Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-06-15


L. b. 1ENAINGIoN, lace and head
cut.
CHARLES SINS. cut aud bruised
FRED CALVERT, bruised
- METCALF. badly cut.
j. DEWEY. bruised.
{. ) MCLAUGHII badly bruised
WILLIAM LEuIUhE OF irginia, badly
cut al o 1t the head
). ". THss, cut and bruised.
CHARLES Z. MILLER, injured head
and legs.
- AMEs, bruised.
5. d. DEWEY, cut and bruised
- KUGLrR, badly rushed.
c. Z. HATHAWAY. shoulder crushed
DR.. MCCORMACK, head cut and badly
bruised.
ia .Es E. WHITE. badly cut about
the lead.
The remains of another young man,
not yet identified, have j st been
placed in the morgue at the Emergency
Hospital.
This makes the number of ascer-
tanned deaths up to the present time
eleven, but every minutes delay IN re-
moving those bur Ell under the ruins
increases the proba bility OF fatal re-
suits.
There are believed to be fully sixty
clerks still in the ruins. The most
heroic efforts are being Inade by the
fremen and police to reach them. The
cavalry have just gone the scene to
clear the street.
There were about 425 clerks en-
ployed in the building. which was ac-
quired and preserved by the govern
ment few years ago because OF us
historical associations
A most remarkable statement was
made this morning to the effect that
Gen. Ainsworth, who is chief OF the
division, stated to Congressional
Committee last year that the building
was perfectly safe. The immediate
cause of the collapse was the under
mining of the building by an electric
light company.
Captain Griffith of 427 Tenth Street,
a crippled clerk, was at work at his
desk when he heard the crash. Look
ing up quickly he at once dropped on
the floor and crawled under table.
Then the crash came, the debris just
grazing him. Leaving behind his
canes, which he is accustomed to use
in walking, he crawled toward the
back alley, where friend found him
and took MIN home.
When, at 1O:45 o'clock, the workmen
came to Mr.. Hammond, a clerk resid-
ing on Thirteenth street, he was found
alive, but hurt about the head and
face. AS he was borne to the ambu-
lance his face was wreathed in smiles,
so glad was he to escape before being
sutfocated, for he had been kemmed in
in a narrow compass for almost an
hour.
The rescuing party heard faint cry
for help under a heavy iron beam.
After some work the well known
features of Douglas R. Miller came to
view. He was lifted out almost life
less and DIR. hewitt pressed whisky
flask to his lips and administered
drugs to him hypodermically. He
was sent to the Emergency Hospital
A young man named Mellac claims
to have been the first to leave the
building He was in the second story
when he looked up and saw the ceiling
giving away. For two years he had
plotted out route of es ape. He al
WAYS knew the building would fall
some day. He got through by the side
building.
Another man Saved himself by jump
ing from the window into the awning
of tobacco store next doc.
Arthur SehatL, a clerk on the third
floor, in Chief Clerk Tont's division,
cold his story of the catastrophe. He
was sitting il the front portion writ
ing. when, without moments warn
ing, he saw the front floor cave n,
carving with it Messrs. Yont,
Do o1z TT,u1o,. he
tire section under Mr.. Patrick.
There were st least sixty men
precipitated from, this floor. The
cave n LOOK place aCouJ a loot from
where he was sitting. It was like an
earthquake. There was absolutely no
warning whatever. The floor fell in
and carried with it a score of human
beings The clerks who remained in
the building stood speechless and
with blanched cheeks. 1t was only
for moment, however, and then like
one man the remaining clerks, mum ber-
ing about seventy-tive, rushed for their
lives to the rear of the building and
escaped over the adjoining roof.
Some OF the escares have been mar
velous. Men have been aiken out from
under piles of heavy timbers who have
seemin Fly received only external cuts,
some heavy girder having saved them
from worse injury.
Alter an hours work there was still
twenty or thirty feet of debris piled
up in the basement and it will be
many hours before it can be definitely
known how many are dead and in
jured. Every few minutes a body is
uncovered and then there will be loud
cries for a stretcher. The stretcher
is brought hastily and the body laid
out on 1t.
The tangle of stuff inside of the
building that had to be cleared away
in getting at lod;es was terrible.
Orders, bricks, beams, desks, furni-
ture, all were inextricably piled to-
gether. Several hundred men We're at
work clearing away, needless
of the danger that menaced
them from the possibi ity of
falling walls. 1t was diff
cult as well as dangerous task, but
there was far less confusion than one
would have expected. Men turned
pale and sick al the horrible spectacle