Evening star., 1922-01-30
HOW THE STAR COVERED
NEWS OFI1HEA1ER HORROR
Splendid. Cooperation Shown by StatY at
Scene and in Office to Gire Public .
All Possible Information.

child pinned there. There was no
time to think of or to fear the posi-
bility Of falling walls or further
slipping of the wreckage. The peo-
pie must know who was In there.
Giving the people accurate informa-
ton was the purpose uppermost IN
the minds of the reporters.
Every name and address and extent
Of injuries. obtained was telephoned
Immediately to The Star news room
where a force had been organized to
compile the information, and put II
In order. cutting out applications. Tor
once the reporters were on the scene
they saw little of each other. meeting
now and then at the telephone. There
was no time there to stop. chat or to
compare notes. They knew that was
being done for them in the office.
Reporters in q number OF instances
crawled down under the wreckage
where there was an opening, In order
to obtain a name or q bit Of infor-
nation, or possibly to obtain identi.
fication Of a body. When additional
hospitals were put on the list OF
those receiving victims reporter
would be placed on one OF the hrst
ambulances to leave for that insti-
tuition, with instructions to remain
and check up the list of injured.
Two Dressing Stations.
AS the numbers were increased in
the two main dressing stations that
were established. that at the Chris
tian Science Church and at the Of
fee of DR.. ]. B. g. Custis. 1915 Colum-
bia road, opposite the theater, men
were stationed in them to get details
as the injured were brought IN, while
other reporters remained IN the
wreckage to gather further informa-
tion.
Injured taken out Of the Columbia
road entrances were taken to the
dressing station in DR.. Custis' home.
where first aid was applied. after
which the cases were Immediately
evacuated to hospitals. Those taken
out of the 18th street entrances were
removed to the Christian Science
Later in tho night Tho Star estab-
lished another direct line from Evans.
barber shop. Columbia road east OF
18th street. and this line was Kept
night. In The Star office q man sat
with a head receiver, like. that or q
telephone operator. on, while g re-
porter remained In the store with the
receiver continuously at his ear.
Relatives Beg for Information.
Every time a Star reporter came
out Of the scene and rushed Tor the
telephone he was beseeched by anx-
ious relatives and friends of those
known to be in the building for some
bit of information which would give
hope Of life. Many times the sad
story had to be broken that the body
of the relative had been found.
There was q reporter with each
rescue party, helping to drag on
wreckage until the form of a victim
was exposed, then starting his duty
Of getting the Identification and OK
tent Of injuries If the person were
alive, or getting q description to
write, If life were extinct, all in an
effort to be first to provide accurate
information for anxious ones.
This procedure was repeated over
and over again all during the night
and day, reporters remaining con-
stantly on duty. seeking no RELIEF.
The descriptive story Of the disaster
ont of the way early, the later work
consisted principally Of Identifying
those taken out Of the wreckaFe.
Phone Calls by Hundreds.
In The Star ofilce 4 force Of men
worked steadily receiving the infor-
nation. compiling 1t, and getting 1t
In type" while another force an
swered the numerous telephone. in
quiries from relatives and friends,
the volume Of calls for Information
increasing as the news Of the disaster
spread throughout the city. The re-
porters on the scene kept thes infor-
nation In the possession Of the 0dice
up to the minute.
And thus the tragedy, which drove
everything else from the front page.
yas covered