I have the honor, in compliance with your request, to hand you the following report in reference to my aid to the injured at the collapsed building at the northeast corner of Eleventh and Market streets, Philadelphia, on Thursday afternoon, July 15, 1909:
I was walking west on the north side of Market street, between Tenth and Eleventh streets, about 1 o’clock, with my mother, Mrs. D. S. Baxter, when I heard a terrific crash, followed by clouds of dust. I left my mother standing on the sidewalk and ran in the direction of the disaster, and on my way left my hat in the saloon of the Bingham House, southeast corner of Eleventh and Market streets, and then ran over to the collapsed building and saw two injured women being taken away to a hospital from the sidewalk in an automobile. As I entered the ruins I was stopped by a city policeman, and stated to him that I was a Red Cross nurse, and the officer immediately let me pass into the collapsed building. I found a projecting joist, which I hung on to and dropped into the cellar, where I saw two men; one was already dead, and the other, H. W. Fickis, I called to and he answered. By this time a police officer and a doctor of medicine joined me, and we three tried to remove the above two, but found it impossible. I then turned to help others, and succeeded in bringing one, Martin L. Lewis, to the surface, and stuffed my handkerchief into the cut in his head and took him to the Hahneman Hospital in a patrol wagon; then returned to the building and continued removing those I found, James Haggerty, Thomas Devine, Peter Nelson, and James Noble, dressed their wounds, and sent one, James Haggerty, to the Hahneman Hospital, and the others to Medico Chi Hospital, in a patrol wagon. By this time they had removed the man I had seen in the cellar, H. W. Fickis, put him in the patrol wagon, and I dressed his wounds and took him to the Hahneman Hospital. My last injured man, Albert Creen, I sent to the Jefferson Hospital in a patrol wagon. In dressing the wounded I used my handkerchief and underskirt, and when these gave out used the bandages I found in the patrol wagon. After I had taken and sent about twenty-two injured to the hospitals, and the dead, six, were removed, I returned to the collapsed building and helped the firemen and police officers and workmen who were cleaning up the debris, as they were alone, no one having remained to help them. I stayed in the collapsed building until the very last person had been removed. Through the courtesy and kindness of Mr. George W. B. Hicks, Mayor’s statistician, I was taken home in his automobile late that night. I hand you a copy of a letter from Hon. John E. Reyburn, Mayor of Philadelphia.
Very truly, yours,
MARGARET B. SIMON,
American National Red Cross Nurse No. 604.
Office of the Mayor,
Philadelphia, July 15th, 1909.
Mrs. Margaret B. Simon, Philadelphia, Pa.
My Dear Mrs. Simon: In a report of the terrible accident at Eleventh and Market streets this afternoon when a building of the United Gas Improvement Company collapsed, imprisoning in a mass of wreckage a large number of people, special mention is made of your heroic action in offering early aid to those seriously injured.
The Red Cross badge justifying your membership in a great organization gained you immediate entrance to the heart of the disaster, and all agree in saying that you proved by your splendid work and helpful sympathy your right to be considered an honor to the great order.
I think it due to you that public recognition should be made of your brave and successful work in a time of extreme excitement and danger; grateful for this new reason to be proved not only of the Red Cross but of the women of Philadelphia.
I am, yours, very truly,