Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-01-30

ment after the first kissing sound
of the breaking roof gave warning
a bove the music Of the orchestra
There is only one survivor thus far
who has told of having heard that
warning and seen the first powdery
handful of snow sift down over the
head of the orchestra leader in
time to escape. From his seat well
forward on the main floor he raced
for the doors at the back. A blast
of air expelled as the roof came
down, hurled him out through the
doorway to safety.
Location Of Bodies.
Most Of the bodies were reCov-
cred from the floor of the pit be-
meath the wreckage of the balcony
or from the front of the balcony.
Persons on the main floor had
grouped themselves just below the
front Of the balcony. They were
back far enough to see well and
most of the front and back rows
were empty.
At the point they had chosen the
danger proved to be double. Few
of those seated there could have
escaped. Even If the falling con-
crete slabs and steel work of the
roof missed them. the balcony
front came down on the first
wreckage with crushing weight.
The cleaning brass rail of the bal
cow front Law spread over the
wreckage of the roof when res
cuers reached the scene.
Beams Chung to Wall.
All those farther back on the
main floor probably escaped. The
beams that supported the back end
of the balcony did not let go their
clutch on the wall. The wide
sweep Of seats they supported tilted
down until the wreckage below
supported the weight of the front
end then stood covering the back
rows Of the main floor like tent.
The front rows of the balcony
were ground to n twisted mass.
There was mo wood in the struC-
ture. It was all steel and concrete,
but the enormous weight of the
balcony was sufficient to wind the
tortured beams into fantastic
shapes.
Here again chance played a part
in reducing the number of victims.
The front rows of the balcony, four
or five tiers deep, were known as
Preserved" seats They We're priced
above the succeeding rows. With
the small attendance of last night,
probably only a few had paid the
extra prices for these seats. And
many Of those behind scrambled
up the steep slope Of the fallen
balcony to safety, although many
were struck down when the roof
came in. Some were hurled down
into the pit wreckage when the
balcony front fell and even some of
these escaped with bruises. There
is no record, however, of any sur
vivor among those in the foremost
balcony seats.
Calls for Aid.
Frantic calls for aid went out as
soon as those in the double walled
structures which form the Eight
zenith street and back wall of the
auditorium realized what had
happened.
These two three floor wings form
the offices, store along the Eight
zenith street front and house the
stairways and the approaches and
exits both on that side and along
the back wall and they were not in
volved in the disaster which was
confined to the auditorium. Later
this store and corridors became the
first aid stations as the mangled
victims were dragged out.
Roads Snowblockcd.
Firemen fought their way
through the heaps Of snow drifts in
answer to a general alarm. Police
patrols filled with men churned
and skidded through the white
muck and in answer to a summons.
marines came at double quick time,
painting through the heavy going.
At Fort Myer, across the river. the
cavalry was turned out and started
in truck loads to the rescue only to
find roads snowblOcked. The men
shoveled their way frantically, bu
finally four mule teams from the
fort and from the engineer bar
racks We're called on.
At the scene Of the disaster there
was wild confusion for a time.
Those who first made their way to
the auditorium doors saw a dim,
mysterious heap of wreckage faint
ly lighted by colored electrics on
the stage that still stood intact, and
by the reflected glow from the
leaden skies. The crash had drawn
many persons, some Of whom had
relatives in the ruins. The clang
Of fire apparatus brought other
hundreds and until the marines
came painting up. police were
powerless against the crowd.
Firemen plunged into the wreck
age with lanterns. Men with cleo
trio torches came from all sides,
on the Columbia road side the sin
gle wall lowered menacingly above
their heads, stripped almost bare
except for the high exit signs
marking the way out Of the bal
cony, now a crumpled mass below
Not a window was broken.
Rescucrs Begin Work.
with care the rescuers began
work. Every beam thew touched
might let another mass Of concrete
down IL It was moved too swiftly.
There were some groans in the
darkness below and no one knew
how many persons had been crush