AWFUL CATASTROPHE AT RICHMOND, VA.

Auckland Star, Volume I, Issue 133, 13 June 1870, Page 2

AWFUL CATASTROPHE AT RICHMOND, VA.

46 PERSONS KILLED.

Richmond, April 27,1870.

The sun rose bright and cheerful this morning over a city full of happiness, which, by midday, "was turned into mourning and desolation. One of the most frightful and appalling catastrophes occurred.-.-: at. tke Capitol building, wholly without a parallel, by which nearly fifty citizens lost their lives, and as xna^/ were maimed, and this day is henceforward one of horror and' calamity- in Richmond's history. '. i^l THE SCENE OF THE DISASTER. Such was the intense interest felt in the decision to be rendered by the State Court of Apprals in the Mayoralty case to-day that by eleven o'clock a.m. a crowd of eager citizens filled the court-room, which is located on the upper floor of the Capitol building, on the north side, and immediately above the hall of the House of Delegates. The room is about twenty by twenty-five feet, the judges' bench at one end being confronted by a small gallery at the other. The entrance to the court-room is from a balconied gaUery in the upper story, over the Washington monument, on the lower floor, and above is a skylight in the roof, which admits the light. This balcony, or gallery, was also filled with people who could not gain admittance t» the court-room. THE CEOWD. ; At the time of the catastrophe it is estimated that not more than three hundred persons were in the court-room, but these filled it to its utmost capacity. A large number of the legal fraternity and members of the press were seated in the room immediately in front of the bench and the gallery. The opposite end was filled with leading citizens, and the centre of the small room was thronged by a crowd, both seat«d and standing. There was a general conversation or discussion as to the merits of the case going on among the assembled audience, the members of the press were arranging their papers and cracking jokes, as is usual among them, and all were eagerly, awaiting the advent of the judges. At length two of their Honors entered—Judges Joynes and Anderson —and took their seats, when the conversation lulled among the people, and for the first time there was a perceptible silence. THE ACCIDENT. Suddenly, and while awaiting the arrival of the remaining judges, a report as of a smothered gun under the floor was heard, followed immediately by another similar, report, and everybody started from their se^ts and looked towards the centre of the rojSm, from whence these ominous sounds seemed to issue. People there stood up , and looked themselves for an explanation of this strange and mysterious noise. But they had not long to wait. There came a crackling sound, as of small timbers breaking, and then the floor was felt giving way in the centre of the room. Simultaneously everybody jumped to their feet, for all felt that danger was imminent, and self-preservation is the fiist law of nature. But it wus too late. Down went the floor with a terrific crash, with its living, breathing, and frightened human freight, dragging with it the gallery and its living mass, and down they went a distance of nearly twenty-five feet^to the floor of the House of Delegates. Then, with the descending mass, the ceiling above, which was somehow attached to the gallery also, came dorm with another fearful crash, smothering and crushing the living and struggling moss of victims beneath. PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPES. A ledge of about twelve feet, on which the bench was located, did not go down, and on this many lives were saved, including the judges and reporters. As soon as the fearful crash had occurred, those who could clutched hold of the windows, stepped out of the gallery, and ran out to other rooms, and thus many others were also saved. , THE EXCITEMENT. The scene which followed is utterly beyond description. Between the two bodies of the floor and ceiling was the mass of people, the for ■c and power of the latter, with the gallery falling * upon them, for ever silencing their cries for help. It was a scene of horror never to be forgotten by those who witnessed it. To thope who remained about, and who ventured to look down into tlie vacant space of the court room nothing was visible but a cloud of thick dust, through which the frantic cries of the victims yet alive c©i||d be heard vainly appealing for help. " \ SPBEADING- THE NEWS TH^^ffH.m CITY. The crash was felt in evefjV portion of the building, even to the basamelt, out of which the officers ran in precipitate tjste, and soon the alarm of the catastrophe! was pealed through the city on the bells of ifUe surrounding churches. This sound had isie effect of bringing promptly to the scene the Fire Department, besides a large coneoiirv of citizens who were under the impress/a that a conflagration had taken place. &^oks and ladders were at once brought in active i requisition, and the work of extricating thKf dead, the mangled, the wounded, the dying was commenced. I BEINGING OUT THE VICTIMS. , One by one they were brought forth frjfm the mass of debris through the windows a*| doors, those unhurt first making their appeaS ance begrimed with dust and with torn: ana;' battered clothes. Next came the dead and wounded, who were deposited on the grass plots of the square, which soon resembled the 'teene after a battle, with afflicted relatives, male and female, wandering about in search^, of some one missing since the annouiCVment of the catastrophe. It was pi ul and heartrending to hear the groans #• the Wounded and. dying, and the wailing ciikwometi and children, strong men being affectedj to tears, and as ea.ch fresh victim, covered with dust and debris, was borne forth, another' and another cry of sorrow and distress wa? sent up. From the mass of fallen timbers and debris many of the arms and legs of the wounded and dead projected, and it required.the work of hours to extricate them ; but the citizens and firemen worked vigorously throughout the entire morning until the last one was brought out and consigned to the keeping of friends and relatives. A POETUNATE INCIDENT. Luckily it was an hour prior to the meeting of the Legislature, when the House of Delegates would also have, been thronged, and hundreds of others would have been added to the already immense list of killed and wounded. As it was, some fifteen or twenty persons are reported to have been in the house, some of whom escaped and some "wire killed, one of the pages among them. An incident of the lamentable occasion ia that

both the Mayors, Ellison and Cahoon/ST/' were the most interested parties present down with the floor into the yawning fr beneath, Ellison escaping unhurt is at* Cakooa was slightly iniured. ' f m PIETT-SIX. PEESON3 KILLED. / It is now positively ascertained that then* were fifty-six persons killed in the cats/ ' trophe;j but the number of wounded has a f been accurately ascertained, as many of than! walked off. It is supposed, however, that not lesi than one hundred are wounded. At a meeting held the following day, it»». resolved —" That we mourn with profound sorrow the loss which our State and our citr has suffered in the death of her citizeas • tWt we offer, with saddened hearts and tearful eyes, our profoundest sympathies to the bereaved and to the suffering, and fervently pray that as their days of affliction are, * L may their strength be.' That Wednesday next, the 3rd of May, be set apartas a day fop humiliation, prayer, and religious service, on which day the people of this city are requested to assemble in their respective places of public worship at such hours as may be designated by the clergy, who are respectfully invited to co-operate in the purposes of this resoltu tion." ,