Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-06-10
TO-DA Us TELEGRAPHIC NEWS
The washington Catastrophe.

The Washington Catastrophe.
WASHINGTON, June 1O.-Untl late
last night workmen had been employ
ed in removing the tons of loose
bricks and broken timbers from tord's
Theatre building, and this morning the
old hulk looked less hideous than when
the scores of dead and MANNED bodies
were yesterday being carried from 1t.
Broken desks and tables were piled IN
the rear on each floor and the litter OF
papers and books had been gathered
up and such as were of any value taken
to place for safe keeping. Broken
and twisted gas pipes protruded from
every part of the wrecked section OF
the building. By s o'clock the old
clerks began to arrive at the building.
Many of them with q view TO not los
ing any time knocked on the door OF
the annex building adjoining the ruin
ed theatre and reported for duty. But
no suitable building has yet been Sc
cured and it will probably be some days
before the force is again put to work.
The coroner's inquiry will commence
Monday. The jury empanneled this
morning consists of practical business
men of high character. Investigation
by the War Department will also be
had.
Frederick B. Lotus, of New Jersey,
who lost his life in the crash, lived for
a time in New Jersey, for which State
he was accredited. One of his daugh-
tiers is the wife of Rev. T. L. Weech,
of the Baltimore conference, and anoth-
er is Mrs. Grace Faulkner, of Fairfax
Court House. Though there are per-
sons known to have been in the build
ing still unaccounted for this morning,
the reported death list has been in
creased only one beyond the number
given last night, and now numbers
twenty-three.
One other death, that of A. n. Ge-
rault, of New Jersey, was reported this
morning, making the 23d on the list of
dead. The report made by the Super
intendent of the Emergency Hospital
this morning, concerning the injured
men there, is encouraging. Most of
the patients show Improvement in their
condition.
This morning Col. Ainsworth, who
is in charge of the record and pension
divisions, asked for q court of inquiry,
to determine the cause Of the calamity,
and if possible, fix the responsibility
where it properly belongs. 1t is clear
~ accepted by every body that the gov
eminent and the War Department, as
the executive branch having immediate
control of the building, must accept
the responsibility for the calamity.
Even the War Department officials are
willing to admit that the District au-
thorities are in no way to blame.
Architect Clark, Of the Capitol, says
that he considered the building safe.
The fact that the four walls remain in
their proper places demonstrates, he
says, that they were stable, but
the alteration being made were
the cause of the catastrophe;
he had not seen the wrecked building
since the archway was commenced or
since the accident, but the character of
the alterations being explained tohim he
said that was the cause of the accident;
he continued that the front part of the
building rested upon the ground
and that some one is guilty of criminal
carelessness in not properly support
ing the iron columns from the founda-
ton.
Mr.. Cleveland is said to be much
perturbed over the calamity and will
give his personal attention to the mat
terof securing full investigation.
The survivors wonder that even
more oft persons within the build
ing were not injured. All unite in
this That the crash came with hardly
an instant's warning, and that there
was not time enough for them to take
more than the slightest steps toward
self preservation; that following
the crash the interior of the building
became so thick and dense with dust
that no living thing could be seen for
any distance, and that their escapes
were due to their fortunate position in
the building or to some miracle.
Foreign News.