The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-06-10

WASHINGTON, June 9.-Another trag-
ely, less national in character, but in
volviDg loss OF many more lives and
much more human suffering, has stained
the walls Of old Ford's Theatre, in this
city, where Abraham Lincoln was IS.
sassinated byJ Wilkes Booth April IA,
1865, and the horrors of the scene were
by no means lessened by the knowledge
that blunder surely in this case al
most worse than crime had caused
the death Of Owe. score OF people and
inflicted maimings aud injuries upon
fifty or sixty more.
Evidence as found in the official rec.
ords appears conclusive that as long ago
as 1856 this building, which the Govern
ment purchased after Lincoln's assassi-
nation and used as the Army Medical
Museum, was officially proclaimed an
unsafe depository for even the skeletons.
mummies and books of the museum, for
which safer place Of storage was pro-
vided by act of Congress. But notwith-
standing the fact that in The public
press and in Congress- also, continued
attention was called 10 the bulrinp
walls OF the building and its darkness
and general unsuitsbi!ity and unsafety,
it continued to- be used. for the daily
employment OF nearly 500 Government
clerks of the pension record division of
the war Department.. Win fine dis
elimination, however, between what
could be replaced and what could not he
easily supplied, while the CLERKS were
trusted in the unsafe building the orig.
insl records were retained in the sub.
stantial FIRE proof War Department
building proper. So comforting Official
assurance is given that while thirty
clerks may have been killed the pension
records are all saved and uniDiured The
building collapsed in The midst OF an
i'll judged effort to remedy some of it's
defects. the moral of the disaster. if
there is any. is EN- phaszed by the fact
that there are known TO be at least two
great Government buildings, the print
ing Office and the Winder building, an
mex of the War Department, each con.
tanning more employees than we're Gagged
In Ford's Theatre death trap, which
are IN an equally dangerous condition.
When the Crash Came.
The hour of disaster was very shortly
after the departments had settled down
for the days work. Workmen, whose
oper .tions under the building are be.
lieved to have been tine Immediate
cause OF the catastrophe, bad been
tlnkering upon il for two hours or
more, Half an hour earlier and few
lives would have been lost
There were nearly AIS clerks in the
building when the crash came The
theory that the excavation beneath the
building, then in progress, for placing an
electric light plant had weakened the
walls seems unsound for the top floor
fell first. Men who were in the build.
ing say the crash came without warn.
Ing. Those on the top floor were sud-
denly precipitated TO the floor below
and the weight of falling timbers and
furniture carried the second and first
floors with it. fortunately only the for.
ward half of the floors gave away The
wall, the outer edges OF the floors and
the rear half of the structure remained
intact.
Throngs Gather About the Place.
News that the building had fallen
spread with lightning.llke rapidi,y.
Soon Ienth street and the adjacent
thoroughfaIes were crowded with
people. Hundreds OF anxious relatives
and friends swsrmed near the old
theatre. Women appealed anxiouslv
to every bystander for information
about some particular person, while
men came with tears in their ewes and
imploringly besought the policemen TO
let them through the lines that thev
might obtain some knowledge OF their
friends and relatives. A general fire
alarm was turned in few minute after
the crash, and then ali the ambulances
In the city were summoned
Systematic and Speedy Relief
The police and firemen formed
rescue brigade and ready hands assisted
them to take out the killed and wounded.
In less than an hour about twenty Ave
people had been taken out, and every
few minutes thereafter some still form
would be borne on stretcher from the
building. All the hospitals in the CITY
were utilized in caring for the injured
and scores OF physicians volunt cred
heir services for tnis work. The com.
missioners OF the District OF Columbia
took possession CT the bu 'lding and
vicinity in person and helped direct the
! olice and rescuers. Co'onel Co-bin. as.
sistant adjutant general OF the army.
was sen. by Major General Schfeld to