The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-06-18
TERRIBLE CALAMITY.

The following deporable accident reminds US o
the destruction of the Richmond theatre, on the
night of the 26th December, 1911, in which we vert
near falling a victim to the flames. Eighty-odd per.
shed on that occasion; among whom were the gov.
ernor Of the State the president of the Bank Of Vr
gnia and some Of the brightest and bravest Of the
city, Words are inadequate to describe the horrors
of that night, and the deep grief in which it wrap
the city.
From the New York sun-extra.
APPALLING CALAMITY IN QUEBEC!
One hundred lipes lost-Destructipe fre-Forty-sia
bodies found.
From the Quebec Mercury June 49,
1t has again pleased the Almighty to afict our al
Las, night. at 10 o'clock, fire broke out in tn
Theatre Royal, St. Lewis street, formerly the rid
ing school,) at the close of Mr. Harrisons exhibI
ton of his chemical dioramas. From the informa
ton we have been able to CLEAN, a carnphne lamp
was overset from some cause or other, ana the stage
at once became enveoped In flames
The house had been densely crowded, but sorn'
had fortunately left before the accident.
A rush was at once made to the staircase lead
ing from the boxes, by those who, In the excite
ment of the moment, forgot the other passages o.
| egress.
In an incredibly short space Of time the whole
of the interior Of the building was enveoped il
one sheet of hame-the newly erected platform
covering the pit, and communicating at each enc
with the stage and boxes, favored the progress o
the flames.
| The writer Of this article was one Of the earies
on the spot and present at the closing moments o.
the hapless beings who persisted from their over ex
ertions to escape The staircase communicating
with the boxes was steep one, and we are OF th'
opinion it had fallen from the weight OF those who
nt1F tnn n
| the moment.
One foot was interposed between the hapes
crowd and eternity and on that space we, with
| five or six others stood, the fierce fames payln!
around us, and dense smoke repelllng all efforts Il
| extricate. As far back as we could see there wa
a sea of heads of wrthing bodies, and outstretche'
| arms Noise, there was none; but few means es
coned the doomed At the extreme end IN vie"
| there were faces calm and resigned; persons VINO
from the funeral veil OF smoke which grhouaiy en-
shrouded them, appeared calmly to drop INTO eerna
| sleep. .
| Nv our side was oae brother striving to exricntt
| ,notbcr hut abandonment was unavoidable Ont
NOR crsature At our feet offered his entire worldly
,,oaItb for his rescue; the agonizng expression o
| r. fcos before us can never be cfaced from oul
memory. -, -
| The flames at the time were above and around Us
but human aid was Of no avail--ln hve minutes IRON
| the lime Of which we make mention, the mass o.
human beings who had but short interval previous
been in the enjoyment Of full and active LIE, were
exposed to our view n mass Of caclnoi bones.
| Tn IN this hour forty-six bodies have been re
covered from the ruins. Most of them have beer
recognised; greater loss Of Ire than IN 'ne ,We
| d,ead copAaerations Of last summer Sad wailinf
nervodes the city Scarcely street can be traversec
IN which the closed shutter the hanging Grape az
not betoken a sudden bereavement Fathers, els
tsrs children of both sexes, indulge the deepes
Iamentation. Wo has fallen upon many for hos'