of ex-
istence ever promised SO much of all that is
horrible as the one which has stopped all BUSH
ness in this part of the city, and which
crowded every thoroughfare in the neighbor-
hood Of the old theater.
The scene was one Of indescribable confusion,
but the police did good work in keeping the
crowds back from the front of the building.
Such looking objects as the men were who
were carried out from the building first it
would be an impossibility to describe
They were covered with dust and blood, but
up to 10 o'clock no dead bodies had been
recovered. Men were almost unrecoknizable
as a result of their injuries
The ambulances were kept busy carrying
the injured to hospitals and to other places
where they could receive attention.
large force of police were soon on hand
and Maj. Moore at once took command of
them. Chief Paris took command of the fire
department.
A Mortified Crowd.
The front Of the building presented har-
rowing sight The news of the disastar snresd