The state chronicle., 1893-06-11
WHEN THE BUILDING COLLAPSED
A Graphic Story Told by One OF tn
Clerks Who Escaped.

One of the most striking accounts
of the disaster is given by Mr.. j. Z.
Exnicios, who was on the second
floor, and stood on the very edge OF
the horrible crater that so sud-
denly opened in the center OF the
building. Il
He heard noise, he said, as if
something heavy had fallen on the
floor above. He glanced up and
was almost petrifed to see the en-
tire floor coming down-slow and
wavering at first, and then more
swift in it's progress-bearing to
death it's load of humanity.
The floor started from the front
wall, and was at an angle as it went
down. When he first saw it the
engle was not sharp enough to dis
turb the desks, aud the startled &C.
| cupants in some cases sat on their
chairs not knowing what had hap
pened.
As the floor came on in its awful
progress he saw it bend and wave,
and then it crashed down on the
occupants of the floor beneath. He
called to the clerks about him to
run to the rear, and many were saved
by their promptness in getting
away from the peril.
STORIES OF SURVIVORS,
| Mr.. M. q Sable was one of those
who escaped from the third floor.
Fortunately for him he was seated
in the rear part Of the building, but
when the crash came he looked to
the front of the building, and wit
messed sickening sight.
In the midst Of the volumes of
dust that arose be saw men crawl
, ing on their hands and knees up
the eteep incline Of tie fitting floor
, to TIE blessed region of safety.
Z How many escaped he did not
know, but be thinks not more than
ten went down with the floor lie
with the others escaped from the
windows by means of ladders which
! had been hurriedly run up from the
. outside.
A thrilling story is told by Capt
Troutman, who occupied desk neal
9 the south wall on the first floor i1
Y the wrecked area. He was, he says
engaged in looking at the case O.
. John CASTLE of the one hundred an6
9 fortieth Indiana, when he heard {
noise, and the next minute he wal
8 enveloped
! Il WAS on the lower floor in th,
f hallway when the crash came, sait
! Mr.. Thos. Adams, who was in chargs
of the hall. 81 heard what sounded
. like an explosion, and the doc
8 slammed together and was 30 Tight.
closed that could noto 1.-THE,
: came the bricks, timbers and NOR
d tar. When The noise wss finished
could hear the groans Of the IN ured
9 and those who were not in jured wer
g screamieg for assistance.
J. THRILLING SCENE
J. One of the most thrilling scene
r Of the whole affair was the sight 0
dozen men who were left in cor
ner OF the third story clamberir
down q hose pipe to the ground.
, One OF these men and the first
st get down was Mr.. E. Baier, wh
} worked in the center of tbs thir
\ floor. The story can best be told i
,; his own words,
IS II was at my desk" he said, "whe
'r [ heard grest roar. There wa
s no premonitory trembling or an
kind of warning; just a roar an
y crash, and the desks and table
l. seemed to raise up in the center {
st the floor and then disappear in
le binding cloud of white dust.
Sc Il sprang for the rear windo
N and called to my companions to 70
a. low. Those who we're right nes
l. me did so, and we gained sal
le place at the rear of the buildin
)e near the windows.
"We were completely isolate
o. however, with no way to get dow
IN The floor had sunk beneath us
le front and the building was sti
IN trembling from the shock.
j. ave did not know what minu
le ths rear Of the structure would 6
I'd down, and stood there almost fral
so tic. Then I thought Of reel
OF fire hose that I knew was near b
r. We groped through the blindin
dust to this and quickly rn wour
it until the end touched the groun
nt Then I caught hold of the hose ar
At slid down it, alighting safely on Il
IN ground.
1T was a terrible slide down th
III hose from the third story, and
IN thought would never get to Il
"A bottom.
he "When my companions saw til
at l was ALL right they started dow
he also, and every man in that corn
came down on the hose"
MI HOW CRIPPLED CLERK ESCAPED
ha Capt. Griffith of 427 10th, stree
a. crippled clerk, was at work at
al desk when he heard the cras
1t Looking up quickly, he at on
f.. dropped on the floor and crawl,
-, under a table.
Of Then the crash came, the deb,
at just grazing him. Leaving
ha canes behind, which be is accu
ba toned to use in walking, be era
ts led toward the back alley, where
ho friend found and took him home.