Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-01-30
DEAD MOURNED
BY WASHINGTON
Theater Disaster Causes Capital
City To Be Bowed In
Grief

above the succeeding rows and ex-
cept when the house was jammed,
commonly were not all occupied.
with the small attendance Saturday
night, probably only a few had paid
the extra price for these seats. And
may of those behind scrambled up the
steep slope Of the fallen balcony to
safety, although many We're struck
down in the first blow when the roof
caved in. Some were hurled down
in the first blow when the roof caved
in. Some were hurled down into the
pit wreckage when the balcony fell
and even some of these escaped with
bruises.
tlfemen fought their way through
heaping snow drifts in answer to a
general alarm. Police patrols with
men churned and skidded through the
white muck and in answer to a sum
mons, marines from the barracks
clear across the city came at double
time, painting through the heavy go
ing. At Fort Meyer, across the river,
the cavalry was turned out and start
ed in truck loads to the rescue only
to find roads blocked with snow. Men
shoveled their way frantically, but
finally four mule teams from the fort
and from the engineer barracks were
called on.
All Wild Confusion.
At the scene of the disaster there
was wild confsuion for time. Those
who first made their way to the aud
ltorium doors saw before them a dim
mysterious heap of wreckage family
lighted by a string of colored cleo
tries on the stage that still stood in
tact, and by the reflected glow from
leaden skies above the void where
the roof had been.
Minute by minute the crowds about
the door thickened. 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.
Firemen plunged into the wfeckage
with lanterns. Men with electric
torches came from all sides to aid.
With Infinite care the rescuers be-
gan work Every beam they touched
might let another mass of concrete
down If it was moved too swiftly.
There were some groans in the dark
ness 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 supporting
orders, stood in crazy attitudes. A
touch might send them toppling.
But against every difficulty. the
soldiers and sailors and firemen and
police and citizens toiled desperately
and slow stream of dead and in
Jured began to trickle out through
the door ways. Nearly every house
and store in the vicinity became a
rescue station. Housewives made up
pots of coffee for rescuers and res,
cued as the night wore on.
On the 18th street front row of
parked automobiles stood, waited for
owners killed or hurt in the crash
inside. They were hubdeep in snow.
and only narrow lane was opened
to traffic in the street itself as the
street cars could not get through be-.
cause of the snow. The automobiles
the rescuers work They
were picked up bodily by crowds of
men and lifted out of the way.
Army Ambulances Arrive.
~AmSulances and private machines
gathered up the injured as they were
brought out. Finally a string of army
ambulances arrived from Walter Reed
Hospital with sacks full of bandapes.
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