Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1893-06-16
Fearful Calamity.
Another Death Trap Sprung.
And More Than a Score Of Gov
ernment Clerks Lose
Their Lives.
The Government Responsible

tlOOr OF the Old FORD opera House,
in which Lincoln was assasSinated
and occupied by the Government,
fell in this morning, carrying two
other floors with it. There were
about five hundred clerks in the
building. Many are supposed to be
killed and very large number in
jurei.
The scenes are terrible. Some
Jumped from the third floor. The
walls are still standing, but every
floor is down and every window is
blown out. The building had been
condemned as unsafe and unsuta-
bic for the purposes for which it
has beeu occupied for some time,
but sentiment has kept it unchang-
ed. The floors were heavily loaded
with rccsSds and the pension divis-
ion of the War Department. The
clerks employ ed there were all men.
The injuries. from the very ma
ture of the accident, are Of the Sc
verest character, crushed and bro
ken bones and internal injuries
prevailing.
All the ambulances in the city
have been summoned and every
hospital in the city has been called
into requisition to care for the
wounded.
One of the bravest and most dar-
ing incidents connected with the
calamity was performed by color
ed boy nineteen or twenty years of
age, named Basil Lockwood. As
soon as the floors collapsed and the
dust clearrd away, realizing the
danger of those at the rear windows
who were wildly climbing out and
calling for aid, he climbed up a
large telegraph pole as high as the
third story and dashed a ladder to
The pole, putting the other end in a
window. BY this means ten or if
teen were assisted down the ladder.
About 1870 a, m. the dead and
injured began to arrive faster than
The corps of surgeons could attend
to their injuries. Carried in on
'tretchers, they were dumped at
jhe most convenient places.
Those who were most seriously |
injured were attended to, while the
others. grooming and crying from
he pain of broken limbs, lay limp
md helpless, beseeching the doctors
% dress their wounds. Shortly af-
er the arrival of the first unfortu-
late the crowl began to assemble
II front Of the hospital many Of
hem being the wives, daughters
nd relatives Of the dead and iniur-
d. Their weeping and frantic
rieS for information were heart
ending. They greatly intelfered
nth the work of The physicians,
nd DR.. Kerr, in charge Of the hos
ita!, determined to put them out.
Load after load of the wounded,
lind from the debris, and with
mbS broken and manned, were
umped at the door. They had to
emain outside for some time, as the
orce and facilities Of the hospital {
ere unequal to the emergency. l
S quickly as the surgeons, who
ere shortly reinforced by the S
Dung men graduates Of the city
)uld do SO. they examined and
resSed the wounds, and they were {
len sent upstairs to more comfort
Die quarters. 1t was with great I
ilicuIty that the policemen could
,ep the relatives Of the injured
lt'of the building, and, while out '
de, their agonizing cries could be =
heard by the poor un- L
'rtunates who lay helpless. Ev. c
y few minutes during the first
70 hours after the accident dead
I'd wounded men were taken out
the debris. TO the onlOokers all J.,
e bruised, manned and dust-cov- '
ed ,med bereft of life. One q
an, whose face was covered with t
God, and who was seemingly dead s
ddenly raised up in the ambu- y
nee in which he was placed and -
yallowed Il glass of whiskey. This u
ought a cheer from the crowd, -
ID thereafter every reScbe was ac- II
by applause.
All carts and workmen that could
secured were pressed into service
clear away the debris. Work. Il
IN shovelled plaster, brick, docu- !,
ents and broken furniture into ID
rts, and each load was taken to a b
mping ground near by. IL
The President was informed of v,
2 sad event just as he reached
2 entrance to the White House
one of the clerks and he at once Ca
crested himself in relief meas hi
rs. learning with satisfaction S.
lat had been done by Assistant ~,
,r e tary Grant, who ri
% had come over to the White
use before noon.
, p. M.-From all sources the
mber of dead reported at this