The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-06-09
| SCKENING CALAMITY.
The Old Ford Theatre in WASH
81 ington OOIIapses.
IN THE RUINS.
Nearly Hundred KiIsd The Rgsnli q Negligence
Statements Of Eya Witnesses The
Cries weFs Heart Rendering

Nearly Hundred KiIlsd The Result Il Negligence
sta,smsnsa Of Eys wisassses The
Cries wsss Heart Rendering
A special from Washington gives M
account Of dreadful. calamity which
took place III that city, this morning
At 10 O'Clock. 1t was the collapse Of
the old Ford building on Tenth street.
between. f and F II was used as
the Record and Pension Division Of
the War Department Abou. 400 peo-
pie were employed in the building,
nearly $50 Of whom were buried in the
ruins The work Of rescue was neces-
sarily slow, owing to the nature Of the
wreck. The scene was pitiful and
strong men burst into tears and faint
ed as they viewed the s;ckening
catastrophe Men worked like do
mons to rescue the injured, and
recover the bodies of the
dead The cries Of the injured.
( ( 3
and the gioans Of The dying were pitt
full in the extreme, and strong men
turned away heart-sick.
James Stewart, clerk ON the see
oNd floor, who jumped for his life irons
q rear window, says that over 100
clerks were undcr the floor and that at
least fifty Or sixty men must have
been killed He said: The first IN
dieation we had was a swapping noise
followed by tremendous crashing
sound.
Then there was great cloud Of
dust Looking ahead saw the third
floor falling quickly. Immediately a
cloud Of dust arose 50 dense that We
could not see through il
The first intimation had DC the fall
of the second floor was when started
forward to render help,.Nlien ! found
myself facing a chasm.
Below was mass Of crushed and
struggling humanity
The third floor was the first to give
way and it fell without warning bring
ing down the second and first floors
to the basement, bnrying all in the
ruins. Nearly AL who were in the
building were buried in the ruins.
and few had chance TO escape.
Cliffe Lowe, the son Of Judge Lowe,
who was supreme justice Of Iowa for
many years, had deep cut in the
back Of his head.
II was at work on the first floor, E
said Mr. Lowe, al the blood streamed
from his wound.
Suddenly I heard 4 terrific noise
and began to run | was caught, how
ever, before / reached the door and
pinned down for moment, but with
the help Of an iron bar managed to
oxtricate myself. 1t was terrible, as
the warning noise was followed in
stantly BY the crash
I. S. Lowry, Of 600 Third street,
bleeding from numerous cuts on his
face and head and his clothes torn to
shreds, was painfully creeping down
Tenth street.
II was at work on the second floor,
near the door Of the room in which
we're about 100 otherclcrks. Suddenly
I was eDveloped in a mass Of ruins. !
managed to struggle out, know not
how believe tile third floor fell in on
us.
G, a. Henper, Of 2032 / street, was
in a terribly cut-up and bruised condi-
ton, He was conscious and said he
was at work on the second floor when
there was crash and lie found
himself buried in mass of lime and
timhcrs He managed to extricate
himself III few moments.
only about sixty Oh the 4OU clerks
were able the escape. Some Of them
jumped through the windows, and
others fled through the doors, reaching
the street in safety
Excavations were being made in
the basement for laying electric light
wires, and many workmen were engag-
ed there, nearly all of whom were
buried. The third floor had been in a
weak condition for 4 long time, and
sometime ago was condemed. Up to
noon to-day twelve bodies had been
recovered, and it was estimated, that
at least eighty more were still under
the ruins. Great throngs Of terror
stricken humanity surrouned the pile
Of wreckage, and the scene is sufficient
to melt heart of stone