The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-04-25
Responsibility Is Collective

To the Editor of The Age Herald:
 I have been reading from your valu- able paper accounts of the faithful men who have been successfully res cuing bodies from the debris and ruins of the Ham shoe store and the Atlantic and Pacific store. I was in Birming- ham on the afternoon of this sad acci- dent but had to leave town the fol- lowing day. Have noted the express sions of various citizens as to the prob able cause of this unavoidable" ca tastrophe. Many differ, and 1t will never be positively known why these charred walls collapsed and crushed the life out of many helpless creatures, who never dreamed of a sudden glimpse into eternity-five minutes rrevious to their horrible death. Sev- eral honest citizens have stated that the walls were knocked down by light ming. They are honest in their belief, but after viewing carefully the sit uation, I cannot agree with them that the lightning caused the collapse of these charred walls.
 When lightning hits an object, s- simultaneously, there is a deafening clap of thunder. How many people heard this loud thunder? I was three or four
 
 thunder. There were flashes of light ming and some thunder. which. a rule. accompanies April showers, but there was not a loud, harsh, sudden clap of thunder during the rain and windstorm. The winds preceding April clouds are brisk and come upon us suddenly You often notice little "whirlwnds' preceding an April cloud. On this particular afternoon, a sudden gush of wind came; 1t carried with 1t the characteristics of April winds. and created a cloud of dust. At about this time the walls of tine Steele Smith Dry Goods Company building fell. It will be recalled that they fell before the rain came. The wind preceded the rain. Taking these things into consid- eration, Is it not practically certain that the wind either forced those walls down, or a great pressure was pre- cuced by the wind accommodating within the space surrounded by these tall, charred walls, and produced sufficient force to cause the walls to collapse?
 There are a few who would be glad to establish the theory that lightning knocked these walls down upon other buildings as a great deal of respons- tility would be rescued from those whose duty was to remove or have re- moved these charred walls. The light ming theory will not hold. The sent- ment or the peOple III DiilhluSH Hdii anu elsewhere has already established the blame, regardless of the 'investiga- tions" to be held. The city of Bir- min gham has poor system. The heads of the commission government are doubtless conscientious, but we are lacking in sufficient representation There is too much for three to zee after There are too many people to satisfy, whose voices are faint under the present system. The three com nissioners are doing their best. nc doubt, but the affairs of Birmingham today In many respects are worse than ever before. We lack funds. we lack police protection, we lack efficient of ficers in many departments we lack that absolute air-tight government recessary to make one city show up it's real value.
 No particular one is to blame for the sorrow and sadness of many a household. but collectively, there is a | responsibility. and until the people de- mand more direct representation and better government, we may expect to | forever have things to come up which | bring discredit to our city. Yours l truly. w. J. HARMON. Birmingham, April 24 1915.
 l 1905 Twenty eighth Street. South.