Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-09-26

hoqany-colored ice boz that re-
ceiues the bodies OF traffic Dictims.
Arthur Godfrey broadcast oper
Station WJSV the tollotOing de-
scription OF the lend OF the trail
for reckless dripers" Hardly 80
seconds after he wds Oft the air,
the Morgue ambulance brought IN
the body of a 3-year-old boy toho
had been killed by coal truck.
Hello. everybody. You know, I've
been sitting here foY the past Is min
utes and I'm not sure even right now
that this broadcast Is good idea.
You know where I'm speaking to you
from? Well, it's the Morgue. Yes,
sir. the Morgue-and a more depress-
ing place couldn't be found anywhere
Well, anyway, we decided to do this
and guess I better 60 through
with it. We put on this broadcast
because we want you to feel as
strongly as we do the way, down.
deep reason behind the safety drive
The Washington Evening Star is put
ting on right now Oh, goodness me!
You don't need to be shocked! Why.
what we're trying to do is save you
from a worse shock. It's a much
worse shock, you know, to be brought
here . or to have a loved one
brought here. This isn't nice place.
We knew it wasn't when we started
this thing. But I give you my word
we also knew that there wasn't an
other place in Washington as deeply
symbolic Of the real thing that's be-
meath this foolish driving in Washing
ton. And that's death! There it is,
DEATH If must say it right
out
And believe you me, there's that In
this house. And I must repeat that
there's death in the way folks are driv-
ing here in Washington every day OF
the blessed week. For pity sake, won't
you listen to this and drive a little
more carefully for your own sake and
for the sake of others? This can't go
on. Why, listen here. I'm going to
tell you something about this place.
A Visit BY Daylight.
I came down here the other day.
Oh, not because wanted to but
because I wanted to see this place
by daylight, so I could tell you
about it tonight. 1t wasn't fun.
I asked the man in charge to show
me around :. to show me what hap
pens when a person is killed by an
automobile and he's brought here.
Well, first he showed me the driveway
where the ambulance comes around
the building here and around down
back by the river and right down here
| to the door. 1t goes over some rum
bling loose boards and it clatters a
lot just before it comes TO stop out
there underneath the porte-cochere
right over there not 20 feet
from where I'm sitting right now.
That's where they unload.
You can stand on the street out
side and see everything, too.
I didn't know it before, but they
use different carriers for persons they
bring in here. One is brown wicker
basket. And another is a canvas
stretcher-hte stitches that hold the
canvas to the stretcher poles are
usually worn away with all the trips
made and it's been patched with cord.
Maybe you have noticed the other car
rier. It's the one folks usually notice.
They're long wooden slabs with rollers.
And there are two men who have
the job of handling those carriers
Neither one of them said a word all
the time I was here. You wouldn't
envy their job. can see them now
carrying some one in it makes me
shiver a little to think of it now, here
at night. Mind if look out the win
dow here for minute . it's nice out
there =. over the Potomac. There's
! life out there but in here where
What Haste Makes.
guess can tell you about it. I'm
thinking Of some one -. a man, may
be hurrying along in his car
going to see some friend ;. and then
he's here with those two mer
bringing him in and putting him right
down here >. right here where I am
-. after the crash, you know. Then
they probably look up at that big ma
hogany colored box over there in the
corner. They call it an ice box! That's
where they'll put the chap who was
hurrying {. hurrying to see his friend.
They'll put him in there, feet first
still on that wooden slab with rollers
on it. They slam the door. Then on
a little slip of brown wrapping paper
they write his last name. Maybe it's
Zones" d. maybe it's Smith" What
ever 1t is-they write it just in pencil
and they put the little slip on one OF
the doors to the big mahogany box
There are 10 Of those doors.
The other day when I was down
here there was a brown slip on all OF
them. They opened one. But let's
skip that. He was a traffic victim
You know how they look. And they
all look lot alike when they get down
here.
They told me they'd brought 50 in
here this year. They all looked about
the same way, guess, except some had
peen men ana some women and some
little children.
A Different Washington Man.
When I came in I noticed a man
hanging on the wall of the room next
to this one. 1t was map of Wash
ington. But 1t looked different. When
you got up close you saw why. It was
all dotted with little pins with colored
heads. Ei9hty-two of those pinheads
were pink. They were the 50 men and
women and children brought here
after the auto wheels had done their
work. They were stuck on the man
right where they were hit by those
auto wheels. Those pink pinheads look
alike, too. just as much alike as thu
people they represent did after the
auto wheels had gotten through.
But was telling about the mar
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