The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-07-22
JAMES MADISON.
Cdpis. PannH, ucRae and Pollard.
AFFECTING ACCIDENT.


SALlM, July On Friday evening
Inst, during the brilliant exhibition OF Fire
Works, on Washington square, prepared
in honor of our National Jubilee, n disas
tous event occurred, which marred the
pleasures inspired by the occasion, aud
has spread gloom over the town, When
the exhibition was about half completed,
over 800 rockets which were in chest
under the stage, were accldently set fire 10,
and being in horizontal position, many
of them took direction immediately 10.
wards the immense assemblAgc of sprcla
tors, spreading terror alarm aud confusion
among them, aud melancholy Ia add,
"oundlng and malnling about thirty per
SOM, several Of them dangerously, aud
three of whom have since died. The
scene was truly awful. A large area
around the stage appeared 10 be entirely
cn'eioped in flames-a part OF The rockets
taking a more elevated direction, passed
near the heads Of the crowd, the fiery lrag-
ments Of the rockets faling prof,,scly a.
mong thcm--aud besides the persons
seriously injured, great number had their
cloths burnt, or losl their hats, shoes, BE.
aud several were thrown down IN the con
fusion, aud trumplcd upon. Yet the dark.
nesswas such that great proportion OF the
more distant spectators were unconscious
that any accident happened, supposing il
10 have been part vi the intended dis
play. II was a fortunate circumstance
that about 100 Of the largest and most
dangerous rockets exploded without dung
any material injury Had they taken a
direction among the spectators, the dcs-
tructlon must have been immense. A cor
respondent Of the Observer has given the
following explanation Of the accident
which we believe Ia bc correct
II is melancholy duty to advert 10 the
accident which occurred on Friday eve
ming, by which several persons were shock
ingly wounded, aud some Of their lives
despaircd of, but 1t is ono required Of II, AZ
an act Of justice To the managers of th,
works. From the information which WI
received from the man who had charge ~
the chest, which exploded, IL appears, thu
one of the rockets which had been fred
accideutly turned, glanced from the grounC
and perforated one end OF the chest, which
had been cautiously covered by sesera
rugs and a piece of canvas, all Of which
had been previously wet. The chests hat
been carefully placed under the stage, on
of the reach Of the falling clnders, aud a
was supposed, Of every other danger iha
could reasonably have been calculated on
But by a singular chance, this rocket lounC
It's way under the stage, and set FIRE to q
chest, containing over three hundred rocl,
els.
1t is matter Of asfpnishment 10 MS, tina
more injury did not result from this mis-
fortune, when we consider ihe mass q
spectators which surrounded the stage
We should regret, that Tie caution, whir'
had been previously given in The public
papers, by express direction Of the mana
ger Of the fireworks, had not been obsrrs
cd, were VIZ mol sensible, that our sympa
tines or regret cannot avail 20 heal III,
wounded or prolong the existence o
those, whose course has been thus sudden
| ~ arrested in the mysterious ways Of pro
violence