The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-04-21
From The Baltimore American.
A WEEK OF CALAMIT1ES.

The services in most of the churches in city
Sunday morning parook Of funeral character. The
dscourses that were delivered referred mpressiyey
TO the mournfl visitation which recently fell with
such terrible shock upon the community, filling ma
ny hearts with anguish, and casting general gloon
over tn. city
On Friday Saturday, and Sunday, funeral process
sions filled our streets Many Of the unfortunate
victims Of the late calamity were members Of fire
companies and other societies; aid the various
Citations turned out to pay the last honors to their de-
parted brethren.
Ia some ofihe churches on Sunday collections were
aken up in behalf Of the bereaved families who have
been made destitute suffering by The loss of fathers
husbands, brothers, or sons We do not know how
far this was done among the various congregations
but if omitted in any for Of notice, presume
30 appropriate an act of duty and kindness will be
promptly attended 10 on the coming Sabbath. In the
mean time, we observe that Ward meetings are about
TO be held 10 take the subject in hand; aud we are
sure that the generous beTality Of feow-ctizens
will not be appealed TO in this solemn occasion
The claims OF the widow and the fatheress are ac-
knowledged at once by every heart; they require not
to be urged their silent force would DO weakened by
any such attempts.
We have alluded to the past week as neck Of ca
lamitits. On the first day of it the community
startled by the sudden death Of an old and much re-
specied citizen, Mr.. Jacob Rogers who died suddenly
10 church. On Monday the beautiful and interesting
son of Captain Turner, of the United States Navy,
suddenly killed in the street, being and
crushed to death by heavily laden vehicle, before the
eyes of his parents. day or two afterwards high
" respectable citizen, Henry Brice, was found dead
in his office. And 10 conclude the awful catalogue
of distressiu Incidents since Thursday less than
tl1enty fire of fellow cit have been summon
ed to eternity by the dreadful explosion of the Medora
OF this last most horrible casualty the particulars
have been given 10 the public. In paper Of yes
terday the proceedings Of the coroners inquest
the body Of one fthe victims published in full
Nothing conclusive was ascertained, appears rela
tive to the of the disaster. What further in
vestgaton will take place, if any, we know not But
the public mind is far from being satisfied the sub
ject The occasion Is oftoo great magnitude, the
sacrifice of human life has been too terrific, to allow
of hurried disposal Of the matter without some more
clear understanding than has yet been had of the real
cause Of the explosion.
ty, to the cause Of humanity, which must moi be
sighted with IMMUNITY, that thorough and searching
examination be prosecuted until responsibility made
to rest where it properly belongs There cannot be
too much strictness this point. While we pay the
tribute of sorrow due to the dead and neglect the
duties of charity to the bereaved ones in our midst
the interests and safety of the living the voice Of
ciey speaking from Of justice and the instinct
of self-preservation demand rigid inquiry into the
origin Of the calamity which has afflicted us-to the
end that if negligence wantonness has been suf
fered to rie with the lives of men, should least
be known.
The active exertons of the Mayor in the duties
imposed upon him by this unhappy event have called
forth deserved commentator. We hope that he will
feel it incumbent on him to adopt some mode of con-
tnuing the investigation into the causes that pro-
duced IL,