The times., 1899-02-17
Two KILLED BY TEE
COLLAPSE OF 4 ROOF
The Ebbitt House Carriage
Sheds Crushed by Snow.
Horses Fell to the Ground and ES-
capped Death.
Iriyc Men Slightly Injured in the
Wreck and Fifteen Vehicles
Demolished.

Under the tremendous weight of accu
muiated ice and snow the carriage shed OF
the Ebhitt House stables, at the corner of
Thirteen -and-a- half Street and Ohio Ave.
nuc. collapsed late yesterday afternoon,
killing two men wounding five more and
destroying several thousand dollars worth
Of property.
The dead are:
CLARENCE Gross. coio7ed
JOSEPH HILL. colorcd.
The injured are:
George Beckct. Robert Burt. George Root, and
Robert Red flesh and scalp wounds; Charles
Stokes back -prIincd, all colorca.
None of the injured viii die.
The accident occurred at 430 O'Clock.
while ten carriages were being prepared
in answer TO a call from the Senate, and TO
understand it fully a description of the
building is necessary. The stables proper
occupy a two-story brick, to the west of
which and Immediately adjoining are the
| carriage sheds. The sheds are but one
story in height, rooted with tin.
| All day long the ice and snow from the
stables had been sliding in great chunks
onto the sheds. until the supports and
beams were strained to the limit of their
: strength. The rain added its weight, and
suddenly. without the slightest warning.
men. horses and carriages were buried in
a struggling mass beneath the avalanche.
Twelve men were working under the
sheds at the time. Five were near the
doorwGy leading into the stables and man
0 TTrn,- .lsI
death we're on the ground adjusting the
! harness Of their horses The two who
/ were killed had mounted their boxes and
/ thus met the full weight OF the falling
mass Of roof, ice, and snow.
Eighteen hcrses were under the sheds,
/ but not one was injured. They displayed
almost human instincts OF self-preserya-
ton b. falling fiat on the ground at the
! first sound that heralded the danger. The
/ roof crashed down upon the carriages,
/ which met this sudden force with sufIi-
cient strength TO hold the avalanche OH
the ground and in this way the five men
and all the horses were saved.
! The awful noise and the uncertainty OF
what had happened was going TO happen
/ sent the employees of the stables flying
/ into the streets. and il was several minutes
| before police assistance was summoned.
4 squad OF police from the First precinct
/ station. Dy SefgtanlS .hOOIt
| and Acton. hurried TO the scene. but before
/ their arrival the injured men had succeed
! ed in freeing themselves from the debris
] IL soon became known that two men were
| yet in the ruins and the police set to work
assisted by the crew of fire trucks c and ID
On account OF the weather and the condi-
| tion of the streets it was impossible tC
drag the trucks to the place. and the fire.
men came carrying their ladders and Other
! implements
The employees of the stables lent theil
aid and directed the work of rescue, bainf
more familiar with the lay of the ground
The debris was cleared away with Difficult.
~ and it was some time before the bodie:
OF Gross and Hill were found. Both O
these men were drivers and were on thei1
boxes when the accident occurred. Theil
position at the time was nearly in the cen
tire Of the sheds, and hence the delay il
| getting 10 them.
Both were found in their carriage seats
each doubled over with his face pressed
into the dashboard with roof timber
lodged against the back of the neck
Death in both cases must have been in
Simultaneous. The bodies were not badl!
mangled Both were sent at once TO tht
morgue
Gross was married. % years old. ant
leaves Two children. He lived in Sixteenth
I SlIeti between l. anu VI SiItttS. MN va
also married. 80 years old, lived in +
Street between Twenty-frst and Twenty
second, and a wife and seven children sur
Vive him. The families of these men ar
not in the best circumstances, and are lef
without sufficient means of support.
Two OF the injured were taken to tn
hospital, but insisted on going home afte
7 having been treated for their wounds
The other three refused TO 90 10 the hos
pitai and went to their homes. All vii
recover.
1t was impossible last night for ]. F
. Berry manager of the Ebbitt Hous
, stables 10 estimate the material loss re
sulting from the accident. Al least fiftce
carriages were demolished. several of theI
, being private property. Little or nothn
can be rescued from the wreck.
, The remains OF Gross and Hill wer
viewed by The Coroner who promptly Ie
turned a verdict OF accidental death.
, is difficult to iix responsibility for the &C
cident. The snow and ice accumulated 8
rapidly and in such greater quantities tina
was expected that no precautions had bee
taken and no one is held 10 blame for nC
bavIDp fpressau the disaster