The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-06-14
STORY OF THE DISASTER

STORY OF THE DISASTER
which Cost Over Twenty Lives and Many
Injured.
Ford's old opera house, the building in
which Abraham Lincoln was assassin ated,
and used by the government for many
years as part of the Office of the surgeon
general of the army, collapsed thismorning
shortly after 9 80 o'clock. with a terrible
result in loss of life and injury. The
building stood on Tenth street west
between L and F streets, and not
far from Pennsylvania avenue. 1t
bad been condemned years ago,
some claim as many as fifteen or twenty,
and had been repaired. prOpped up and
all renovated from year to year. There
were 475 persons, mostly government
clerks, employed in the building and
nearly all of these were at work when the
building fell. An excavation for an
electric light plant was being made in the
cellar of the structure-a three-story-af-
fair, and, according to the best iniorms-
ton obtainable, the workmen this
morning had dug beneath the foundation
supports In the front of the building,
weakening them to such an extent that
the walls gave way before they could be
lacked" This explain alton of the cause
of the accident is the only one advanced,
but it seemed somewhat strange, in view
of the fact that the top floor gave way
first. Men who were In the building say
h..
on the top floor were suddenly precipi-
tated to the floor below by the weight OF
falling timber aud furniture. which carried
the second and first floors with it. Fortu-
na.ely. only the forward half of the floors
gave way The outer ends OF the floors
and the rear part of the structure re-
NAMED intact. The walls did not fall.
The News Spread Rapidly.
The news that the building had fallen
had spread with lightning-like rapidity,
and soon Tenth-st. and ad jacsnt thorough
fares were crowded with people. Within
an hour the news was known all over
Washington and hundreds of anxious rel
atives and friends swsrmed to the vicin-
ity OF the old theater. Women appealed
anxiously to every bystander for informa-
ton about some particular person, while
men came with tears in their eyes and i'm
plOringly besought the policemen TO let
them through the lines that they might
obtain some knowledge of their friends
/ and relatives. A general fire alarm was
turned IN in few minutes after the crash
and then all the ambulances in the
! city were summoned. As quickly
as possible the police and fremen
/ formed reserve brigade and
/ ready hands assisted them 10 take out the
killed and wounded. In less than an
/ hour about twenty-five people had been
taken out, and every few minutes there
/ after some still form would be borne on q
stretcher from the building. Police and
! ar-ny ambulsnces, cabs. carriages and
! vehicles of every description were pressed
\ into service 10 carry the dead and injured
! All the hospitals in the city were utilized
/ in caring for tho injured, and scores Of
/ physicians volunteered their services for
/ this work. The commissioners of the
I District OF Columbia took possession of
the building and vicinity 10 person, and
] helped direct the police ana the rescu-
ers.
Troops Arrive.
Col Corbin, assistant Acknowledgement
/ OF the army. was sent by Msjor-Gen.
| Schotield to represent the war department
and to decide if it were necessary to call
| out troops. Owing 10 the police regula-
tons the corps was not hindered in its
work by the anxious crowds, and il was
not long before the debris had been cleared
away to such an extent that the work of
rescue could be carried on without
hindrance. Both the military and naval
authorities took prompt action Gen.
Schoheld ordered two troops of cavalry
| from TT. Meyer, just across the river, and
two companies OF infantry from the
arsenal t. the scene OF the disaster. The
secretary OF the navy ordered out all the
naval medical officers stationed here, and
also opened the naval hospital TO receive
the injured. The commandant at the
navy yard was ordered to render ali the
assistance in bis power. Every hospital
In the city was called into requisition and
ambulances carriages and other vehicles
followed with the wounded and we're
quickly tTaversing the city in every
direction.
Those who were early on the scsne
found the body of colored man in the
alley. in the rear OF the building, where
John Wilkes Booth had his horse teth
cred the night he killed Lincoln. He haC
been seen at third-story window He
was warned not to lump, but despite tn,
protestatiOn of numbers of people he
climbed out and lowering himself from
the sill. let go. He fell upon q covering al
lower door and slid oil into the cobble
stoned alley, striking on his head. in
gtantly killing him. His head Wal