Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-15
FORD'S THEATER DISASTER
First Meeting of the Senate Committee to
Determine Damages
Col. Afnsworth Presents an OmciaI
List OF the Killed and Injured-A
Board of Medical Experts.

The select committee designated by the
senate to investigate the Ford's Theater
disaster and to determine the liability of
the government for the damages and in
juries resulting from that accident met
this morning at IL o'clock in the room of
the District committee of the Senate. The
meeting was called for 1870 O'Clock. but
at that hour Senator Harris was the only
member present. Senator Manderson arrty-
ed in a few minutes and Senator White a
little later. while Senator Mcmillan reached
the rooms just at IL O'clock 1t was de-
cided not to wait for Senator Faulkner, who
was to have returned to the city today
from his wedding trip. The committee was
called to order by Senator Harris, who
directed that the room be cleared of all
except the members of the committee. its
clerk. Mr.. Milliken, and Col Ainsworth,
the witness Of the day. 1t had been de-
cided to hold the sessions behind closed
doors.
Col. Afnsw0Fth's Testimony.
Col. Ainsworth told the committee in
the hour in which it occupied in this ses-
sion OF the occurrence leading up to the ac-
cident and the nature of the work going on
In the building. He presented statement
prepared by him last week in anticipation
exact number Of persons involved in the
disaster. of which the following is a gen.
eral summary:
Twenty people were killed outright; two
died after the accident from causes directly
traceable to the shock then received; one,
Bollinger, has since died, but II Is not GER
tain that his death was directly the result
of the accident; about seventy-two were in
5ured in such a way that there is no doubt
that their condition is directly the result
of the accident; while twelve claim to have
been injured in ways that are not fully
demonstrated officially. This statement
simplifies the work Of the committee great
ly. DIR. Ainsworth was examined at as
much length as time would permit to the
effect of classifying. as far as possible the
character of the injuries and their extent.
Medical BOARD of Experts.
At few minutes after H. the Senate
then being I'm session, the Committee ad-
journed to meet at 1890 on Wednesday,
when DIR. Ainsworth's examination will be
continued before. it is hoped, a full COM
mittee. 1t Is understood that the commit
tee has decided that the best way to de-
termine the exact nature of the injuries
and the true scale of damages to be paid
by the government Is to create a medical
board of experts, to be composed of one
officer from the medical corps of the army
one from the medical corps OF the navy
and one from the marine hospital service
This board could then scientifically ex-
anime all of the survivors claiming COM
pensation from the government, and their
report could be accepted by the committee.
whose duties then could be confined to a
semi-legal view of the situation for the
purpose of fixing upon the exact rate OF
payment The committee do not wish to
be bothered by medical questions, and in
reality the investigation into individual
cases viii practically amount to a con-
sideration of anatomical facts. They are
willing, and even anxious, to refer to sucn
a scientific board all of these physical
matters, reserving to themselves the more
strictly judicial jurisdiction over the scale
of damages. This will greatly simplify the
work Of the committee. for the board of ex-
aminers could be so constituted to prac-
tically devote their entire time to the mat
ter and thus condense the entire WORK
into a few sessions.