Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-09

ford and his assistants were also in de-
mand as upon their orders depended what
the police and fire departments would do
with the bulged and cracked walls. Those
first to arrive expressed the belief that
practically the entire structure would
have 20 come down, the walls being at
fected from top to bottom.
The removing Of the body of Lemuel
King. who had heen instantly killed. was
rendered difficult because of the mass or
cement. bricks. timbers and other mate
rial piled on the remains. The face pro-
truded from the mass. After strenuous
work the body was taken from the pile
and sent 10 the morgue.
Those engaged in the work of rescue
were in constant peril from the bulging
and tottering walls. The nerves of the
workers We're at high tension. and occa-
sionally when a piece of material tumhled
down with hanging noise the rescuers
would straighten up and involuntarily
look for the great walls to crash upon
them. Some of the workers would rush
from the pit. only TO return when their
fears were allayed.
While the work of rescue in fTog
ress the District officials stood in the
fringe of humanity within the danger
ropes and alternately watched the shaky
walls overhead and the efforts of the
men in the pit TO reach the injured
Toll Beneath Menacing Danger
At the top of the building were broken
timbers, twisted iron girders and over
hanging blocks of concrete flooring. show
ing the force of the collapse. 1t was be-
meath this menacing danger that the res
cuers toiled for hours
The picture presented was similar to
that when the floors of the old Ford
Theater. in 10th street. collapsed. about
Sffoon on mo n To-
and serious injury more than threescOre
government employees.
Chief Belt of the fire department was
quick to realize that there was danger of
the tall walls collapsing and adding many
TO the casualty list So. calling members
Of No. - trunk company, he instructed
them TO hurry with the work of snoring
the walls. In this work some of the me-
chanicS employed about the building
proved themselves of valuable assistance.
They nailed timbers together and braced
the walls with them, while Chief Belts
men used their heavy ladders for the
same purpose. In the crowd that gath
cred on the street were mechanics. rep
resenting all trades: professional men and
others. and all were ready with sugges
tons as to what should be done. Police
reserves from several precincts were
directed by their captains to admit no.
body inside the lines. but their orders
were made effective only with consider
able effort and despite the warnings those
In the crowd were willing to risk their
lives for the privilege of getting a look
at the dead.
Laborers Relieve Firemen.
After the fireinen had been engaged in
digging in the mass of debris for long
time they were relieved by laborers. with
pickaXes and shoyels. who had been at
work on the structure before the rafters,
beams and flooring fell.
Among the workmen were several who
had harbreadth escapes. One was Itich-
ard Wheeler colored. He was on the up
per floor ramming the cement and stone
filling. but fortunately was only a short
distance from the edge of the break In
stead of being nrecipitated 10 the base
ment he able TO step back and de-
scend naturally To the lower floor where,
he assisted in recovering the bodies OF
those who had been working near him.
When the front and SIDE walls of the
structure bulged and the iron beams pull
ed out the mass of concrete filling broke
and fell in huge cakes. some not reaching
the basement. however. they We're held
by the iron rope used as part of the fill
ing The big cakes Of concrete hanging
over those who We're working to find the
bodies were regarded menace 20
them.
Report of Building Afire.
The cloud of dust gave rise to rumor
partment was called. The members We're
able to be of valuable assistance, making
the damaged walls more SECURE while the
work of taking out the bodies was in
progress \ number of excited persons
reached the building while the work of
recovering the bodies was in progress.
Many of them were there to inquire if the
relatives or friends had been killed or
injured. Lena Watts co,ored eighteen
nF iNp at Ct
ed one of her relatives was victim. and
before she could ascertain anything about
him she became historical and had To be
assisted The police of the eighth pre-
cinCt took charge of her and removed
'her To the Emergency Hospital. She
was not in a serious condition when she
reached the hospital, however.
MI. Pickford Gives Directions.
Mr. Pickford. owner of the building
is also the contractor in charge of the
work. the different branches being per-
formed by subcontractors. He was
about the building soon after the acct
dent. giving directions 10 his men and
directing that everything possible be
done in order to save the lives of any
who might possibly have been carried
down. with the mass of debris and not
killed. Roll call. il was announced
showed only two men miss,ng-Lemuel
u.
ford was still afraid some others might
have gone down with them and that
the material had imprisoned them alive
HIS orders We're complied with and a
large force worked diligently until the
bottom OF the basement vas reached.
mere were men at work all four
floors OF the building. and that some of
them. othe" than those who were killed
escaped instant death was rega rded as
little shor; OF miraculous. Benjamin Wal
lace, Colored. OF IL Madison alley was
working on the top floor when The crash
occurred
No Warning Given.
There was nothing IA warn me of
what was going to hapoen." Wallace
told a Star reporter but when | felt
a sinking sensation and heard noise
! grabbed for something. | managed
to catch hold OF the end of one of the
beams and So kept from going down
with Mr.. King and the others"
Wallace added that he hardly knew
which way TO turn. HIS first thought
was OF the others who were in The
realized there was an avenue OF escape
ing the others. Just beneath him wa.
Charles Banks. another concrete work
err. suspended from the end of a beam
with but little hope of being able to
hold on long enough t, De saved
Hold fast till I get YOU" Wallace said
to Banks. the latter fearing every second
would be his last
Reaching 10 the beam from which Banks
was suspended. Wallace soon had hold of