Evening star., 1923-08-22
/ DEAD, IS HURT
IN BARN COLLAPSE
AT CAMP MEADE
Five D. C. Reserve Officers
Injured in Accident Dur.
ing Maneuvers.
DILAPIDATED BUILDING
COMPLETELY WRECKED
Crash Comes Suddenly When OBJ
servers Climb to Hay Loft to
Obtain Better View.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

SNeSial Dlspatch 10 he Star.
CAMP MEADE, Md, August aa.-
One officer was killed outright and
eighteen others. five of whom arc
from Washington, were more or less
seriously injured. when an old barn
that was being used as an observa-
ton post during troop maneuvers
collapsed this morning. without warn
ing. Thirty men. all members OF the
Army officers reserve. were in the
| structure at the time.
The dead man was:
First Lieut.. Walter r. Hirsch-
miller, attached to the air service, of
Pittsburgh. Pa.
The injured washingtonians are:
Capt. Van Writ Roberts, 1705 Irving
street northwest, bruised about shoul-
ders and head.
Capt. Joseph A Giovannoni, 1890
Randolph street northwest. hurt about
Capt Victor H. Dent. 131 Webster
street northwest. severe bruises and
contusions of head.
Lieut. Henry Nj. Jett. TIA street
northwest. "a detective sergeant at
headQuarters). bad cuts and bruises.
lum bia road northwest, badly cut and
bruised.
Several Rushed to Hospital.
Those injured were:
Lieut. T. J. Boyle of the 99th Di-
| vision: Capt J.. A. Giovanni. Soth Di-
| vision: Lieut.. H. NJ. Jett S0th Div
| sion; Lieut.. =. S. Allen, S9th Division.
Capt H. A. Douglass, Soth Division;
Capt c F: Krause. Soth Division;
Lieut.. J. G. Gibson. 9sth Division:
Capt. Victor H. Dent, SQth Division;
Capt John Hopkins, 18th United
States Infantry; Lieut.. Z. B. Logan.
99th Division: Capt. F. Drischier. soth
| Division: Capt. w. J. Pedroncelli. non
divisional group; Lieut.. r. B. Young.
| 99th Division; Private c. Z. Bodle.
| ssth Division; Capt c. Z. Speare Of
| Lieut. E. A. Blakeley. sSth Division:
! Capt. Van Writ Roberts, S0th Division.
! The 99th Division is from Pennsyl-
vania as well as the non-divisionsl
group. while the S0th Division is from
the District of Columbia, Virginia
| and Maryland.
| 1t was stated last year all officers
were warned to stay out of old build
ings. but that no such order had been
| issued this year. 1t was when the
rain started today the men went into
! the barn, which later collapsed.
! 1t was stated that none had been dan
gerousIy injured. Several were said to
have been rushed to hospitals in Balti-
1
1t was feared, however. more careful
examination for internal injuries
would be necessary.
| Thirty officers had sought shelter
buildings at Camp Meade owned by
the War Department. They were
assigned to watch the movements of
troops in training here and had
selected the dilapidated looking struc-
ture because OF the heavy rain that
had turned the field of operations into
| a yeritable Quagmire.
Not n Board Stands.
1 To get better view of the field
they went to what had formerly been
the hayloft. and a dozen or more
clambered up rafters. It is believed
their weight proved too much for the
old tfmbers. A momentary sagging
of the barn, followed by a sickening
snap as the rafters parted. was the
! only warning the trapped men had.
It collapsed so completely that not
board or support was left standing.
Soldiers on parade saw the barn as
1t went down. Every man in the
| camp was rushed Immediately to the
spot and they took turns digging out
| the imprisoned men. Some were near
| the top and were able to lend hand
| to the reScuers once heavy debris was
lifted from them. Those buried further
| down, however, were stunned and
| were rushed Immediately to the post
| hospital.
Death Believed Instant.
| Lieut. Hlrschmiller was found
| crushed between two heavy rafters.
His death must have occurred instan-
taneously, II was stated, for. scarcely
| a half hour elapsed between the time
the building collapsed and the mo-
I- n "a
| form from the wreckage: Maj. Mel
vim NJ Franklin, attached TO the Med
| ical officers Reserve Corps, was near
the building at the time or the &C
cident and rendered first aid until the
| entire camp medical stan couid De
| gotten to the scene.
| Col. WisSiam D. VIII, commandant
at Camp Meade, Immediately ordered
| a court of inquiry formed to inVesti-
, gate the accident Until that court
| statement as TO the exact cause OF the
| collapse will be made by camp OFF,
GERS. 1t was pointed out. however,
that the barn was in q very unsafe
rain had made 1t even more danger
| Gus as a shelter for human beings
| and that 1t was not owned by the
government. The structure had been
| abandoned for years, the farmer who
once used 1t having left 1t when his
ground was purchased by the War
/ Department as a training camp for
drafted soldiers
Board of Inquiry.
A board consisting of Lieuts. Coils.
Frederick s. Young. John ]. Miller,
Robert c.. Humber and Capt. Harold
E. Potter. all OF the regular Army,
was appointed later to make an in
vestigation Of the accident.