Evening star., 1922-01-30
EYE WITNESSES TELL
OF CRASH AND ESCAPES
Representative Smithvick Describes Horror OF
Scene A. tter Roof Collapses- Former Mine
Manager Blown Through Door to Safety:

Battered while miraculously cata-
pulled from his seat in the gallery
to safety through a deluge of plaster
rocks and half suffocated in guyser
of dust Representative John H.
Smithwick of Florida, lying swathed
in bandages today, gave as graphic
eye witness story of the awful
calamity as will. ever be told.
'The orchestra was playing beauti-
full music and comic film was run
ming" said Mr.. Smithwick, lying in
his bed. bandaged and with his face
and hands covered with cuts. Sud
denly there was sharp crack. l
looked up and saw a great tissure
running across the ceiling. 1t was
right over my head. l instantly
realized what was happening. The
plaster began to fall. dropping down
in large and small chunks all over
the theater, it seemed to me. While
l was looking up a great piece right
over my head started to fall. ]
ducked, crouching. involuntarily, ]
suppose, down between the seats. The
J:ece struck the seat right where 1
had been sitting The force was
broken by the seat, but it pinned
me down where l was crouching. The
noise was awful. 1t was n great,
tremendous roar. 1t was simply inde-
L
Can Never Forget.
In the midst of the roar now We're
shrieks and cries of women and
children and few shouts of men.
There were cries for help, groans
and, worst of all, the means of those
In terrible pain. 1t was awful. |
cant describe it. | see it all the
time, those poor children and men
and women crying and groaning
there.
There were only a 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 worse. We in
the balcony were more fortunate.
L guess there was a lapse of maybe
twenty seconds, hardly more, before
the balcony fell. Funny, but it spun
around. kind of twisted, as its sup
ports gave way, and 1t swung down
on those below. 1t didn't go straight
donw just Kind of slid sideways and
slanting. I suppose from the weight
of the debris that had fallen on us
upstairs.
Pinned Down by Great Chunk.
II don't know how 1 got out from,
where i was crouching under that
chunk OF plaster that had fallen on
me. 1 really believe it weighed all of
that plaster with my shoulders. Any
way. | crawled out between the
seats to where l saw small hole III
the plaster above. l forced myself up
through that hole, wiggling anu
showing Then l crawled out over
the snow and plaster. over he tangled
debris. to the doors on the 18th
street side.
Across the aisle from me when
the crash came was a little fellow
never saw him again and wonder II
heS is dead-who laughed and roared
at every especially funny part of the
film. l don't know what became of
him or the others in the balcony
after we were showered with plaster.
AS the ceiling broke the plaster
fell first, in chunks 1t was Just ike
an ice pond breaking up. The roof
didn't give way on one crash: II
seemed to break up everywhere. Ihat at
through the broken places where the
ceiling had given way.
It's queer, but I was conscious all
the time when 1 was pinned down
under there by that great piece OF
ceiling. My mind. when 1 saw the
calling fall, and afterward, was just
as clear and collected as it is now
/ knew 1 was hurt some, but dian
know how badly. 1t seemed that my
time had come. 1 lived year, tell
you, pinned down pel"e cen INC Sea''-
Face Dripped With Blood.
ut wasn't until 1 got outside that
/ noticed blood falling from my face
and hands 1 got out myself. No one
helped me. 1 crawled over the broken
seats and plaster and snow to the
door. On the way saw young fel,
low lying half curled up, moaning and
crying for help. 1 leaned over to lift
him and ther everything went black.
The next 1 remember 1 was at the
door, w;ping the blood from my eyes
and mouth. I don't know how l got
out. 1 didn't see any other injured
ones as 1 crawled out. I can't remem-
her about that part of it. My only
thought then was to get home bofore
] should die. My chest panied me.
my back seemed broken. my face was
dripping with blood. All wanted to
do was to get home and tell my wife
and little girl what had happened