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


accept any substitute if offered.
section on the second floor. He had gone
to the third floor on some errand and re-
turned and had entered the door and was
about to 90 TO his desk when the crash
came and he stepped back. One minute
more and he would have gone down with
the rest.
8. 8. Baker escaped with a bad scalp
wound. he was at his desk on the third
floor front The crash came. he said,
without warning. Half stunned and daZed
he found himself in the cellar, pinned
down by debris and covered with plaster.
furniture and chairs. de extTicated him
self a. best he could and crawled OUT ono
of the windows. 1t was fully half an hour
before he recovered himself and even now
he can hardly account for his escape. His
coat was torn in tatters.
Mr.. LincOln's story.
Mr.. s. Dana Lincoln. who occupies q
room of the Atlantic building. facing the
rear OF the theater building, gives this &C.
count of the scene. He was sitting at his
desk at the time of the giving way of the
floors OF the building. He said he heard
a noise as tn ougn oil dumping of brick in
an alley He looked out of his office win
dow and saw coluds of dust arising to
the top of the building. Immediately at
every window dozens of heads protruded.
wildly calling for assistance. Ii seemed
ten or fifteen minutes before the hremen
appeared with ladders which were imme-
diately run up to the windows. In reality
the time was only few moments.
Captain Dowd of Indiana.
The fremen rescued all those who had
not escaped by jumping from the win
dows. The last man taken out of the
building alive was Captain Dowd of In
diana. II was found near the southwest
corner of the building, covered to a depth
of two or three feet with brick and NOR
tar. He had lain there for three hours,
but falling beam had lodged near BIN
in such a position as TO break the fall OF
the brick and timbers and when lifted up
he raised his hand, showing that he was
conscious. When ne was lifted into the
Garfield hospital ambulance the crowd
saw that he was alive and cheered again
and again.
The ambulances were kept busy carry
ing away the dead and injured The faces
pieces OF cloth, an old coat, newspaper,
or whatever else could be had, but some
of the mangled bodies were carried out
with their faces exposed to the gaze of the
great thronR that surrounded the building.
All during the long hours while the work
men were working with all their strength
TO rescue such IS were not past help, the
mothers, sisters and daughters OF those
that had gone down lowered around in
front OF the building and with streaming
eyes inquired OF all whom they met OF some
tidings of their dear ones. Some could
hardly be restrained from pushing their
way into the building. A look into the
interior told a sickeDing tale of how some
were taken and others left. Desks were
seen half topping over the brink of the
broken floor. others stood upright. but the
| chair which atood beside II and Its occu-
pant went down with the crash. Records
! and papers were scattered everywhere,
but as fast as possible they were gathered
up and saved. Many of them were
spotted with blood.
Marvel That Any should Escape.
That any one should have escaped with
his life seems a miracle. As they were
brought forth they presented a spectacle
that no one seeing it will ever forget.
In many cases the semblance to human
ity was gone. Il seemed as though the
| helpers were carrying out mere bags of
matter, smeared all over with blood,
filthy with dirt, dirt ground into them,
| blood on their faces. wife could not
have recognized her husband in that con-
| dition. With such tenderness as rough
and excited zen could summon at such a
time they were laid out upon stretchers
and carried to the ambulances that filled
| the streets from h. to Fists All the
| doctors could do for them was
| 10 clear away some of the dirt, the
plaster and filth from the faces of the in
/ jured men. In many cases the dirt was
| ground into the ewes, noses and mouths,
so that without such attention, men might
have sufiocated. MANY were unconscious
and conld not have helped themselves.
With = clang of the bells the ambulances
started off for the hospitals. These were
soon overcrowded. Drug stores were
| turned into temporary hospitals. People
i in the neighborhood OF the accident
opened their doors right gladly and the
dead and the wounded were hurried in.
When the accident was over and before
the rescuers could get inside to their re.
| lief there were injured men who were
caring for their worse injured brothers.
| Acts of True Heroism.
There were men who did not rush for
the street 10 save their own lives Re.
CARELESS of the fact that more walls might
fall and bury them once more. they stayed
to succor men who could not get away by
| Themselves A man whose arm was
crushed used his other arm to drag o man
from that place OF death. Men stayed &c
struggle with beams and rafters tba
bore down upon their fellows
/ They spoke brave words Of
cheer when their struggles were
in vain. When the first OF the relief
corps entered tho building they were
especially struck by the silence tn at pre-