THE BIOHMOND TRAGEDY.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 701, 16 July 1870, Page 4

THE BIOHMOND TRAGEDY.

la a late number we gave details of this dreadful accident, and now append the full particulars, from San Francisco papers recently to hand: — . : . .

A frightful calamity took pl.ice on the 2Tth. April* in the Capitol of Richmond, by which fifty-six lives were lost, and cine hundred persons wounded. Such was the intense interest felt in the decision to be rendered by the State Court, of Appeals in the Mayoralty case that ' by eleven o'cZock in the forenoon 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 20ft by 29ft, the judges' bench a,t one end being confronted by a small gallery at the other. The entrance to the court-room is .from a balconied gallery in the upper storey, over the Washington monument, on the lower floor,; and above is a skylight in the roof, which admits the light. The balcony, or gallery, was also . tilled with people who could not gain admittance to the court-room. At the time of the catastrophe it is estimated that not more I than three hundred persons were in 1 the court-room, but these filled it to its utmost capacity. A large number of the legal fraternity and members of the Press were sealed in a 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 seated 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 paper 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 >nd Anderson — and took their seals, when the conversation lulled among the people, and for tiie first time there was a perceptible silence. 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 seats : and looked towards the centre of the room, whence these ominous sounds seemed: to issue. People there "stood v up and looked at 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. But it was 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 25ft to the floor of the House of Delegates. Then, with the descending mass, the ceiling- above, which was somehow attached to the gallery ako, came down with another fearful crash, smothering and crushing the living and struggling mass of victims beneath. A ledge of about 12ft, 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 N had occurred those who ■conld—dutc'hed" hold" of Itie windows, stepped out the gallery, and ran out to other rooms,* and thus many others were also savefcl.v. The scene ;which followed As' utterly beyond description. Between the two bodies of the floor and cieling was the mass of people, the force 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 those who remained about, and yen*, tured to look down into the vsicent space of .the court-ro.oni, nothing, was visible but; a cloud of thick dust/" through which the frantic cries of the victims yet alive could be heard vainly appealing for help. The crash was felt in every portion of the building, even to the basement, but of which the officers ran in precipitate haste,, and soon the alarm of the catastrophe was pealed through the city on the*bellsof the surrounding, churches. This sound had the effect of bringing promptly to the scene the fire department^ besides a large coucourse of citizens who were wider the impression that a conflagration had taken place. Hppks and ladders were at once brought into active requisition, and the work of extricating the dead* the mangled, the wonndedj ■•' 'and the dying was commenced. ;.One by ,one they were brought forth from the mass of debris through the windows and the doors, those unhurt first made, their appearance begrimed with dnst' and with tornaud tattered clothes. Next came the dead and wounded, who were deposited;on the grass plots of the square,.which.soon resembled the scene" after a battle, with afflicted relatives, male and female,, wandering about in search of some one missing since the announcement of the qataatroplie. It was' painful and heart-rending to hear the groans lof the ' wounded and dying, and the' wailing of women and.. children,^ strong men being affected to tears, and as each fresh victim, covered with dust and debris, was borne forth, another and. another cry of- sorrow, and distress was sent up. From the mass of fallen timbers and debris .many of tho; arms and legs oi the wounded and dead projected, and , it required the work of hoursito extricate : thun ; but the citizens and firemen worked vigorously throughout the entire morning, until the last one was brought, qut^ and., consigned to the keeping ; of I&ckilyvi^a&i

an hour prior to the meeting of the Legislature, when the House of Delegales would also have been thronged, and hundreds of others would have been added lo the already immense list of killed and wounded. As it was- some fuoeen or twenty persons are reported to have been in the -House, some of whom escaped and some were killed, one of the pages among them.- An incident of the lamentable occasion is that both the Mayors, Ellison and Cahoon, who were the most interested parties present, went down with the floor into the yawning room beneath, Ellison -escaping unhurt, while Cahoon was slightly inj ured. It is now positively ascertained that there were fifty-six persons killed in the catastrophe ; but the number of wouuded has not been accurately ascertained, as many of them walked off. It is supposed, however, that not less than one hundred are wounded. A remarkable feature of the occasion is the number of leading and influential men who fell victims to this terrible accident. P. H. Aylett, whose name heads the list of the dead, was a grandson of Patrick Henry. He was, like his ancestor, an orator, and was a leading member- of the bar here. Powhattan Roberts and N. P. Howard were also two of the nibst talented, .respected, and able lawyers of the city, beloved by everybody, and whose places will never be filled in , the hearts of their afflicted fellow citizens. When the corpses w^re brought out, and exposed on the square, scarcely' one of them could be recognised, so fearfully : disfigured were they, and the broken-hearted wives, sisters, and mothers oi several even failed in some instances to recognise the victims. The facesof all the dead were fearfully swollen and blackened, it is supposed from suffocation ; and about the mouth and lips was, a sort of coagulated froth,' tinctured with blood, which was hardened and stiffened with dust. In the case of Dr J. B. Brock, reporter oi the Enquirer, it is said his wife failed to recognise him, and a brother reporter only discovered his identity by searching his, pockets. The Capitol building, which dates nearly to the revolutionary cray was dilapidated and insecure, and ,is now but a wreck of what it was; the whole northern side of it being a mass of .de.frm. While the dead and wounded were being removed, manyalarms took place, and the people rushed from the building repeatedly in terror of another calamity. :. , . •;