Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-01-30

no TGCOTu, ilOWSteTs VI SuENlNOA
among those in the foremost balcony
seats.
Frantic calls for aid went out as
soon as those in the double walled
structures which form the Eigh-
teenth street and back wall of the
auditorium realized what had hap
pened. These two three floor wings
form the offices. store along the
Eighteenth street front and house
the stairways and the approaches
and exits both on that side and
along the back wall. and they were
not involved in the disaster which
was confined to the auditorium itself.
Later this store and these corridors
became the first aid stations as the
mangied victims were dragged from
the wreckage.
Storm flinders Workers
Firemen fought their way, through
heaping snow drifts in answer to a
general alarm. Police patrols filled
with men churned and skidded
through the whit muck and in answer
to summons. marines from the bar
racks clear across the city came at
double time, painting through the
heavy going. At Fort Meyer. across
the river, the cavalry was turned out
and started in truck leads to the res
cue only to find ROADS blocked with
snow. The men shoveled their way
| frantically but finally four mule
mule teams from the Fart and from
the engineer barracks were called on.
| At the scene of the disaster there
was wild confusion for a time. Those
| who first made their way to the audi
torium doors saw before them a dim,
mysterious heap of wreckage family
lighted by String of 'colored cleo
! trio lights on the stage that still
stood intact. and by the reflected
glow from the leaGen skies above the
void where the roof haG been. Min
ute by minute the crowds about the
door thickcned. The crash of the
falling roof had drawn many, some
who had relatives in that mass OF
ruin and melting snow inside. The
clang of fire apparatus brought other
hundreds and until, the marines came
painting up. the police were powerless
to fight off the crowd.
Task Almost Hopeless One
Firemen plunged into the wreckage
with lanterns. Men with electric tor
ches came from all sides to aid. and
it was a dauntins task they faced.
They stood on the debris they must
lift to reach those dead or dying be-
low. On the Columbia road side the
single wall lowered menacing above
their heads, stripped almost bare ex-
cept for the hugh exit signs mark
ing the way out of the balcony, now
a crumpled mass below.
With infinite care the rescuers be
gan work. Every beam they touch
ed might let another mass of con-
crete down if it was moved too swift
~. There We're some groans in the
| darkness below and no one knew how
many men, women and children had
been crushed or trapped there. The
huge slabs of the concrete from the
roof, torn from their steel supports
Orders, stood in crazy attitudes. A
touch might send them topping.
Heroic Work Rescuers
But against every difficulty, the SOL
diers and sailors and firemon and
police and citizens toiled desperately
and a slow stream of dead and injur
cd began to tricllle out through the
| doorways. Nearly every house and
store in the vicinity became rescue
station. Housewives made up pots of
| collector rcscuers and rescued as the
night wore on.
Ambulances and private machines
gathered up the injured as they were
brought out. Finally string of
army ambulances arrived from VAL
ter Reed hospital with sacks full Of
bandages.
Doctors came from everywhere,
army and navy and civilian doctors.
All through the night the work of
rescue went on. 1t was evident that
nothing could be done for many of
the victims until the weight of the
wreckage could be lifted. A call to
the navy yards brought blue jackets
and hydraulic jacks and oxy-hydro-
gen jets to burn through the steel
beams. The jacks were lined up I'M
der the edge Of the fallen balcony and
little at time its weight was lifted.
| ReSCuers took their lives in their
hands to creep under and release
people there.
Death Toll Mounts
AS daylight came the task became
easier. Engineer officers from the.
army could see what must be done.
With street cars stopped, every street
was black with strings of people
stumbling over the banked snow Sol
diers and police held rigid lines about
the theatre to keep them back.
Hour by hour through the day the
Death toll rose. Less than half of
the total had been recovered when
full daylight came. Gradually the
work was organized. Some of the
men who had worked all night were
relieved by comrades to sleep and
prepare for another night of it. New
police and fire crews came in.
After the center of the main floor
had been cleared of victims dug out
of the wreckage by main strength.
a more systematic search began and
it was still going on tonight without
halt.
The final turning over Of the
wreckage was we'll under way soon
| after dark tonight. When the weight
of the last section of the gallery had
been lifted on jacks and men had
crawled beneath to drag out the last
mangled body, more speed was pos
sible and the mass that formed the
tottom of the great shell open to the
sky was moving in a steady, orderly
| coIIrsp 1n6er tho Eeep eCas of tho