The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1922-02-02
DISASTER
IN WASHINGTON
Continued From Page One)


by the seat, but it pinned me down
where l was crouching. The noise
was awful. 1t was great, tremen-
dous roar. 1t was simply indescrib-
able. I never can forget it.
"In the midst of the roaring were
shrieks and cries of women and chill
dren and few shouts of men. There
were cries for help, grosns and worst
of all, the means of those in terri
BILE pain. It was awful. I can't de-
scribe. 1 see it all the time-those
poor children and men and women
crying and groaning there.
There were only few of US in
the balcony. Luckily there weren't
more. The balcony gave way and
crashed, soon after the ceiling began
to fall on those on the lower floor.
They were caught the worst. We in
the balcony were more fortunate.
"I guess there was lapse Of may
be 20 seconds, hardly more, before
the balcony fell. Funny but it spun
around, kind of twisted as its supports
gave way and it swung down on those
below. 1t didn't 60 straight down,
just kind of slid sideways and slant
ing, I suppose, from the weight OF
the debris that had fallen on US up
stairs.
"I don't know how I got out from
where I was crouching under that
chunk of plaster that had fallen on
me. I really believe it weighed all
Of 500 pounds. And ! think l moved
that plaster with my shoulders. Any
way, I crawled out between the seats
to where I saw a small hole in the
plaster above. I forced myself up
through that hole, wiggling and shov-
ing. Then 1 crawled out over the
debris, to the doors on the Eighteenth
street side
"Across the aisle from me when
the crash came was a little fellow
I never saw him again and I wonder
if he is dead-who laughed and roared
at every especially funny part Of the
film. I don't know what became Of
him or the others in the balcony after
we were showered with plaster.
GAS the ceiling broke the plaster
fell first in chunks. It was just like
an ice pond breaking up. The roof
didn't give way in one crash. 1t
seemed to break up everywhere. That
let in the snow which came in through
the broken places where the ceiling
had given way.
"It's queer, but I was conscious all
the time when l was pinned down
under there by that great piece Of
ceiling; my mind, when I saw the
ceiling falling and afterward, was just
as clear and collected as it is now. /
knew I was hurt some, but didn't
know how badly. It seemed that my
time had come. I lived year, I tell
you, pinned down between the seats.
"It wasn't until I got outside that
I noticed blood falling from my face
and hands. I got out myself. No one
helped me. crawled over the broken
seats and plaster and snow to the
door. On the way I saw a young fel-
low lying half curled up moaning and
crying for help. leaned over to lift
him and then everything went black.
The next I remember was at the
door wiping the blood from my eyes
and mouth. I don't know how l got
out. I didn't see any other injured
ones as crawled out. I can't remem-
Der about that part of it. My only
thought then was to get home before
I should die. My chest panied me, my
back seemed broken, my face was
dripping with blood. All I wanted to
do was to get home and tell my wife
and little girl what had happened
and how I was hurt. thought I was
going to die"
Representative Smithwick, who lives
about block from the theater, said
he staggered home without overcoat
or hat through the snow drifts.
Physicians were summoned imme-
diately, who found him suffering from
shock, bruises and possibly internal
Injuries.
"I think it was miracle that
came out alive" said the Florida con-