Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-08
Death and Destruction mW/hich Employees of
Government We're Victims Still Remeau-
bered Here as Great Disaster of 1893.
Negligence Ne0er Placed by Courts.
Statements by Some Of Those Who Worked
There at Time.

Mr. EDMoNDsoN responded most willingly
and freely, and coming from a survivor
of this great tragedy, what he has to say cam
not help but prove interesting. Here are his
remarks in part:
"* All my newspaper clippings of that
period are lost. Not q single old fellow clerk
in that building with me at the time do even
rarely see. 1 do not even have one advantage
you have-access to The Star files.
But I have good recollection of the gen.
eral affair. No one that day in the building
could see far beyond him for the cloud of dust
flooding for some time, caused partly by mortar
dust and brick dust. Parts OF two floors fell
in upon the first floor, and maybe part of the
last fell also. All floors built of arched
bricks, the arches apparently each three or
four feet wide and running parallel, all the
brick work continuous and joined. happened
to observe that form of construction that same
day-to my surprise. The principle of the arch
was thus used on very extended scale. At
short intervals, If any, these arches were aided
by pillars of iron.
THAT brick construction for floors
of the causes of so much havoc. The main
foundation for many or all pillars was in the
basement. That where the underpinning
had been neglected by a certain subcontractor,
not by Mr.. Dant, the main contractor. So,
when the foundation had been undermined by
that fellow (who, to save cost, had failed to
Shore upO the part OF the superstructure
above not in some other way supported fell
like house of cards. BY the phrase in
some other way supported refer to a sup
port not certainly known to me, because do
not recollect whether around the well in
center (both second and third foors) there
were any iron pillars to help to stabilize
However, it is evident that the floors every
where were in contact with the four walls;
the parts alongside wall remained secure-Cd
not fall In some parts that state of stability
extended from wall even to the well For
example, that was the condition of the third
floor, northeast corner, where my desk stood
near the we'll Third floor did not fall then
nor the part Of it due east of the 'well-near
alley
"Manifestly, but for that condition of sta
bility at some places-hoors probably fastened
to walls-an parts Of >all floors would have
gone down, and every man been precipitated
the majority Of the inmates were not hurt.
sGT ADDERS-tan ladders-were quickly run
up to the second and third floors by the
Fire Department. The men those floors
escaped, think by those ladders to the alley
at the east. It seems to me that all my
floor dhir6) made their exit on ladders on alley
Side-east end, rear Of building, that same alley
through which Booth fed the night he shot
President Lincoln.
my impression is that on my floor (third) at
front west at Tenth street end, there was
no ledge Ono part Of hoor) left near the wall
as at other places, and think all the clerks
the third floor who did not go down with
the wreck escaped by the alley way. I am
pretty all of the front. Tenth street end
OF third floor, fell in. and that our floor chief,