Evening star., 1922-02-01
ESCAPE.
''0NLY' A MIRACLE
Maurice Baskin Relates Ex-
perience Of Self, Wife and
Son in Theater Crash.

Another eyewitness to the Knick-
erbocker crash, Maurice Baskin, who
was in the theater with his wife and
!ten-year- son, and who escaped
his wife suffered dislocation of the
,, left shoulder blade, gives descrip-
tion Of the disaster.
Mr.. Baskin, who declared he and
his family escaped death "only by a
miracle" said:
I'VE were sitting near. the center
Of the balcony when the crash oc-
CURED. The plaster started falling
on the stage, and in an instant the
whole ceiling and roof came down on
u.s. We instinctively crouched in the
seat and felt tremendous weight
back and shoulders. T resisted the
pressure with all my might, as our
son, ten years old. who was in the
next seat, was under me. Luckily the
whole mass reached the floor level.
Secs Break i'm the Lathing.
There was a small break in the
two feet from where Mrs. Baskin was
She started to crawl toward it, and
we called for help, but none ap-
peared for while. By the time her
head reached the opening two young
men appeared and helped her to get
unscathed, followed her out. When
I tried to move I found my right leg
caught in the debris. I gave it a
violent jerk and felt something snap.
garded it and moved quickly toward
the opening.
when I got above the mass of
debris, the sky was showing over US.
and the mass of snow-covered
wreckage formed sort of slanting
surface from the southwest corner
toward the 18th street entrance near
the stage. A hugs steel girder was
lying across the stage and that part
Of the building, one end of which was
abutting into the wall several feet
from the ground
ozark, Like . Cemetery
Everything was still and dark,
like a cemetery. Only occasionally
could we distinguish faint moan.
The two men who helped US out were
trying to rescue others from the
who apparently escaped unhurt. were
wandering aimlessly over the wreck
age, evidently stricken. One
Of them mentioned quietly, My
mother is there l started to look
around and noticed a young woman
sitting on the snow, her face bleeding.
tried to lift her, but / just then
noticed that my right leg gave out
and I was standing on one leg.
limped toward the door on the 18th
street side. There was an opening
near the door.
"A man was standing near the
door yelling, There is a child there.
don't go this way
"As several Of the rescued were
now near the door he snatched a
large slab of concrete and was
threatening to kill anybody who ap-
preached the door. but was doing
nothing toward rescuing the child.
bent over to the opening but could
see nothing there. Firemen then
appeared. They lifted the man with
the concrete slab bodily out of the
door and ordered us out"
Mr.. Baskin also told of the spirit
of devotion and self sacrifice of DR..
James F. Coupal, a veteran of the
world war, who spent more than two
years on the firing lines with the
| Medical Corps of the Army in France.
and who is now a major in the U. S.
Army Medical Corps. attached to the
Army Medical Museum
OMcial Statement.
According to a statement made to-
day by the officials of the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad, all work had been
competed for the day when the out
hound shed collapsed, due to the
| heavy amount of snow on its roof.
All operations were resumed at
! noon today when city officials al
| lowed the railroad to reopen it's
| bound sheds, New York and Florida
avenues northeast, all carloads and
less than carloads are being handled
as usual.